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• Good experiences with courses, tutors?
• Recommendations for Tutors from Parents
• Announcements from Tutors
• GRE Preparation
• SAT and PSAT Preparation
• Advice about Test Taking

Good experiences with courses, tutors?

Do any parents have some good experiences with SAT Prep courses or good recommendations for reasonably priced tutors? Any suggestions for preparation (books, study aids, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. louisa

However, if your child is up on academics, but lacking self- confidence, buying one of the standard SAT manuals probably wouldn't hurt. There's a new one called ''Up Your Score'' (2007- 2008 edition) that's written by a team of recent college graduates. It only costs about $12 dollars and is clear and entertaining and has a nice kind of you-can-do-it attitude. Melanie

Recommendations from Parents

This is my recommendation for an excellent SAT tutor, Mo Rahmoun. He tutored our son, a Junior, for the SAT 1 and we were very pleased with the results. Our son, so far, has taken the SAT test only once and his score is good enough. Consequently, we have put off thinking about his taking the test a second time because we think it will not be needed. Mo is currently tutoring our son to prepare him to take the Math Level 2 SAT subject test.

Mo is very encouraging and patient, and is very skilled at adapting his tutoring to different individual learning styles. He is also reasonably flexible in accommodating changes in students' schedules.

I would strongly recommend Mo to any parent who is looking for a private tutor for their child. I would also suggest that if you are thinking of having him tutor your child to contact him early, in order to be able to get the days and times you can work with.

You can contact Mo by phone at 510-367-5829 or 510-763-9627. Or by e-mail at bcfcl[at]comcast.net Deepa

SAT Tutor Recommendation Alan Kaplan worked with my daughter Caitlin preparing her to take both the PSAT and the SAT. The results were outstanding. In the past, Caitlin had always dreaded tests and inevitably failed to show her skills and knowledge. Each time she prepared for a test with Alan, her confidence and results improved until she finally reached her goal. Alan’s personal style is calm, positive and thorough. He is a mature and grounded person who appreciates the broader issues in a student’s life and puts her at ease. In instructing Caitlin for the SAT, he taught her wider skills, applicable in her school work: problem solving, seeing connections and perseverance. We chose to hire Alan as a one-on-one tutor as opposed to signing up for a course. Not only does the tutorial end up being cheaper than the course, but the individualized attention is far more beneficial. Some of Caitlin’s friends flourished with Alan after having poor results with such courses. Alan Kaplan may be reached at (510) 530-4012
barbara

I'd like to get advice about tutoring for the SAT's. Are the Kaplan or Sylvan classes any good? Are they worth the money? My son has some learning issues, usually doesn't test well, and might benefit from a more individualized program. Can anyone recommend a good private tutor that won't cost an arm and a leg? We live in Alameda. I'd also appreciate advice about college counseling, where and how to apply. Thank you. Mom of 15 year-old

Marta

I am looking for a tutor to help my 16 year old daughter prepare for the SAT in January. Can you recommend someone who specializes in test taking strategies? She also wants help with the writing sample and history.

With both my kids I found individual SAT tutoring more effective and less expensive than classes, and I want to recommend an SAT tutoring service that does a great job of matching students to individual tutors. It's SuccessLink Tutoring, where Michael Weller will learn about your student and then find a tutor that matches his/her learning style and personal interests as well. You can reach him at 650-346-0410, or info@successlinktutoring.com (www.successlinktutoring.com) Beth

Mo did an outstanding job helping my son. His overall SAT score increased several hundred points, from the time he took the PSAT in October to his SAT last month (May 7), when he took the New SAT test for the first time. He achieved excellent scores.

My son is a bright kid and, with Mo's help, was able to clarify concepts that (maybe) were not clear to him from the beginning of his schooling. In that respect, my son's experience with Mo preparing for the SAT test has helped him in more ways than one.

Mo is a warm, patient, and knowledgeable teacher. A one of a kind person. The sessions were two hours long, once a week, at our house.

I recommend Mo Rahmoun highly.

You can contact Mo by phone at: 510-367-5829 or by email at: bcfcl AT comcast.net victoria

I would like to recommend Mo Rahmoun as an excellent SAT tutor. My daughter, now a senior, has worked with Mo to prepare for the SAT 1 (Math and Verbal) and SAT ll (Writing and Math 1C). She has found Mo to be knowledgeable and dedicated, as well as friendly and approachable. She says that he explains math concepts very well (she has needed help mainly with math), and that he has given her good advice for the SAT 1 Verbal and SAT ll Writing tests. So far, my daughter has been pleased with her SAT results after working with Mo (she still has one SAT ll left to take). She tells me that she has liked the way he has encouraged her to review and prepare for her sessions with him. As a parent, I very much appreciate Mo's reliability and his individualized approach (he seems to realize quickly how my daughter learns best). You can reach Mo at 510-367-5829 or bcfcl AT comcast.net -- Stella

I highly recommend Jeffrey Segall for test preparation. He has been tutoring my son, a high school junior, since last year. Jeff works with high school kids as an English tutor. He holds a PhD in English, M.A. in English & Education, and California state teaching certification. He is very reliable, focused, and organized. My son's reading and essay writing skills have improved greatly. This year Jeff is helping my son to prepare for his SAT and his personal essay for college applications. You can email him at jasegall@yahoo.com or call him (510) 559-3569. Esra

Re: SAT Tutor Recommendation
I highly recommend Mo Rahmoun as an experienced and competent SAT tutor. He tutors PSAT (Math, Verbal, Writing), SAT I (Math and Verbal) and SAT II (Math IC, IIC & Writing).

He has extensive experience in tutoring students of diverse skill levels and knows how to effectively tailor his approach to match the learning styles and abilities of each of his students.

He also has an in-depth understanding of how these standardized tests are designed and structured and what they measure.

His combination of experience, understanding of how the test works, and excellent teaching skills has enabled the majority of his students to get great results. For some of his students, the scores they've achieved are nothing less than extraordinary.

If you are looking for a talented SAT tutor who really knows the tests and gets great results, contact Mo at: Phone: 510-367-5829 or 510-763-9627 E-mail: mnr AT attbi.com Good Luck SLH

I'd like to make a recommendation for a great SAT tutor, Mo Rahmoun. Mo worked with my son, who truly enjoyed every session, learned a tremendous amount, and greatly improved his test scores. Mo is super-experienced at helping all kinds of learners with test preparation, and is a warm, patient, smart person, with the ability to bond easily with the student and actually help them have fun with the process as they are learning and improving. He really knows the ins and outs of testing, has all kinds of tips, and is completely up-to-date on all the SAT changes as they come along. He is a UC Berkeley grad in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. You can reach Mo at 510- 367-5829 or 510-763-9627, or email him at mnr AT attbi.com toni

I want to highly recommend the SAT tutoring service, SuccessLink Tutoring, 650-346-0410. The most impressive thing about the service is the time and care taken to match students up with a tutor who shares their interests and is sympathetic to their needs. My son is a slightly above average student whose PSAT scores were not promising. Michael, of SuccessLink, spent at least 30 minutes on the phone with me, asking all sorts of questions about my son, his interests, his strengths and weaknesses, etc., then matched him with a tutor who was a great fit, a great teacher, and a thoughtful and compassionate fellow, who bolstered not only my son's confidence but his performance as well. Although the hourly rate sounds high, in all the total cost was less than many test preparation courses, and immeasurably more effective, personal, and pleasant. I cannot recommend these folks too highly. SuccessLink Tutoring 650-346-0410 Beth

Our daughter, a Junior at Albany high, has made wonderful grades for years, but was not performing well on standardized tests like the SAT. We chose to work with Mo Rahmoun (mnr AT attbi.com) after considering Princeton Review and having her work with skill building publications and computer formats. Mo tutors for SAT I (Verbal and Math) and SAT II (Math IC, IIC and Writing). He is an Electrical Engineering/Computer Science graduate of U.C. Berkeley. We chose his tutoring because we wanted 1) help that was tailored to our daughter's needs; 2) someone who would come to our home (we do way too much running around already!) and 3) someone who worked systematically to identify areas that needed work, worked with practice tests, and who was positive and encouraging. Mo is all those things and more! As many have already attested, the skills he has been imparting are helpful for the SAT now, but will also be useful far into the future. Furthermore, he is parent- friendly, totally reliable and inspires our daughter to prepare and self-test. His personal ethics of responsibility and hard work are imparted throughout his tutoring sessions. Call Mo at 510-367-5829 or 510-763-9627. Ilene

To parents of High School students and of Juniors in particular: The majority of juniors will be taking the SAT I test in the Spring. The Spring test dates are fast approaching and now is the time to start preparing for them. I would like to repeat a recommendation that I made previously for an SAT tutor. Mo has been continually refining his approach to SAT tutoring these last many months. He is currently using some very effective strategies, especially some techniques suitable for improving students' performance on the Verbal part of the SAT, particularly the Critical Reading section with which a lot of students have difficulty. Mo tutors SAT I (Verbal and Math) and SAT II (Math IC, IIC and Writing). He has been getting very good results with his students, averaging an improvement of 150 points. Many of his students have raised their scores by more than 200 points, which is considered outstanding. He LOVES tutoring and effectively communicates support and encouragement. He is especially good at judging exactly what a student requires in order to do well and tailoring his approach to those individual needs. He can be reached at 510-367-5829 or 510-763-9627. Good Luck! Sylvia

I would like to make a recommendation for an SAT tutor. Mo tutors SAT I (both Verbal & Math) and SAT II (Math IC, IIC & Writing). He has been getting very good results with his students, averaging an improvement of 120 points. Some students have raised their scores by more than 150 points in 5 sessions, which is considered outstanding. He LOVES tutoring and effectively communicates support and encouragement. He is especially good at judging exactly what a student needs in order to do well and tailoring his approach. He can be reached at: Mo Rahmoun, 510-763-9627 or 510-234-1824.

Sylvia

I highly recommend Mo Rahmoun as a SAT I/II tutor. He did a wonderful job with my son, who is a whiz with computers and does well in school, and yet had disappointing SAT scores. Mo motivated my son to learn new words, and taught him how to answer math questions. He also analyzed and improved the way he took the SAT tests. My son learned valuable lessons from Mo that he will continue to use in school and life, including a larger vocabulary, basic math skills, and how to approach problems. Mo has a sensitive and encouraging approach that matches a student’s ability to learn. He comes to your house, and is highly reliable and personable. Mo has an engineering degree from UC Berkeley. My son said the tutoring helped a lot and gave him confidence to take the tests. Plus his scores really improved. You can reach Mo at 510-763-9627 or 510-367-5829, or by email at mnr AT attbi.com. Good luck! Clair

I wanted to repeat a recommendation for anyone searching for a tutor for a high school student: I enthusiastically recommend an SAT tutor named Joel Burgos who helped my daughter prepare for her SAT. Joel is a senior at Cal, majoring in Economics. He is a Regents' Scholar and has a GPA of 3.8 at Berkeley. He has tutored high school students for over two years and has worked for Kaplan. He charges $20 per hour.

My daughter does not like math, but after being tutored by Joel, she gained 100 pts. on the SAT I math section when she retook it. Joel has an excellent rapport with teen-agers and he is a great person. He doesn't have a car, so he tutored my daughter various places on campus.

He can tutor SAT I, SAT II: Writing, math Ic and IIC, world history, chemistry. You can e-mail him at jbowl0606 AT hotmail.com or call him at 704-8793. Olga

I highly recommend Doug Buckwald for test preparation. He works with kids from 4th grade through 12th grade, and knows all the tricks for succeeding at standardized tests. He will come to your house and is reliable, focused, very clear and organized. He can assess where your child is in terms of academic readiness and strengthen areas of math or English that need improvement. He also works with test taking attitude, dealing with anxiety and building confidence. Be prepared for him to carefully consider whether he and your child/family are a good match. He screens carefully as it is a one-on-one relationship and has to be a good fit. Good luck, Andrea.

My Orinda neighbor and friend, Eric Myers, is a professional tutor. He is an immensely bright and personable guy (he's a Princeton grad and a playwright), and has a great touch with kids. He mostly focuses on high school kids (especially SAT prep -- he is a former master teacher with Princeton Review), but also works with younger kids. Several of my friends have hired him to work with their 5th graders, and have been very pleased. He is not cheap, but quality service rarely is. His phone number is (925) 253-7738. Leslie

I enthusiastically recommend an SAT tutor named Joel Burgos who helped my daughter prepare for her SAT last year. Joel is a senior at Cal, majoring in Economics. He is a Regents' Scholar and has a GPA of 3.8 at Berkeley. He has tutored high school students for over two years and has worked for Kaplan. He charges $20 per hour.

My daughter does not like math, but after being tutored by Joel, she gained 100 pts. on the SAT I math section when she retook it last year. Joel has an excellent rapport with teen-agers and he is a great person. He doesn't have a car, so he tutored my daughter various places on campus.

He can tutor SAT I, SAT II: Writing, math Ic and IIC, world history, chemistry. You can e-mail him at jbowl0606 AT hotmail.com or call him at 704-8793. Olga

I am the mother of a student at Bishop O'Dowd. I am responding to your inquiry about SAT and college preparation. In addition to the school counselor, we are working with a private counselor, Wendy Morrison. She is enthusiastic and has really helped my daughter figure out what she wants out of her college experience. She has guided us through the SAT testing process: when and where to take the various tests. She has given us invaluable information about financial aid and merit-based scholariships. She has helped my daughter figure out what kind of college best matches her personality. Lastly, she has worked with my daughter in developing her essay topic. She promptly returns calls which relieves the anxiety that inevitably comes from being the mother of a college-bound student. We are extremely glad that we have been able to work Wendy for she has been a great help in this overwhelming process. Wendy works out of her home in Kensington. She charges $85 per session and each session lasts approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. She can be reached at (510) 384-5962. I highly reccomend giving her a call. (July 2001)

Don may still work with Jim Irwin ( 925-631-1720 ) who is based in Moraga. My older daughter used Jim in 1994-95 and did not mind driving to Moraga because she thought he was so good. She had been in IMP math and had not learned certain math principals which Jim taught to her.

They both make the kids feel very competent. Kids do tests before the tutorial which motivates them to do the test and that is half the battle. The more you do, the better you get. Then they go over the test and teach around the test. The individual attention worked for my kids and I probably spent less than on a class, but some kids like going with their friends.

Sherry (5/00)