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Atherton CA SAT Prep Tutoring
The SAT is a strange test. To get an 800 on the SAT Critical Reading, one would have to have a good vocabulary and have read a lot outside of school.  However, someone could get a perfect 800 on the SAT Writing (multiple-choice questions and essay) and know only a dozen or so grammar rules, and one could get an 800 on the SAT Math and know only the basics of high school math and some test-taking strategies.  

​In fact, much of the math on the SAT I is not like the math taught in school.  In that respect the SAT Math section is very fair.  It is a "math reasoning test," which basically means the math section tests mathematical and logical reasoning skills, as well as how "clever" a student is.  In fact, I have had many students say the tutor they had before me couldn't do some of the math problems even though the tutor had a degree in math or is going off to medical sschool or whatever.  This from students using books that have answer explanations in the back.  I hate to brag but I have a few students who have relatives who are math teachers or whatever and the relatives can't do some of these problems.  The truth is some of the math problems have several ways of doing them and I can teach your child how to figure out the easy way.  EVERY SAT Math problem has an easy solution.  ALL of the problems are designed to be solved in less than 30 seconds if you catch on  (have "insight").  While the SAT is thought by many to measure IQ or something like it, great tutoring can help average kids get great scores.

​I'm not going to lie to you, SAT prep is hard work.  I recommend that kids spend 6 hours a week (4 hours on their own, 2 hours with me tutoring) for several weeks in order to get ready for the SAT.  If you were lucky, your child prepped for the PSAT (do you know why the PSAT is so important?), so your child could spend a little less time getting ready for the SAT (PSAT is easier though).  Kids need to do practice tests on their own and study vocabulary too.  But no matter how much prep your child does on his or her own, nothing can replace a great tutor.  There are, without a doubt, tricks to help one get a great score on the SAT.