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1-on-1 prep, in-person or digitally.

When you work with our team 1-on-1, everything is customized to maximize your results to reach your college goals.

We work with students 1-on-1 all over the world through our digital platform.

In-person 1-on-1 prep is available in-person in Southern California: Newport Beach, Orange, Seal Beach, Mission Viejo, Pasadena, and Claremont.

Diana Stark, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and parent of a student at Orange County School of the Arts

 

Growth Mindset and Intrinsic Motivation

Our process focuses on the student.  Who are you?  What are your goals for college?  How can we help you reach those goals?  When a student knows why they are prepping for a specific exam or pushing a class grade higher, and how the process is relevant to their goals for the future, motivation increases exponentially.  Increased motivation and a sense of ownership over the process lead to healthier, happier students who earn scores above and beyond what otherwise would have been possible.    

Test Prep Gurus goes well beyond the standard "tips and tricks" that can be found in most test prep books or courses.  

Content Oriented: Comprehensive practice exam analysis enables us to zero in on the specific content areas where the student stands to make the largest gains.  Our expert instructors use proven techniques and exercises to address those areas.  Students save time by only focusing on the areas where they need the most help -- and their scores rapidly improve as a result.   

Total Mastery: Our experienced instructors are trained to go beyond "teaching to a test."  Their aim is to improve scores, while developing skills that will last a lifetime, such as teaching students to read faster with increased retention, imparting a deep understanding of mathematical concepts that will serve students well on standardized exams and in their classes, and improving students' logic, rhetoric, and argumentative skills. 

It Takes a Village: When you hire Test Prep Gurus you are hiring a team of experts to help you and your family achieve your goals for college. Your son or daughter will work with multiple instructors, all of whom are experts in the areas they teach. Behind the scenes, our management team will digest every practice exam your son or daughter takes to pinpoint areas of potential improvement. Your Director will keep you posted on every step of the process and coordinate our team's efforts to ensure success. 

Ask the big questions on what colleges will help you take the next step, then determine what scores & GPA will help get you in to those colleges, make a plan, and exectute the plan.

3 Steps to Success:

1) Complete a free practice ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, AP, MCAT, LSAT exam (or any other test).

2) Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

3) Discuss how test preparation can help you and your child reach your goals for the future.

 

  • Test Prep Gurus has helped thousands of students across the country and around the world improve their ACT and SAT scores by hundreds of points.

  • Our students win merit-scholarships linked to their ACT and SAT scores totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

  • All of our teachers score in the top 1% in any subject they teach.

  • 1-on-1 programs of 12 weeks or more come with a score-increase guarantee.

  • Families have trusted us to guide them through this process for more than fifteen years.

"Our daughter did 12 weeks of tutoring. Test Prep Gurus have the whole process down to a fine art with updates from the instructors after every session, monthly full-length practice tests under real exam conditions, and check-ins with the Director after each mock exam to discuss our daughter's progress and the next steps. The teachers were highly trained and focused on the areas causing challenges. It was great to have a different teacher for the English/Reading and Math/Science sections. While it was a big investment, we feel that the investment has paid dividends with college paths now open that could previously have not been an option for our daughter, as her score improved by 6 points on the ACT (equivalent to +240 points on the SAT) to a near perfect 35 out of 36. Thank you Test Prep Gurus!" 

-Los Alamitos High School Parent, F.K.  

 

Results from Our Students:

“Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

 

Evaluation:

The starting point for any program is to identify where the student is currently scoring. Free diagnostic tests for the ACT, SAT and other exams provide a baseline score, which we expand into a detailed analysis of the student's strengths and weaknesses. 

 

Consultation:

The consultation provides us an opportunity to discuss the student's baseline results in the context of the student's goals for college. Depending on the student's initial scores (and other admission factors such as GPA, course rigor, their "hook", etc.) we offer recommendations on how best to reach the student's goals.  

Our test prep package recommendations are primarily based on where the student is currently scoring vs. where the student would likely need to score in order to be competitive at his or her best-fit colleges.

When possible, we collaborate with the student's school or independent counselor prior to the consultation to ensure that our recommendations support the counselor's larger plan for the student.

We also take time to answer all the basic questions, such as: 

  • How much improvement is possible?

  • Do I need to take a standardized test or should I go test-optional?

  • When should I take the ACT or SAT, and how many times?

  • What is the difference between the ACT and SAT?

  • Will schools see all of my scores, or can I choose which ones to send?

  • What is a "superscore"?

 

Instructors:

Each student is paired with a verbal instructor and a math instructor (unless the student is completing a math-only or verbal-only program). We hold all of our instructors to the same rigorous guidelines:

  • score in the top 1% of any subject they teach

  • possess effective communication skills to motivate and teach

  • be able to work with students of all ages and performance levels

 

Ongoing Support:

Fluid communication is the foundation of our personalized one-on-one programs.

Every college application process involves many moving parts:  application lists change, GPAs rise, improved ACT & SAT scores open new doors, etc. Our senior staff works in conjunction with all parties involved (parents, college counselors, teachers, independent educational consultants, learning specialists, and others) to ensure that all aspects in a prep program are operating smoothly, speak directly to the student's strengths, weaknesses, and current progressions, and ultimately contribute toward the student's end goals.  

No two programs are exactly alike, and once a program begins, our directors are continuously present to make any necessary adjustments for your student based on performance in lessons, homework completion, and practice tests. By monitoring a student's progress every step of the way, we are able to create unparalleled success for our students. 

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”

- Nido Qubein

It’s harder than ever to stand out when applying to college.

Last year saw more applications to college than any year prior. USC received more than 60,000 applications for 9,535 spots. Harvard’s acceptance rate fell to 3.4%. Each year, these numbers continue to drop.

With ChatGPT, will colleges continue to trust that students actually wrote their essays?

But there is one piece of the admissions puzzle that will help you stand out that you have complete control over — your ACT or SAT score.

Some stats you may find surprising:

* More than 90% of colleges still accept the ACT and SAT, and unless a college is test blind they prefer students with scores.

* Students are admitted to USC 40% more often when they submit an ACT or SAT score, and nearly twice as often at Notre Dame

* ACT and SAT scores can be the key to winning scholarships of $100,000 or more

 

The ACT and SAT don’t measure intelligence.

We work with students of all levels, from those shooting for perfect scores to those who think they “aren’t good at testing,” to everyone in between.

Every student can raise their ACT and SAT scores.

These exams don’t measure raw intelligence. They reward the hard work of students who prepare for them.

Our unique teaching framework has been demonstrated to improve grades in high school, raise AP scores, and help students perform in college.

Enroll your child in a Test Prep Gurus' 1-on-1 program to raise their ACT or SAT score and gain admittance to the college of their dreams.

Bet On Yourself.

There is an initial financial commitment that comes with working with an expert test preparation firm. This is because your student won’t just work with his or her tutors. Behind the scenes, an entire team of educational professionals will work around the clock to inspire your student to achieve his or her goals.

You might also be interested to know that an investment in test prep can save you money. Roughly half of all scholarships are tied to your GPA and an ACT or SAT score. Many of our students win scholarships worth $10,000 - $150,000.

A strong ACT or SAT score can also lead to more favorable financial aid terms. These technically aren’t scholarships, but the result is the same — your family saves money.

Committing to an ACT or SAT prep program isn’t a decision about “cost.” Just like college, it’s an investment in your child’s future.

 

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their grades and scores on the ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, APs so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

  1. Complete practice exams.

  2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

  3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.