www.expertise.com ranked us “Best Test Prep Tutors in New York” out of 1,973 companies. So what sets us apart from our competitors?

EIT has much more rigorous standards; all of our tutors:

• Graduated from an Ivy League university
• Received a top score on the relevant exam or subject

Prep courses can’t give you the one-on-one coaching expertise that we can. Equally important, their lesson plans and study guide books aren’t tailored to specific skill levels; they recommend the same strategies for all students. This is misguided. Many strategies are typically more appropriate for either average students or strong students, but not both. A good example is backsolving for SAT math, which can be very useful for average students who may struggle to solve the problem conventionally, but it can also be time-consuming. Strong math students can instead quickly solve the problem algebraically, freeing up time for the more difficult questions.

We are also different in our approach to studying. For most students, especially stronger ones, canned lesson plans are not the most efficient use of their prep time. Going through a full lesson plan is often a waste of time because students are only struggling with a minor detail which can be easily rectified. So how should a tutoring session be structured? We discover where the kinks are in a student’s approach to a problem and then help him to work out this mental block. Our primary tactic is to review practice exams the student has taken and understand how he thinks so we can improve his testing skills.

Most tutors, prep courses, and guide books tout the same strategies that have been around for decades. For the most part, this is harmless. For example, many SAT tactics are straightforward, obviating the need to reinvent the wheel. But some strategies are still in use that are inefficient, and probably are still regurgitated only because they have been around for so long that they have become accepted by those too shortsighted to think outside the box.

Our favorite is the myth that reading is the fastest way to increase vocabulary. This is ludicrous. The fastest way to increase vocabulary is to study vocabulary – flash cards, interactive software, etc. (We highly recommend this memorization skills video.)¹ It sounds so obvious and intuitive because it is. We agree that reading is likely more enjoyable and will make you a more well-rounded person, but if you have limited free time to study vocabulary, this is a no-brainer.²

Not all of our study strategies are original – far from it – but through extensive experience with the established prep program training courses and guidebooks, we have designed the optimal system by taking the best tactics from each source (including our own original methods).

Sources:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6PoUg7jXsA
• Of course, with the elimination of analogies and the inclusion of a writing section on the redesigned SAT, vocabulary has been greatly de-emphasized, and reading has become a far more valuable strategy to help students see proper grammar and practice comprehending prose.

Does Your Child Need An SAT Tutor? (familyfocusblog.com)