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Instead of choosing a canned test prep class filled with other students, opt for a personalized, one-to-one tutoring experience.

When weighing the choice, it’s hard to argue with the fact that an individualized tutor is the best option.

Individualized help outperforms one-size-fits-all programs

Every student is unique. Why, then, does it make sense to expect every student’s test prep needs are the same?

When tutors work one-to-one with students, every aspect of the learning process is a custom fit. Pacing, content, feedback, and practice are all uniquely matched to the student’s needs and readiness. Adjustments can be made in real-time based upon successes, struggles, and engagement levels. The result is a workflow optimized for growth.

By contrast, group tutoring divides an instructor’s attention by a factor of the number of students in the room. If the tutor teaches multiple courses, the available time to plan specifically for your child decreases even further.

Some group-based test prep operations seek to get around this concern by attempting to fit students into courses based upon common skill levels and needs. However, even the best diagnostic algorithm will produce classes where students wind up exposed to some degree of content they either don’t need or content they’re not prepared to engage with.

The available personalized attention is inevitably limited by the number of students vying for an instructor’s attention both during and between sessions.

In the end, students learn in these group courses, but they are only scratching the surface of what they could have learned had they been the only student in the room.

The flexible, cost effective choice

As with most important choices in life, a lot comes down to price. You might assume that hiring a tutor would cost more than enrolling in a group course at a retail tutoring center. After all, one-of-a-kind goods and services tend to come at an expense. A tailored suit costs more than one off the rack. A private jet ride is more expensive than flying coach.

Surprisingly, this is seldom the case. In most areas it is possible to find highly skilled tutors at rates that are either comparable or lower than what the local group tutoring options cost.

Furthermore, one-to-one tutoring arrangements provide the opportunity for additional flexibility when it comes to scheduling sessions. Sometimes life happens and a student misses a session. A group tutoring course happens whether all the students are present or not. Absent students miss out on the content and potentially still wind up paying for their empty seat.

one-to-one tutoring arrangements are typically more accommodating. With enough notice, a session can typically be rescheduled or cancelled so students don’t skip key content lessons or worse, have to miss content and still have to pay for it.

The right fit is also more convenient

Finding the tutor that is the right match for your child requires some due diligence, but it is well worth the effort. A good fit can lead to a collaborative learning partnership that could open up the possibility for academic support and/or enrichment in areas beyond just test prep.

Thankfully, Tutor Doctor helps make the process of finding the right tutor both convenient and reliable. Tutor Doctor works for you to help find a tutor that is a match in more areas than just content. This is a major advantage over group-based test prep experiences because, as educators know, there are other important facets like personality and instructional style that help foster successful educational experiences.

Convenience is another key benefit of one-to-one test prep and tutoring over its group-based alternatives. Arranging for tutors to either come to your home (with another adult present) or another familiar meeting place increases student comfort. Furthermore, removing the race to make it to the test center in time for class can just make life a lot easier (and, frankly, less stressful) for everyone involved.

Even if you are in a locale where in-person tutors are hard to come by or if your family is on the road often, it is possible to find excellent tutors who can help online. Tutor Doctor applies the same strict, evaluative criteria when vetting their online tutors as those that teach in person. This means sessions with top-notch tutors can happen literally anywhere with a reliable internet connection.

Depending upon where you live, there are likely a lot of test prep and tutoring options for parents and students to consider. One consideration should be a no-brainer: a one-to-one learning experience should always trump a pre-packaged group test prep program.

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