K12 Learning Solutions

Benilde-St. Margaret	Blake	Breck
Eden Prairie	Edina	Elk River
Hastings	Holy Angels	Holy Family
Hopkins	International School of Minnesota	Minneapolis Washburn
Minneapolis Southwest	Minnehaha Academy	Minnetonka
Orono	Osseo-Maple Grove	Providence Academy
Richfield	Stillwater	St. Paul Academy
St. Thomas Academy	Visitation School	Wayzata

 

Are your tutors trained to teach the same strategies?  Yes to teaching the same strategies, no to using a cookie-cutter approach for all students.  To ensure consistency, all tutors train directly under Brenda Alberts and Cara Thorpe, all boast strong credentials, and all adhere to the same rigorous set of standards.  Each individual is required to undergo twenty hours of SAT/ACT preparation, in addition to bringing teaching or business experience to the table.  The tutors communicate regularly with Brenda and Cara, attend annual continuing-education classes, and report and analyze results with Brenda following each test administration date.   It goes without saying your child's standardized test scores are absolutely confidential and not shared with anyone. (We leave that to the parents and the students themselves!)

Although we begin with a tried-and-true syllabus for our clients, we end up customizing the plan to fit the students' needs.  Approximately 20% of our students want equal time devoted to each subject and 80% request more focus on a particular area than others.   It's far different--meaning much better-- than prep classes that are forced to spend precisely 25% on each ACT subject regardless of the student's abilities or aptitude.

Is there a score guarantee?  Nope.  We cannot predict a 16-year old’s behavior on a random Saturday morning with 100% accuracy anymore than a parent can predict their teenager’s behavior on a Friday evening after a football game.  However, we guarantee that our tutors will be prompt, professional, and 100% personally committed to the success of your child.  No wasted minutes during the tutoring session.  No unqualified teachers or grad students trying to make a few extra bucks.   (Brenda Alberts has personally trained each tutor, requiring 20 hours of ACT/SAT preparation under her tutelage regardless of past level of experience).  You pay us to sit with your son or daughter and reveal every trick possible to increase his/her score.  Most parents tell us they want the best score possible–-not their money back.  To keep the process transparent, parents are welcome to sit in on one or more tutoring sessions. Our tutors are used to an audience.  Plus, you’re paying for it and you’re entitled to it.

If there’s no score guarantee, what type of results can I expect?  Let’s go with the ACT first.   If a student has not had prior tutoring or taken an ACT test-prep class, you can reasonably expect a student starting below a 20 to increase 4 points, a student in the 20-26 range to increase 3 points, and a student 27+ to increase 1-2 points after tutoring.  Once a high-flyer hits a 32, all “guarantees” are off.

Now to the SAT.  For a student scoring at or below 620 on a subject, we shoot for a 50-point increase per subject, for a total of 150 points (50 in math, 50 in critical reading, 50 in critical writing). For students scoring above a 620, we shoot for a 30-point increase per subject, or 90 points total.

Okay, what are the best and worst results your clients have ever received?  The best success story was a junior from Holy Family who took the test without tutoring and scored a 21, and after 18 hours of tutoring scored a 28.  Smart girl, willing to work.  Another equally-motivated young lady from St. Paul Academy started with a 19 and ended up with a 26 after tutoring-- and an acceptance letter from UW-Madison.  Worst-case scenario:  a wonderful young man from Benilde St. Margaret took the test three times and scored 22,24,24 respectively, then requested tutoring and scored a 22 after 12 hours of prep.  He’d already peaked and experienced major test-fatigue.  We’ve had several students score in the 34-35 range, with perfect subsection scores in math and/or English.

I’m a glutton for more numbers.  What’s your best and worst on the SAT?  Best SAT results hail from a Providence Academy student who started with an 1850 before tutoring and posted a 2080 after 30 hours of prep.  Similar results from a Wayzata smartie who scored a 2160 on the January exam and then posted a 2290 in March after a little help.   Poorest return on investment:  a Breck student whose score increased a total of just 40 points after 16 hours of tutoring.  On the positive side, we’ve had several students score a perfect 800 in either math or the lit sections.  They’re smart and they make us look good!

I’ve never heard of Alberts SAT/ACT Tutoring—how long have you been around?  Seven years.  Long enough to have a wealth of data on how to improve test scores; not long enough to remember antiquated test-prep methods or bore students with bygone stories of how things used to be.

Fees?

Private tutoring:  $105/hr - $125/hr, or $210 - $250 per two-hour session.  All expenses included.  No additional charges or fees, unless you request multiple prep manuals or additional practice tests—$20 for us to purchase them, or we’ll tell you exactly where to buy them. 

Two-student rate:  $75/hr per student, or $150 per student for a standard 2-hr session.

Small-group rate (maximum of three students):  $60/hr per student, or $120 per student for a standard 2-hr session.

References?  Absolutely.  Just ask.

 
For Students:
 
All my friends are taking the April ACT test.  Should I take it, too?  Not necessarily.  You should take the test that fits your schedule best.  There is no difference in difficulty of tests from one date to another.  That's why it's called a standardized test.
 
The ACT is administered in Minnesota during the school year in Sept, Oct, Dec, Feb, April and June.  You pick two dates:  one for your first try and again to try to beat your score.
 
The SAT is administered during the school year in Nov, Dec, Jan, March, May and June.  You pick two dates that work best for your schedule.  In most cases, the later in the school year the better, because you've had at least six months of junior year English and math; however, if you're a spring athlete, don't plan on taking two high-anxiety 4-hour tests right during the height of your sports season!
 
What about taking the ACT in October just for practice?  There's no problem with getting a baseline score in the fall on either the SAT or the ACT and then studying to improve during your junior year--especially if you have a bit of test anxiety and need practice on the real thing--but take it seriously if you go this route.   Do not assume your ACT score will jump 8 points by spring or your SAT score by 350 come May.  There's nothing more frustrating for a tutor than to be told by a student:  "I got a 24 in Oct, but I didn't really try, so I'm expecting a 30 in April."  We take all test scores seriously.  So should you.