“A tutor can cost anywhere from $10 to several hundreds of dollars per hour. Multiple factors contribute to a tutor’s hourly rate, and understanding your unique situation will give you a better idea of what a tutor will cost you.”

“A tutor is someone who gives instruction to one or a handful of students during scheduled lessons. Traditional academic subjects aren’t the only thing you can find a tutor for. You can find a tutor that specializes in any topic you can imagine, including music, computer programs, and standardized test prep.”

“The ACT science test format consists of 40 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 35 minutes spaced out over six or seven passages. Visuals such as tables, graphs, and figures are interspersed throughout the test. All answers are in the text or diagrams, so guessing strategically is possible, if needed.”

“The SAT Reading and Writing section is the first half of the SAT test, and it’s designed to assess your reading comprehension, analysis skills, and mastery of Standard English. Compared to the old paper-and-pencil version of the test that had separate Critical Reading and Writing and Essay sections, the digital SAT Reading and Writing section combines both subjects.”

“The ability to look at a problem and figure it out yourself is absolutely a skill. Think about the last time you were by yourself and you had to fix something, or you didn’t have internet access and couldn’t look up a how-to video. If you learn how to figure things out on your own, you will reap the benefits in every aspect of your life.”

“Students all the way from elementary school to college stand to benefit from tutoring. Their success is often measured objectively in school, graded on assessment accuracy, homework, and attendance. As such, tutoring has a direct impact on school success, which subsequently translates to post-graduate success.”

“Yes, you can retake the SAT test, and you should! After you’ve taken it the first time, you’ll be familiar with the test format and how to pace yourself. For your retake (or retakes), you’ll be able to build a test prep plan for yourself to focus on the topics you struggled with.”

“A hobby is something you do for fun or personal fulfillment. If you really enjoy doing something regularly during your personal time outside of work, then congrats: You already have a hobby!

But hobbies aren’t just a way to spend time or prevent boredom. They’re good for your mind and body, they can quickly turn into passions and give your life extra meaning, and they can teach you skills useful in other areas of your life.”

“To find the right tutor for you, you’ll need to put in a little effort on the front end. Think about what it is you want from tutoring, and then find a tutor who will help you meet your goals. It takes some time and research, but your education is worth it!”

“Adults can absolutely have tutors—after all, children and adolescents aren’t the only ones who can learn. Understanding the truth behind what tutoring is means understanding that getting lessons from a tutor isn’t just about academic success. Grades and tests may be behind you, but you have the rest of your life to learn new skills without the pressure of getting an ‘A.’” 

“Summer tutoring is taking lessons with a tutor during summer vacation. What you do in those lessons is up to you! You can work with an expert on preparing for college applications in the fall, or you can set up lessons for your elementary school student who’s struggling to keep up in language arts. You could also just find a tutor to learn something new for fun!”

“The characteristics of a good tutor boil down to what makes them a good listener and mentor. Although a tutor is there to teach you, knowledge of the subject and experience teaching aren’t the only qualities you should look for. A prestigious degree doesn’t necessarily mean someone will know how to explain their subject of expertise, and someone with a lack of experience can make up for it with enthusiasm and emotional intelligence.”

“Effective test prep is about more than looking at an overview of the test content. Yes, you should know what topics are and aren’t covered on the test, but good preparation means sitting down, learning test-taking strategies, and studying those topics. If you aren’t being assigned SAT test prep by a teacher, it’s up to you to set your own schedule, which is where this guide comes in.”

“Two of the four sections scored on the LSAT are Logical Reasoning sections. This means that half your LSAT score depends on your mastery of Logical Reasoning questions alone. Questions in Logical Reasoning contain a stimulus (roughly a paragraph), a question stem, and five answer choices. These questions are designed to challenge and test your reading ability, your capacity for reason, and your mental discipline.”

“The SAT isn’t the only test making significant changes in recent years: The ACT test is updating its format in 2025. If this has you worried about the work you’ve already put into test prep, don’t worry. The test is largely the same—with all the same content—but the ACT test changes make it shorter, faster, and more focused on what you need as a college applicant.”

“If you ask experts when to start SAT prep, they’ll usually tell you three months or more, but you can study for the SAT in a month, even if it’s not ideal. Test prep requires a certain degree of discipline to begin with, and you’ll need it in spades for the next four weeks.”

“You should start studying for the SAT at least a few months before your first test date. For most students, when to start SAT prep will be sometime during junior year. The SAT is designed for 11th and 12th graders, so the skills the test is meant to assess are likely to be beyond what a typical 9th or 10th grader would know. “

“Once you’ve identified a potential tutor, you’ll need to ask yourself if there’s anything else you want to know about the tutor and their services. Ultimately, what makes a good tutor? The right answer will differ depending on the subject, your goals, and your unique learning needs.”

“In general, colleges don’t prefer one more than the other: The SAT and ACT are considered equal in terms of their ability to assess college readiness. Historically, more students take the SAT than the ACT in a given school year, but this has less to do with college preference and more to do with other factors.”

“Knowing what is teaching and what is tutoring is the first step to understanding the difference between teachers and tutors. The exact definitions of what it means to tutor vs. teach have some overlap, but tutors (who also teach and instruct) play a different role in a person’s education than a school teacher or college professor.”

“In many cases, your tutor doesn’t need a degree to be a good tutor. In theory, you want to find an expert tutor who’s also an expert in the subject you’re getting help with. For some subjects, you might have more success with a tutor who has a degree, such as advanced mathematics or research. Ultimately, it comes down to a tutor’s experience with the subject and with teaching it to others, which may or may not necessitate a degree.”