SAT & ACT Preparation
Every student is different, but the most successful SAT and ACT preparation begins with a thoughtful plan. We tailor every program to each student's strengths, goals, and timeline while following a proven process that consistently produces strong results.
Why Choose Odyssey?
Since 2012, Odyssey Tutors has helped hundreds of students throughout the Washington, DC area achieve their testing goals through individualized SAT and ACT preparation. Because every student begins with different strengths, goals, and timelines, we build an individualized preparation plan rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
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Individualized instruction. Every student's plan is tailored to their strengths, goals, testing timeline, and learning style.
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Experienced SAT & ACT specialists. We carefully select and train our tutors to ensure they possess both deep knowledge of the exams and the teaching skills needed to help students succeed.
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Official practice materials. We rely on official SAT and ACT exams to monitor progress and provide realistic practice throughout the preparation process.
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Clear communication. Parents receive written session summaries after every meeting, keeping everyone informed about progress, homework, and next steps.
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Long-term guidance. We help families decide between the SAT and ACT, develop an appropriate testing timeline, and create a preparation plan designed for sustained improvement.
Diagnostic Testing
We first work with students to arrive at a baseline. This is usually done by administering an SAT/ACT diagnostic exam. Diagnostic testing is offered for free in our office twice a month—typically the 2nd Saturday and 4th Sunday of every month (please see our diagnostic schedule for specific test dates). This baseline allows us to gather basic information about a student and provides sufficient data in order to recommend preparation for the SAT or ACT. This process ensures that every recommendation is based on objective data rather than guesswork.
Planning Ahead
Once we have diagnostic scores in hand, a consultation with Odyssey’s President is arranged. This discussion typically includes a brief overview of diagnostic results, as well as further discussion of the SAT or ACT recommendation. Parents are given time to ask questions about the testing process, the SAT versus the ACT, or any other lingering questions or concerns they might have about standardized testing generally.
Finding the Right Fit
After this conversation, Odyssey will match a tutor on staff for your child to work with. This process takes a number of things into account; it’s essential that a student enjoy working with his or her tutor. A strong working relationship between tutor and tutee is much more likely to lead to successful outcomes than a relationship where the student and tutor don’t connect. We go to great lengths to carefully match a student to the tutor he or she will work with, and then ensure that both the student and parents are pleased with the arrangement.
Tutors with Odyssey have prepared students for thousands of hours of SAT and ACT instruction. Every tutor undergoes extensive training in both exam content and effective teaching methods before working with students independently.
Beginning Test Preparation
Sessions combine instruction, strategy, homework review, and practice using official SAT and ACT materials. Our standard SAT/ACT Tutoring Package includes 12, 2-hour sessions—24 hours of tutoring in total. We recommend that students work through 8 of these sessions prior to a first official test, with the remaining 4 sessions prior to a second test. In our experience, it is best to begin studying for a first SAT or ACT approximately three months before the test date, since this gives students enough time to adequately review practice questions and take practice tests.
Our Approach
Timeline. Students typically meet weekly and complete two to four hours of homework between sessions. As the test date nears, however, the workload will typically increase beyond this amount. A note about how many times to take the test: although there is no set number of times you should take the SAT or ACT, most students take the test 2-3 times before earning their desired score. Students generally put themselves at an advantage the more they take the ACT or SAT, since the Super Score format allows the highest score from each section to count towards their cumulative score.
Materials. Odyssey has its own guides for both the SAT and ACT. These guides are concise, no-nonsense manuals that outline how the tests are organized and scored, before delving into specific content. We also use official SAT and ACT exams to track progress and provide realistic practice throughout the program.
Communication. We believe that parents should remain informed throughout the preparation process. After every tutoring session, families receive a written summary outlining the material covered, the student's progress, assigned homework, and recommendations for future study. These summaries give both an immediate snapshot of how the student is faring, while also providing longer-term insight and analysis.
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Ready to Get Started?
The first step is to schedule a diagnostic exam and consultation. From there, we'll recommend whether the SAT or ACT is the better fit, discuss an appropriate testing timeline, and develop an individualized preparation plan. Contact us to schedule your consultation, or visit our Testimonials page to hear from Odyssey families.