Study Hut Tutoring offers free practice SAT and ACT exams. It is important to know that tackling the SAT or ACT can be a daunting challenge for many students. Performing to the best of one’s availability is vital in order to strive for acceptance to increasingly competitive colleges and universities. Students are often unaware of how to effectively prepare for the SAT or ACT. Rest assured, Study Hut Tutoring in El Segundo is here to offer guidance and support through tailored test prep tutoring and free SAT and ACT practice tests.
In order to provide our students with specialized, tailored test ACT and SAT tutoring sessions, we encourage our students to complete a full length, free SAT or ACT practice test. We then critically analyze the results and prepare a tutoring plan tailored to our students, emphasizing focus on areas of potential improvement. As we move through scheduled tutoring sessions, students will return to take additional free SAT or ACT practice tests, which allows us to check our progress in real time and shift focus when the need is indicated by performance.
In addition to reviewing specific concepts and learning new strategies and test taking techniques, exercising to build test taking endurance is crucial. The SAT and ACT are each about four hours long. No matter how you cut it, four hours is a long time to maintain focus, flex cognitive abilities, and perform at a consistently high level. By completing free SAT or ACT practice tests, Study Hut students develop their ability to persevere through mental fatigue. Without a simulated experience made possible by full length practice tests, improving endurance is difficult, and Study Hut is pleased to offer this service to our students.
The fall SAT and ACT are approaching quickly, and here at Study Hut we are eager to see the performance of our prepared students and to observe them flourish. Having completed a personalized test prep plan, in conjunction with effective independent study and the completion of multiple SAT or ACT practice tests, our students will be confident and prepared to rise to the challenge on test day and endure through fatigue and difficulty.
Spring is around the corner and that means many high school students will be taking college admissions exams. Understandably, this can be a stressful time for these Hermosa Beach ACT & SAT Students, and as many of you may have heard, the SAT will be changing formats in March. The new SAT will now feature four sections: Reading, Writing, Math with calculator, and Math without calculator. Additionally, to the relief of many, there will no longer be a penalty for incorrect guesses. This means that, similar to the ACT, you should make sure to not to leave any questions blank. In fact, the new SAT looks very similar to the ACT in its structure with the important note that the SAT does not contain a science section, but instead contains two math sections.
For many Hermosa Beach ACT & SAT students, these changes are a great relief, while for others they are simply stress and pressure in another format. Either way, do not fear because Study Hut is here to help. At Study Hut Tutoring we provide close-knit 1-on-1 tutoring to help students prepare for the SAT and ACT exams. The 1-on-1 tutoring here at Study Hut emphasizes close monitoring of the student’s progress and tailor-designed sessions for each student based on their strengths and weaknesses. Our shared objective is to maximize the student’s improvement and overall score. Additionally, we accentuate the importance of taking practice tests, and as such we have free practice SAT and ACT tests every other Saturday morning. Moreover, we offer a free consultation to discuss the student’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and overall score. As Hermosa Beach ACT & SAT students, if you would like to sign up for a practice test, feel free to contact Study Hut at 310-379-1400, or send us an email at josh@studyhut.com.
It is never too early to begin preparing. Do not delay, contact Study Hut today!
The differences between the SAT and ACT are noticeable and students should make an informed decision as to which test is the right fit. Historically, the SAT has been the west coast college admissions exam and the ACT has been its fledging east coast twin. Each company has its origins rooted in their respective coasts, however, today, both exams are now universally accepted at almost every university nationwide. Yet, the big question on everyone’s minds still remains: which exam is the right fit for me?
In order to make that decision, it is wise and recommended to take each exam for a test drive. Take a practice diagnostic test for each exam. Study Hut Tutoring offers diagnostic testing for both exams on a bi-monthly basis for no cost. After each exam is scored, Study Hut will schedule a free consultation with you in order to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses on each exam. After reviewing both exams, you will have all the information to make a calculated decision. After all, it is recommended that students train more heavily for one exam in order to maximize scores.
At the end of the day give us a call and we will help guide you down the path of least resistance. We are available by phone, in person, or via email at any one of our four locations.
Well, this is it, summer is almost over! It’s time to set those alarm clocks, get your notebooks ready, and get back in to the swing of the school year. Here at the Hut we are preparing for an influx of students who need a little extra help during the school year. For high school students, we are offering an SAT prep course as well as free diagnostic tests to get ready for this all-important testing season! To get the process started, just sign up for one of our “diags”, we’ll score it and schedule a meeting to go over the results and discuss college and training options. The class is 7 weeks long, and meets from 9/18 until 11/1. We cap it at a maximum of ten students for more student/teacher contact, and it will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 pm. This means that each student will get 28 hours of extra preparation! The total cost of the course is $895, but if you sign up by 8/31, we will discount the price by $100. That means it will only be $795 for 28 hours of class! We will also be offering diagnostic tests on four Saturdays: 9/8, 9/29, 10/13, and 10/27 at 8 am. These tests will give us an initial score to improve upon, and track the progress each student makes. It will also give the students a good sense of the timing of the test, and come test day, minimize their anxiety. Let us give you a helping hand in tackling this important test!
As some of us are starting to wind down with summer on the horizon, some of you are getting ready to take the big test, the admissions killer, the SAT. It may sound overwhelming to balance school, extra curriculars, and studying for the SAT, but there are steps you can take to make it easier on yourself. Keep a balance to your life, and get help if you are struggling or just want to make things easier. At the Study Hut, we can give you that extra help you need. We’ll help you manage your time, stay ahead in your classes, and we also offer premium SAT tutoring if you want that 2,300 score. SAT time in high school is a stressful period, but get the help you can and come out on top. College is right around the corner and this is the last stretch, give it your all!
Some you may also be taking AP Tests. At the study hut we are offering a free AP Practice Test in the subject of your choosing this Saturday the 28th from 8am to 11am. If you are interested in taking it, which you should be if you’re planning to take the AP test in May, shoot Sam an email at Samantha@studyhut.com and specify the test you wish to take.
Remember, these tests may be overwhelming at first, but through slow and steady practice, improvement will show, and your confidence will rise. Once you have confidence that you are going to do well, the rest is cake, so use every resource at your disposal and ensure yourself the best score possible. Good luck!
As a new test-prep tutor for Study Hut, I have learned loads of information about the SAT, ISEE, and HSPT. I was surprised to find that, despite the differences in the exams, the overall study technique was very similar and ultimately comes down to one word – strategy.
This reminded me of my fourth grade teacher, Ms. Green. She told my class that she was SO good at taking tests that she could take a multiple choice test on any subject and still get most of the answers correct. At the time, I thought she was crazy – or maybe just really smart. What I have come to learn while working at Study Hut is that any test, whether for school or the SAT, has two different parts to it: the information it covers and the specific way that you put that information on the test. Failing to recognize this often makes the difference between an A and a B, or several hundred points on the SAT.
During my first test-prep tutoring session, my student seemed very stressed out about the ISEE test he was only a month away from taking. We were reviewing vocabulary words, many of which he had never even seen before. Becoming very concerned, he asked me: “How can I EVER remember all of this information?” I told him not to worry and that, by the end of our session, he would be able to figure out the meaning of at least half of the words he had never even seen before. Now, he thought I was crazy. He only had three weeks until the test and his parents had chosen Study Hut to provide that extra special test-prep service that only Study Hut can provide. Now, it was my job to show him the first important strategy to use when studying vocabulary words. While that’s not a secret I can reveal now, let’s just say that by the end of our two-hour one-on-one session, he not only knew most of the word meanings, but also answered 14/15 correctly on a practice quiz directly afterward.
Today in AVID 10 at Palos Verdes High School, Rob and SP introduced our first lesson for the Critical Reading section of the SAT. Training for the SAT can be very difficult, and for many students, the vocabulary component of the Critical Reading section can be extremely daunting.
In an effort to keep things simple, but at the same time teach students a new and complex concept, Rob decided to start the SAT tutoring with the “plus-minus-neutral” approach, a strategy that can help students eliminate incorrect answer choices by assigning a value or feeling of worth to the blank space, as well as each of the answer choices.
Students then practiced eliminating wrong answer choices and making educated guesses about which vocabulary words would and would not work in each sentence. The process was rigorous and slightly painful, but I think we all walked away from the experience with a new tool in our quiver of SAT strategies.
Here is an example of a question students will see on the Critical Reading section of the SAT. You will probably understand why training is the only way to attack a test that contains hundreds of problems like this:
1. Today Wegener’s theory is ____ ; however, he died an outsider treated with ____ by the scientific establishment.
A. unsupported – approval
B. dismissed – contempt
C. accepted – approbation
D. unchallenged – disdain
E. unrivaled – reverence
Please let Study Hut know if you need any tutoring or training for the SAT, specifically the Critical Reading section. We have excellent SAT tutors who earned great scores, went to top universities, and follow our streamlined approach to no-nonsense SAT training.
Getting into colleges and universities is becoming more and more difficult nowadays. The mean accepted GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and the number of extra-curriculars expected are becoming more difficult every year. Although all these elements are critical in one’s application, another important but often forgotten aspect is the personal statement. Not only can the Study Hut help you with your GPA and standardized test scores, but we’re also prepared to help you write the best possible personal statement you can. We tutors have been in your shoes before, we’ve all gone to college, and some are also in the process of applying to graduate schools. Needless to say, we’ve all written personal statements in one form or another, and know what colleges and universities are looking for in their candidates.
However, coming to the Study Hut for help on your personal statement does not mean we are going to write it for you. Rather, we are going to guide you as to the rules and tactics of writing a good personal statement, and give you the tools to make the perfect personal statement for yourself. A good personal statement has multiple aspects to it. It is both professionally written, but also genuine and personable. You are telling the admissions committee what makes you YOU, and why they should want YOU to study at and represent their institution in the future. All this may seem like a tall order for a one or two page statement about yourself, but with the right guidance, it’s very possible to do. So feel free to stop by the Hut at any step in your process, from planning your essay, to a final review before you submit it.
When a student comes to me for SAT tutoring, one of the first things I ask is how familiar he or she is with the test already from school (the idea being to build on whatever foundation teachers have already laid). Most of the students I ask glance up to the side and wrinkle their foreheads, combing through the past couple of years of high school, but come up with nothing. At most, they have taken the PSAT as sophomores. But for the majority, “SAT” is an ominous but vague trio of letters representing something on which a great deal of their futures will depend — what it is, they can’t say, but something.
I see these possible alternatives: either schools aren’t adequately introducing students to college entrance exams, or they’re just not introducing them at all. Whatever the case, this is an error. The arguments in favor of students attending college are by now well known and need not be reiterated, but it does seem a good time to repeat that preparing students for college is incumbent on high schools. Now, I do not believe in a model of “teaching to the test” — that kind of teleology narrows, shortens, and twists students’ vision of education and understanding of what it’s really for. I do, however, believe in a pragmatic approach to school; we must recognize that until the SAT (or ACT) can be replaced with something better, it will stand as a necessary hurdle in the college application process for most students. We (students, schools, and SAT tutors) have to face it.
How and when to do it, though? From my experience as an SAT tutor, I can say that the test is a puzzle unlike most others that high school students have to contend with, calling for certain strategies that don’t lend themselves to other tests or studies. Private lessons are still the best thing for many students (although the price of SAT tutoring through some companies has become prohibitively expensive). But is it wise to wait until students are juniors before suddenly thrusting the test upon them? Is the test so difficult that they can’t handle it before then? Is it really so foreign, so unlike anything else in high school, that it should be kept out of classroom discussion? Well, let me tell you a story.
Recently, I had an unusually productive tutoring appointment — one of those which seem to get progressively better as they go on. I and my student were in the zone. This student — let’s call him James — had brought his algebra homework and laid it on the desk alongside his SAT math assignment: he hadn’t been able to tackle either of them and was eager for help. Looking them over, I realized I could teach him the information and strategies he needed to know for both assignments simultaneously, thereby accomplishing two lessons for the price of one (if you will). I explained them to him, and we worked through some practice problems together. When our appointment time was done, he gave me a broad smile of surprise and satisfaction. “Wow,” he said, “we did a lot today!” I agree and disagree with that. Yes, we accomplished a great deal insofar as he was confidently acing every problem by the end of the session. But our actual workload had been fairly average. I think the accomplishment felt bigger to him because he had seen his knowledge adapt itself so smoothly from one area of study to another. In my experience, nothing inspires students to develop self-assurance and enthusiasm more than the realization that knowledge is connected and versatile. James was encouraged because the skills he needed to take on the SAT (or at least that part of it) didn’t seem completely foreign and unrelated to all the schoolwork he has invested so much effort to master.
So what is the point of this? I urge (not so humbly) that teachers and tutors begin incorporating SAT prep into their lessons from the time students first enter high school. To begin with, students need to be acquainted with the purpose, scope, and format of the test from early on. This supplement to the curriculum, however, need not be heavy-duty: a ten-minute multiple-choice exercise a few times a month would probably suffice. I don’t mean for teachers to assume all, or even most, of the responsibility for students’ test prep. The point is merely to show students early in the game how they will eventually need to apply their knowledge and skills beyond the parameters of regular homework and tests. Incidentally, teachers may find that students are galvanized by SAT prep to do better in their school subjects, since the test offers tangible evidence for any student that he or she will be using knowledge from high school to reach the next stage of life.
When a students claims Junior status in HS, we realize it’s not only a moment for discrete gloating but also a time for stress and scrambling for steady ground. Juniors have the most coursework. Unfortunately, this is just how things work. Juniors have to mark down the upcoming SAT dates, ACT weekends, and AP exam weeks. On top of that, they have to start looking at colleges and majors. College Board is responsible for all the SAT & ACT exams. Juniors have to get off their FB accounts for a couple min, stop Twittering, and get onto the College Board website, make an account, and register for tests. Once you register, the stress starts. We will do all we can to ensure students meet their deadlines and are ready for the exam. We provide SAT, PSAT, ACT, and ISEE diagnostic tests. We assist not only in the academic coursework but also in how to juggle the immense workload of stuydying for the SAT, AP, and midterms in U.S. Government. ACT is optional, but if students find themselves splattering over the SAT, they have to take the ACT. So, how do students know if they need to take one or the other if the SAT and ACT registration dates are so close? SAT diagnostics. Juniors, whether they are confident in their ability or if they are not even planning to study, have to test the waters and check where they stand. Once they know where they stand, everything starts growing clearer — set a schedule, take another SAT diagnostic every other week, and stay for extra time at Study Hut to ensure you will know what you are doing when the awful date comes. We have cereal so feel free to stay — but no overnights…obviously. With SATs done, Juniors should be ready for AP exams. What the — ? While studying for the SAT, Juniors have to stay on top of their AP courses in order to prepare for the AP exams. Unfortunately, this is how it is. On top of all of that work, Juniors have to start thinking about Senior status. Start volunteering in community events to rack up the minutes, join a writing competition, work your stress away in track and field, juggle your academic coursework with extracurricular activities — it will all come back not only when college apps are due but also when you gloat about it in interviews and over Christmas when you are starting on the 30s. While this may be an overwhelming academic year for Juniors, Study Hut is there to set a schedule, give diagnostics, comment, give quizzes on the functions of the mitochondria and the political reasonings of the English Civil War. We will assist in the year of cramming and if students start hallucinating from the stress — we are there with crunchy granola with dark chocolate — and then it is back to grinding out information, constantly editing the weekly schedule to fit their needs, and prioritizing work to make things just a bit less stressful.
