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Bill Jackson's SAT/ACT Tutoring

Chosen one of DC's Best Private Tutors by Expertise.com for five years running. Rigorous learning with less stress and more fun.

  • Home
  • SAT/ACT Tutoring
  • Why Hire Me?
  • Services
  • Tutor's Blog
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Rates
  • FAQs
  • Credentials

SAT/ACT Tutoring

For twelve years I taught SAT and ACT prep to small and large groups as well as one-on-one. There is no question that one-on-one achieves the biggest gains in the shortest amount of time, but why?

Working one-on-one, the tutor doesn't waste time going over unnecessary material. A student basically needs to learn four or five skills/subjects for the test: advanced reading comprehension, the various math problem types, grammar rules, science graphs and tables (ACT only), and basic reasoning, or logic. 

Regarding logic, Why this evidence and not that? Why this word and not that? What is the most efficient way to solve a certain type of math problem? What kind of thinking do you cultivate for the hardest questions? (Simple and direct is the key.)  The best way to teach these tests, I've found, is to focus on one skill at a time for each of the sections. Practice the skill, refine it, and your score goes up. Thus, the skill work is best taught and best learned one-on-one.

Specific information is crucial for doing well on the test: which four dozen math problems come up over and over? Which grammar rules appear most often? What's the best way to study for the reading test?

Good tutoring also means finding ways to motivate.  A tutor pushes some students while helping others to relax.  All the while, sessions have to be fun (at least some of the time).  How does a tutor make the time go quickly? One strategy is to approach the test as if it were a puzzle or game.  A student who relaxes learns faster.

Finally, test prep offers the opportunity to teach time management, for the test and for life, and to manage stress by visualizing test day, just as any speaker or performer would visualize a speech or performance. My approach then is to teach skills, a number of which are helpful beyond test day. Take a moment to read links here or call for a free consultation.

Bill Jackson, MFA

#301-229-2602

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"After two months of working with Bill, I felt confident walking into that test room.  I used the skills he taught me and managed to score a perfect 36 on my first try (up from 29 in ACT practice)."--Julia S., B-CC student
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“Bill helped my writing immensely. He helped me execute my ideas with clarity and precision. Bill was always patient yet direct, and pushed me to produce the best work I was capable of. ”—Michael K., magna cum laude, Univ. of Maryland
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"My daughter used ten individual sessions with Bill Jackson to improve her ACT score from 30 to a 34. Her commitment, and Bill's careful mix of rigor and encouragement, were responsible for this improvement. His tutorial was professional, informed, and effective. We are both very pleased with the program."-- D.V., B-CC parent
"My son got a late start to tutoring, but in a short amount of time Bill helped him raise his score by almost 400 points! I think Bill's style helped my son's confidence in his performance on the SAT."--Marie M., Washington Waldorf parent
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