Coaching the SSAT is my business but my answer to the question posed is not necessarily. Even though it is extremely rare, I have encountered students who score in a very high percentile range on their first practice test. Students who are so exceptional are better off spending their time pursuing whatever hobbies they enjoy. Even for students whose performance is average, there are numerous resources students can access to prepare for the SSAT on their own. Truly self - motivated students can be, and often are, successful without the engagement of an SSAT expert. Approaching the test that way, however, is not the easiest or most efficient route to success. Considerable advantages accrue to students who have access to a SSAT coach with real expertise. I know my service has helped many children achieve their school admission goals and has been highly valued by my clients. I do believe that students who wish to work on their own would greatly benefit from my Go at Your Own pace program which provides step by step instructions that will help students answer actual SSAT questions.

I normally require that a family working with me one on one agrees to a minimum 10 sessions of 1 to 1.5 hours weekly. If a student is scoring at their target I may recommend terminating the program early and I understand if a family wishes to do so also. In addition to our session students should normally do 3 to 4 hours of homework and/or work on their own each week. Many students wish to do more than ten sessions and I will certainly accommodate that time permitting. Online and in-person classes run for ten weeks. Go at your own pace course materials allow students to prepare on their own schedule. Realistically, sound preparation will usually require at least two and a half to three months except with exceptional students.

There are circumstances where I will see a student more than once a week but I do not do that on an ongoing basis. Preparation takes time and students need many hours of practice to consolidate the skills they learn in each lesson. There is a lot of material to be digested and in my experience, cramming is unhelpful and a waste of your money. Attempting to rush the process is a bit like trying to cook a roast in half the time by cranking the oven to 500 degrees. You will get something burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. This is something I have learned from experience.

I Provide a large amount of written and online material. In addition I may provide supplementary books if I feel they will be helpful. There are two books you will need to purchase.

Kaplan. SSAT and ISEE Prep. (Current year)

The Official Study Guide for the Upper Level SSAT (IF Applying to Middle school- Middle Level SSAT)

The first book is available from Indigo or Amazon The second book comes from the Enrollment Management Association the people who developed and administer the SSAT. You can order it from SSAT.org You will need to go to that site to register for the SSAT. In addition, you will need online access, a large binder, dividers, lined paper, graph paper, and pencils.

My program is both different and superior because it is taught by someone who has subject mastery, maturity, deep commitment and extensive teaching experience. Some test prep centres have teachers who graduated from great universities. I have taught at one. Some centres have instructors who wrote excellent college entrance essays that gained them admission at Ivy League Universities. I have written essays that appear on the Syllabi they used there. Because I am not affiliated with a larger company that relies almost exclusively on its own products I can also draw on a wide range of supporting material to help students learn what they need to achieve success. I also carefully assess each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning style and adjust my instruction accordingly. Finally, I will come to you if live in Toronto.

Regrettably, I can’t guarantee a specific score or whether a child will gain admission to the school of their choice. I can guarantee that I will work my hardest to assist your family. I can say that I have helped the vast majority of the students I see gain admission to a highly selective school. If I do not feel I can help a family I will advise them at the outset.

The prices differ according to the program you choose. In home tutoring including all hours of preparation, feedback, correspondence and materials costs $1,400.00. for the entire program.