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Solutions The Most Competently & Proficiently Taught Courses. PERIOD.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124278685697537839.html
What You Don't Know About SAT & ACT Courses Will Cost You in Wasted Time and Money.
No need to take our word - Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Hechinger corroborates what we have warned parents for years. In fact, we at Solutions helped John Hechinger uncover the deceit of other test prep companies.
Each day, many parents and students learn a real life financial lesson after wasting valuable time and money on SAT & ACT courses which result in little to no improvement in SAT or ACT scores.
"Complete waste of time" "I didn't learn a thing" "The instructor couldn't teach" "The real test was nothing like what we did in class" "What they told me was wrong"
Example: Just one of MANY students ( 4.1GPA from Miramonte, A in Calc AB ) who sat through a local SAT course with little improvement (actual screenshot, of course)
Example: 4.2GPA student from Campolindo after $855 90 point DECREASE in SAT Writing score after incorrect teachings, ZERO improvement on SAT essay Net 30 point DECREASE in total SAT score.
Net 30-point increase after $855 and 25 hours sitting in a classroom.
Example: 4.2 GPA student from Northgate - Net 30-point increase after $999
Example: 4.1 GPA student from Acalanes: Net ZERO score improvement on ACT after $1600 of private tutoring
Q: What can be worse than spending nearly a thousand dollars and sitting through two months of SAT classes?
A: Having to pay for and sit through a SECOND SAT course because the first one was a WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.
Which is EXACTLY what happened to these kids who took other SAT courses before coming to Solutions ( Actual photos of materials of kids who came to us )
Bay Area Tutoring San Ramon -- Kaplan books? Yep
Best SAT
Edge
Elite Educational Institute
IvyMax / Vanteus - This student sat through their intense SAT course before coming to SAT Solutions and scoring 2140 (an additional 130)
This student sat through several weeks at Lafayette, before coming to us and improving 180 points more.
Princeton Review
Revolution Prep
Test Masters This student turned to us and scored 2040 (+140) after taking this course. He was accepted to UC Davis. Congrats!
Inexperienced Part-Time Instructors / Tutors It is IMPOSSIBLE for any person, no matter how smart or brilliant, to have the time to prepare and review what is required to properly teach the SAT or ACT just by working part-time 3 - 5 hours a week.
Revolution Prep: College kid with very little teaching experience.
Lafayette: College kid with very little teaching experience.
Ames: Not a teacher.
Main job = Programmer. Tutors part-time.
Kaplan: Not a teacher. Main job = Grants Coordinator. Tutors part-time. $999
NEVER TOOK THE SAT or ACT - Unbelievable, but TRUE It is IMPOSSIBLE for someone to be good at teaching something THEY NEVER TOOK. Even if you took it once or twice and got 2400 or 36 STILL DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE TEACHING ABILITY required to correctly teach.
Compass: This actual job listing has NO SAT TEST TAKING requirements. $130 / hour for tutoring
Their instructors simple stand in front of the room and read from the instructor manual. Worse yet, students don't get any explanations to the test questions - they are actually forced to copy down answers from a whiteboard or read complex and confusing explanations on their own
Example: Ames
** There is a big difference between scoring high on the SAT and being able to actually explain it.
FAKE "SAT or ACT-like" test questions Real SAT & ACT questions are just that - REAL. Why does it matter? These questions are formulated a specific way.
Most companies make up their own simulated SAT or ACT-like tests. The problem is, these fake SAT's are nothing like what shows up on the real test. In fact, practicing using fake SAT's is not only a waste of time, but can actually hurt your score.
Kaplan - Mock = Fake SAT practice tests given at high schools
Princeton Review - The notorious
SAT/ACT COMBO TEST given at high schools
Ames: A made-up math problem that would NEVER APPEAR on the SAT or ACT $855
Example:: A made-up
sentence completion problem that would NEVER APPEAR on the SAT $855
Example:: A made-up sentence error problem that would NEVER APPEAR on the SAT, testing concepts which would never be tested. $855
Example: This simulated math problem would NEVER appear on a SAT. You wouldn't know this unless you took more than 30 SATs like we did
This misinformation actually HURTS scores.
At least these guys are honest: a disclaimer
INCORRECT INFORMATION regarding Writing questions: $855
WRONG INFORMATION regarding the Sentence Errors and Sentence Improvements,
WRONG INFORMATION regarding Reading, which actually brings scores down $999
Princeton Review: WRONG INFORMATION regarding Reading, which actually brings scores down $999
Example: solutions are INCORRECT & FAULTY:
NEARLY ALL THE OTHER COURSES only cover 60% - 70% of what is on the SAT or ACT. Worse yet, some only teach a few tips, tricks, and "power strategies", but not any real knowledge.
Covers only about 60% of what will appear on SAT $999
Covers only about 60% of what will appear on SAT $999
Off-Topic Material Many courses teach material that DOESN'T EVEN SHOW UP on the SAT / ACT, wasting student time learning information that is useless.
Information that is NOT TESTED on SAT: $855
The Distance Formula is NEVER TESTED ON THE SAT. Many test prep companies teach this formula, which will actually waste time if used on the SAT
Trigonometry is NEVER TESTED ON THE SAT (but does appear on ACT and SAT Math II)
Permutation and combination ARE tested, BUT NEVER IN THIS WAY. These formulas will NOT help on the SAT.
No specialization - anything that can bring in profits You want French? Got it. You want History? We do that too. College Admissions? TOEFL? Anything you want, pay us, and we'll teach it. That's how tutoring chains and at-home tutoring companies work.
Large test prep companies quickly throw together courses in ANYTHING they can make a profit on - Example: Kaplan Princeton Review
Is it possible to be SO good in SO MANY different tests?
Are these guys serious? Who is going to teach all this stuff?
There is simply NO WAY that ANY company can be that good in that many tests & subjects. These places are like the Denny's of tutoring & test prep.
Teaching & tutoring is NOT a BUSINESS. It does, believe it or not, actually require Skill & Talent.
Virtually all owners and operators of test prep/ tutoring centers have absolutely ZERO teaching experience themselves. They somehow think that it's as simple as opening a coffee shop. Teaching the SAT & ACT is no simple matter. If everyone could do it, then you could tutor your own kid and save some money.
Example: WealthyTutor.com - how many tutoring/ test prep companies got started:
www.wealthytutor.com : You too can start a tutoring business!
Apparently it's easier than starting up a coffee-shop or bakery... http://www.powerhomebiz.com/082006/tutoring.htm
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