Your Success Starts Here

Best SAT Tutors

SAT Tutors with Manhattan Review – the selected few

SAT Tutoring with structure and a clear plan

When it comes to SAT tutoring, Manhattan Review has developed a trusted, proprietary process. This process has been refined from over 20 years in the instructional industry and has resulted in thousands of satisfied students who have achieved top scores and gone on to gain admission into competitive colleges and universities. So how is Manhattan Review different from all the other test prep options out there? It sounds simple, but we diligently follow a timeless process: gather data, plan, execute, and monitor. Although this sounds straightforward, you will find that most tutors come into sessions and teach the same curriculum to all students. They do not have a clear plan or goal defined for each individual client. Topics to be covered are determined on the fly rather than according to a carefully constructed plan. In contrast, when you work with a Manhattan Review tutor, the session content and the sequence in which topics are studied are clearly defined and sequentially addressed.

We begin by having each student complete an initial SAT Prep Consultation. This is our opportunity to learn more about your educational background and test-related goals. After this important meeting, each student is assigned to one of our highly trained and experienced instructors based on your specific learning strengths and weaknesses. Our tutors work closely with students to set realistic, yet ambitious, goals, in addition to developing an optimal strategy for how to achieve those goals. This involves identifying and conquering any topics that are deemed challenging and determining the sequence in which these topics should be introduced or reviewed.

The result of the planning process is a list of sessions with the topics that will be covered during each one. Again, this is the complete opposite of the unstructured approach utilized by most other test prep firms. At Manhattan Review, each tutoring session is targeted and focused, allowing students to thoroughly master concepts before moving on to new material. With both test-taking techniques and fundamental building blocks being covered throughout the tutoring program, students are well-equipped to achieve the elite scores required for the most competitive undergraduate programs.

Manhattan Review SAT Tutors – much more than only good test-takers

Manhattan Review is well-known for its very selective hiring process of instructors and tutors. We not only expect great scores from our instructors, we also—and more importantly—expect a passion for helping their students improve and progress until they obtain their own elite scores. When you work with a Manhattan Review tutor, you can be confident that you are learning everything you need to know to obtain your own impressively high SAT score from a gifted and talented instructor. Our tutors are friendly, experienced, and most of all, eager to help you obtain the score you need to attend the college of your dreams.

The SAT Tutoring Process is highly customizable, and Manhattan Review has many options available to tailor preparation exactly to the student's needs. Therefore, the best way to proceed is to speak to one of our friendly and highly regarded SAT specialists. Requesting an appointment is easy: please simply fill out the SAT Prep Consultation Request Form, and we will be in touch right away. And yes, this in-depth consultation is completely free, so get your prep started today!

Here are some additional points worth reviewing when considering if you should work with Manhattan Review SAT Tutors:

SAT Tutoring Sessions: flexible timing

Our private tutoring programs are intentionally designed to be customized to match the needs of each and every student. Our tutors possess extensive experience assessing student needs and creating personalized lesson plans, which means you are enrolling in a program that places you and your improvement as the highest priority. Tutors utilize a combination of diagnostic tests, practice questions, and in-depth conversations about the student's academic background and goals to develop a personalized lesson plan. This allows them to accurately design a personalized, effective, and comprehensive curriculum just for ou. This customized lesson plan also lays out the sequence of content that will be covered during the tutoring sessions, which is prioritized based on the needs and goals of each individual student.

The flexible scheduling that is part of our private tutoring options is perfect for those SAT students who have a busy school schedule or are involved in extracurricular activities. Having your tutor hold you accountable for completing agreed upon assignments outside of the tutoring sessions serves as an important motivating factor, which is critical to the SAT preparation process.

SAT Tutors: available in-person and online

Manhattan Review offers tutoring in-person, as well as online. While most students have historically preferred in-person sessions, there is a growing trend towards the online option, and it is fast becoming the preferred method of SAT preparation. For starters, current learning technology makes an online learning experience nearly indistinguishable from attending an in-person session. The online platform used for private tutoring sessions includes a whiteboard, on which both you and your instructor can write in the same fashion you would mark up a normal sheet of paper in front of you. The video aspect of virtual learning, which allows you and your tutor to see each other in real time, creates a personal experience incredibly close to the one you would get while completing in-person sessions.

But there is one other reason why online tutoring has become so much more popular: Manhattan Review has developed a large pool of highly qualified tutors who are eager to work with students in any time zone around the world. Due to there being no travel time, online tutoring offers the most flexible scheduling for busy students seeking to obtain the highest SAT score possible. With in-person tutoring, you are naturally limited to working with those tutors who are located close to where you live. This is, of course, also affected by the current demand for tutoring in your area. With online tutoring, you have the chance to choose between a variety of backgrounds and teaching styles to hone in on who is the best fit for your specific test-related needs. While there is a growing trend towards online learning, particularly when you consider the aforementioned points, we understand that this option might not be ideal for everyone. Regardless of where you prefer to learn, Manhattan Review has you covered, and we are equally happy to match you with our local tutors for in-person sessions or virtual tutors for online learning.

For Parents/Caregivers:

When hiring tutors, Manhattan Review does a true 360-degree evaluation to ensure only those candidates who demonstrate both superb test-taking and teaching skills ultimately come on board. The combination of scoring high on the SAT and having a successful track record of teaching in the test prep industry is the combination Manhattan Review looks for. We strive to make sure each student receives the attention they deserve from an expert on both the SAT and the process of preparing students with a variety of academic strengths and weaknesses. From our decades of experience in the test prep industry, we have learned that taking an exam and teaching others how to master the content of an exam are two separate skills. Based on this, we prefer those candidates who have potentially scored a few points below perfection but who possess the skill and passion for helping students master test-related information in a way that is effective and efficient.

To understand what sets Manhattan Review apart from other test prep companies in this regard, one must first understand the origins of the firm. Manhattan Review was conceived and started at Columbia Business School in New York City by someone who was actually teaching there. Manhattan Review's founder was not only pedagogically trained at Columbia University, but he went on to become a professor at a prestigious business school in Europe. Participating on countless academic hiring committees, as well as having to judge the teaching potential of applicants on a university level, resulted in experience that simply cannot be gained or simulated in another context. That's why Manhattan Review Tutoring is widely and consistently considered the best choice for students preparing for the SAT.

Manhattan Review continues to review and improve upon the curriculum, teaching methods, and preparation processes used with our private tutoring students. Our commitment to excellence in test preparation services is what allows us to stay ahead of the pack, a position we have proudly held since being founded in 1999.

What About Test-Optional Colleges?

As academic institutions attempt to move beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges are once again requiring students to submit standardized test scores—from the SAT or ACT—as part of their application. Some colleges, however, have chosen to remain test optional for another year or two. What does that mean for students preparing their college applications?

Simply because a college does not require a student to submit standardized test scores as part of their application does not mean test scores shouldn't be submitted. Test scores can make a big difference when it comes to scholarships. At many colleges, even those where admission is test optional, test scores may be required for certain scholarships or for admission to specific majors or honors programs. Private institutions or organizations that award scholarships may require test scores as part of their scholarship application. It is critically important to verify scholarship and financial aid requirements when applying to colleges, because even though the college itself might be test optional, applying for specific financial awards may require the submission of test scores.

Test optional colleges do not require the submission of SAT or ACT scores, but should a student submit a score, it can and most likely will be considered. And this is a good thing! Consider the college applications of two high school students. The applications demonstrate nearly identical data as far as classes taken, grades received, volunteer hours completed, and the number and quality of extracurricular activities. Even though this particular college is test optional, one student chooses to submit her SAT score while the other student does not.

Which student do you think has a better chance of being accepted?

The one who provided more information to the admissions committee. Research from the College Board consistently demonstrates a correlation between SAT scores and college success: students with higher SAT scores achieve higher college grades and they are more likely to return for their second year of college. College admissions officials know this, and when considering who to offer acceptance to, they will always prefer having as much information about a student as possible in order to guide their decision-making.

The bottom line is that as long as standardized tests exist, there are benefits to taking them. And given that standardized tests can be mastered with the guidance of skilled professional educators, there is no reason not to take this potentially life-changing exam and ultimately gain acceptance (and perhaps financial support) at leading undergraduate programs.