How frequently do you meet with your students?
It varies student-by-student, but a general rule of thumb is once per week.
Which payment methods do you accept?
We send invoices through Square Invoices. You can use Plaid to create an account and pay invoices directly from the emails you’ll receive from Square. We can also accept payments through Zelle.
Which tests do you tutor for?
We have experience tutoring for the SHSAT, ISEE, SSAT, HSPT, TACHS, Regents, Hunter College High School Test, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, GMAT and GRE. We have tutored for specific classes outside of these tests on a case-by-case basis. If we can’t teach the materials for a specific course, we will reach out to our extensive network of specialists to pair your child with a perfectly matched tutor.
Do you tutor for this specific subject my child is studying?
We can answer on a case by case basis! Get in touch.
Can my child’s friends form a study group?
It depends! Students from the same school can often work quite well together in the same group. We place all of our students into groups by way of diagnostic test, so please plan to have your child and his or her friends sit for a diagnostic. When possible, we will try to accommodate grouping requests.
How do you put groups together?
We put groups together based on two factors: diagnostic test data and personality. We aim to group students that have similar strengths and weaknesses. We also consider which students will work best together which is a decision we make based on personality. If there are scheduling conflicts in a group we set up, we will modify that group. No group is set in stone, so if one student improves to the point that they belong in a different group we can plan for a mid-year adjustment.
Where do you meet with students?
We meet with students over Zoom. To make a long story short, when we saw greater score increases from our Zoom students compared to our in-person students, we knew it made sense to lean into the format that was serving students best. We’re always happy to speak with you in more detail about why we think Zoom learning is superior to in-person learning in the context of our program.
What should students do the week/night before the test?
At this point, students should feel prepared enough that they can relax comfortably and get a good night’s sleep. Shortly before tests that have fixed administration dates (SHSAT, TACHS, ISEE and Hunter College High School Test), we meet with all of the students preparing for those tests in a bootcamp-style event. This event is meant to calm their nerves and impart any last tactical advice they may need. They will have the opportunity to work with former students of ours who we hand-pick from the very schools your children are applying to.
Where are your materials from?
We create our own proprietary mix of materials for most of the tests we teach for. We create this mix based on the guidelines and sample forms that are released for each test. We aim to match the format of your child’s practice to the format of the exam they’ll be taking. Some tests are digital and some are physical. We believe students should prepare in the same format of the exam they’re sitting for.
Is there a material fee?
Yes. We charge a fee that covers the cost of acquiring the materials for each student. You can see more information about these fees on this page.
Why do you use SHSAT data specifically on your home page?
The SHSAT is the best test for us to gauge our performance. It’s administered on a very limited basis each year. This means that most students will take a test that is very similar if not exactly the same. Our SHSAT students start working with with us on a very consistent schedule (spring of 7th grade,) which is not the case for tests like the SAT and ACT. This means they generally have similar background knowledge when they start. Students can only sit for the SHSAT once and that test score is their final score. The test is primarily multiple choice and admissions to the specialized high schools are based exclusively on the test. In short, it’s as close to a controlled experiment as we can get!
For the other tests for which we tutor, there are other variables at play that we can’t control for. Often, our outcomes with those tests surpass what we achieve on the SHSAT!
What do you do with students over the summer break?
The only thing we require is that students complete some level of work over the break. The format of this work is up to each student and their family to decide. Some students go away to camp and work through self-directed practice packets with answer keys. Other students plan to complete a combination of self-directed packets and some practice tests with sessions to have a periodic check-in. Finally, we’re happy to continue meeting with each student over the summer should they choose to continue pursuing their studies.
We will communicate with each student and their family and to advise them on which of these options makes the most sense for each student.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please see our cancellation policy here.