SSAT TUTORING
We are one of the top resources for the SSAT. We’ve helped schools customize SSAT curriculum specific to their students, and we’re frequently invited to speak at schools, conferences, and PTO/PTA events.
Ultimately, our goal is to MAXIMIZE each student’s score POTENTIAL, whether that’s a 50th percentile or 90th percentile score.
We do this by tailoring our program to your child and equipping students with the knowledge, the tools, and the confidence to succeed.
How Does It Work?
- Free Consultation – We learn more about your child
- A Perfect Tutor Match – Our team thoughtfully matches you with an amazing 1:1 SSAT tutor
- Progress Tracking – Stay in the loop with detailed progress reports after every session
Available Online or In-Person
- Online – Over the past decade, we’ve successfully helped students all over the world using Zoom, virtual whiteboards, and other technologies.
- In-Person – Locally in the Princeton, NJ area
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- Experience You Can Trust – Near-perfect ratings, 50,000+ hrs of tutoring experience, and 500+ happy reviews
- Not completely satisfied with a session? Let us know, and we’ll make it right or refund the unused sessions.
A 4-Step Approach
FREE CONSULT
Our experienced Director will learn more about your student, answer any questions, and work with you to develop an appropriate plan
DIAGNOSTIC TEST
We start with a full-length SSAT Diagnostic. We analyze this test to identify specific problems areas for the largest gains.
TARGETED LESSONS
World-class tutors tailor each lesson to your student’s evolving needs. Sessions are held either in-person or online.
HOMEWORK
Homework is the key to consistent score increases. We create detailed study plans so your child knows exactly WHAT to do and WHEN.
A thoughtfully designed program
Our SSAT program is based on a deep understanding of the test and how students learn.
The SSAT is a daunting test. And for many reasons.
The SSAT is usually the 1st time that students are exposed to high stakes standardized testing.
The test is unnecessarily difficult, doesn’t have many high-quality practice materials, and frankly is kinda confusing.
As a result, we’ve spent a disproportionate amount of time breaking down the test.
We’ve created top-level strategy guides and resources. Some of these we’ve made public on our PrepMaven blog. Others we reserve for our own students.
In addition to the content and strategies, even signing up for the test can be confusing. Should you choose regular in-person testing, a prometric site, at-home, or research flex testing???
We’ve done a lot of research on the SSAT, so we encourage our parents to use us a resource.
Addresses 5 common challenges
Wrong Answer Penalty
Unlike other admissions tests, students lose 1/4 of a point for every question answered incorrectly on the SSAT.
What is your student’s guessing strategy? This should be defined and students should be disciplined in employing that strategy.
Synonyms & Analogies
The Verbal section consists EXCLUSIVELY of synonyms and analogies. This section is essentially pure vocab. This is old school, and not necessarily our preferred way to test verbal skills, but that’s the way things currently are.
Students should have an approach to vocab studying that is consistent, tracked, and that incorporates spaced review and the word parts.
Limited # of Official Tests
OFFICIAL practice tests are a mandatory resource when preparing for ANY standardized test.
The problem with the SSAT is that there are only 4 Official Practice Tests.
Avoid burning through them too quickly.
Otherwise… you’ll end up wasting these valuable resources… while ingraining bad habits.
If possible, students should also supplement with resources from other reputable publishers.
Variations in Test Difficulty
Some testing dates might seem more difficult than others.
This shouldn’t be the case but it does happen more often than we’d like.
Expect that this will be the case, practice with a variety of materials to expose yourself to different question types/difficulties, and sign up for at least 2 testing dates if possible).
Poorly Designed Questions
Not all practice questions are designed equally.
Some SSAT practice questions you come across will be great. Others will be terrible.
Students will benefit from being able to differentiate between a legitimately difficult/tricky question from one that is poorly written.
How are you addressing these challenges?
LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP
Learn from world-class SSAT instructors
Our team includes award-winning Princeton University undergrads and Master’s/PhD graduates who have dominated the test and know the material inside-and-out.
We understand that knowing the material is very different than being able to TEACH the material.
A great SSAT tutor is one who understands your student’s needs and is able to adapt the focus and pace of sessions accordingly. This is especially important for younger middle school and elementary school students.
Furthermore, our tutors are rigorously screened and trained. All have significant tutoring experience, a passion for teaching, and the ability to connect with students.
Regular updates & a risk-free guarantee
We regularly track progress and keep you informed, which means that you’re never in the dark about your student’s progress.
Timed practice tests are regularly administered to track score increases and to help re-calibrate our approach if necessary.
And while we don’t guarantee a specific score increase (more about that in our FAQs), we have a satisfaction guarantee:
If you’re not happy with any session, the next session is on us and we’ll find another tutor who’ll be a better fit. In the rare case that it still doesn’t work out, we’re happy to refund the unused balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of score increase can I expect?
Many programs tout the best tutors and average score increases of several hundred points.
Please note that these numbers can often be misleading.
There are many factors that determine a student’s potential score increase:
- Student baseline score
- Previous amount of preparation
- Student work ethic/motivation
- # Hours of tutoring
- Luck
We’ve produced several perfect scorers.
On the flip side, we’ve also had a small number of students who didn’t improve much because they didn’t put in the work.
Every student is unique. Our goal is to help each student achieve their personal max scores.
What we can guarantee is that we’ll track student progress to keep you in the loop and to make sure we’re moving in the right direction.
What materials do you use?
We supplement official SSAT practice tests with our own high-quality materials:
- Official Tests – Official SSAT tests and practice questions are essential for all students
- In-House Materials – Our own best-in-class Coursebooks and Strategy Guides. These materials are the result of hundreds of hours of research and testing. They include the best strategies and techniques, are clearly written, and are highly-rated by our students.
- In-House Tools – A personalized SSAT “Command Center” track’s student progress
- Supplementary Materials – Other recommended materials for additional drilling
When are the SSAT testing dates and deadlines?
There are 4 different ways to take the SSAT:
- Paper-Based SSAT (Benchmark test)
- Paper-Based SSAT at at Flex Testing Site
- Computer-Based SSAT at Prometric Test Center
- Computer-Based SSAT at Home
Each one of these options will have different testing dates.
Regular registration deadlines are ~3 weeks before the test and late registration usually end ~3 days before the test.
Please visit SSAT.org for additional testing dates and info.
What is our pricing?
Pricing starts at 85/hr, ~166/hr, and ~349/hr depending on the tier of tutor. Discounts available for larger package purchases. 100% risk-free guarantee.
Let’s Get Started
We’ve produced consistent results over the past 15 years by combining a deep and nuanced understanding of the material, truly world-class tutors, and exceptional customer service.
What else differentiates us?
- Smaller boutique company
- Obsessive attention to quality
- Never any high pressure sales tactics
- Trusted resource with a strong reputation
We’d love to learn more about your student and see how we might be able to help!
TALK TO JESSICA