College of My Choice
Call Me 858-458-5930"What we learn to do we learn by doing." -Aristotle
Frequently Asked Questions
THE BASICS
Where are you located?
My office is located at 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Suite 220 in Del Mar. The office is upstairs and in the same building as The Gym of Del Mar.
Which subjects do you teach?
I offer private sessions and small group workshops for the SAT and ACT. I also can help students prepare for the Subject Tests, especially Math 2, Literature, and US and World History.
What sets your program apart from others in San Diego?
After seventeen years in the business, I still enjoy teaching the SAT and ACT and continue to develop strategies to help my students do even better on these tests. I am less interested in teaching a high number of students and more interested in offering a high quality teaching experience.
Which days do you teach?
As a general rule, private sessions are held weekdays Tuesday-Friday, workshops Saturdays and Tuesday evenings, and practice tests are typically on Sundays.
Do you ever come to a student's home?
No.
What are your fees?
SAT and ACT workshops are $495 and private sessions are $110 per 70-minute session. On Saturdays, I also offer two hour "study pass" for the SAT or ACT, which are complimentary to students currently enrolled in a workshop or signed up for weekly private sessions.
What is the difference between the "Workshop" and the "Study Pass" offered in the packages?
The Workshop introduces students to the test-taking strategies for the whole test, typically for students who have not taken a previous test prep class. These classes allow students to familiarize themselves with the SAT or ACT in a structured and supportive environment.
The "Study Pass" offers a review of the material, with an emphasis on independent study and timed sections. Many students use these sessions to prepare for the second exam, to refresh after a break from tutoring, or to reinforce material in the workshop or private sessions.
How much can a student reasonably expect to increase the score with your services?
For students who complete a full course of instruction (which includes preparing and testing twice on the same test), my students typically see score increases on average between 200-300 points on the SAT and 3-4 pts on the ACT. Because these score increases are averages, some will attain higher score increases. It is extremely rare for a student I work with to not see some sort of significant improvement in the score.
With that said, students with learning challenges, test anxiety, or low diagnostic scores (below 1600 on SAT or below 24 on ACT) will have to work harder, take more tests, and prepare over a longer period of time to see good results.
Must I sign a contract?
No.
How do I get Started
Before I see a student personally, I like to find out more about his or her situation to determine if my services would be a good fit and, if so, what would be the ideal program for the student.
The first step is to gather up any diagnostic scores (PSAT, Plan, and/or actual ACT or SAT scores) and then review the class schedule to see when the workshops and study passes are offered.
If you are interested in private sessions, I will still need diagnostic scores, and I recommend that students who take private sessions plan to supplement with a study pass or frequent proctored exams.
If my program matches your needs, please contact me at crismcvey@gmail.com.
TEST PREP
I have heard that the ACT is an "easier" test. Is that true?
Easier for some students but definitely not all. The pace of the test is faster, and it includes a scientific reasoning section (not on the SAT). In general, the test is less "tricky" and does not take points off for wrong answers. It also tends to favor students strong in Math and Science (a section not on the SAT).
Do all schools accept ACT scores?
Yes. Accepting the ACT is now a standard practice in college admission.
If I take the ACT, do I still need to take the SAT?
No. Colleges will accept scores from the SAT or ACT.
Should I take the ACT with Writing?
The ACT offers two versions of the test. I always recommend that students sign up for the ACT with Writing option, which requires students to write a short essay. Many schools, like the UC system, require students to take this version of the test and will not accept the scores unless the student writes the essay. So to play it safe, sign up for ACT with Writing.
Do colleges see the PSAT scores?
No.
How many times can a student take these tests?
There are no formal restrictions on how many times a student can take the SAT, ACT, or Subject Tests. But as a general rule, I typically recommend taking the SAT or the ACT no more than three times.
Have any of your clients received a perfect score?
Yes. I have had several clients receive "true" perfect scores (based on one sitting). To their credit, these students typically come to see me with already very high diagnostic scores (2100+ on the SAT).
Do you have experience working with students with learning disabilities and/or ADD?
Yes. Private tutoring is often the best approach for these students. I also have much experience helping parents to get extra time accommodations on the SAT and ACT.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Can you select which SAT or ACT scores to send to a college?
Beginning with the Class of 2010, students will have several options to choose from when sending SAT scores to colleges. It is very important that students and parents understand which option a college requires for admission. For example, some colleges will allow students to "hide" certain test dates, and others require all scores be sent.
The policy remains unchanged for the ACT, which has always allowed students to select which score to send to the colleges. Some schools, however, will ask that students send all ACT test scores.
What do the percentiles on the SAT and ACT score report mean? Do colleges use them to evaluate an applicant?
Percentiles are used to gauge how an individual's score compares to other test takers that day. Parents are sometimes dismayed at what may seem like a high score may not have a correspondingly high percentile ranking.
Since colleges do not see the percentile scores, I would largely ignore them for admission purposes. For evaluating a student's prospects for admission, I would rely mainly on the scores, not the percentiles.
Do any schools NOT require test scores for admittance?
Yes! A growing number of colleges and universities are realizing the limitations of standardized tests in evaluating all applicants. Several highly selective schools, such as Bowdoin, Wake Forest, Middlebury, Pitzer, and others, do not require that students submit SAT or ACT scores as part of the college application. Some do, however, require a 3.5+ GPA and/or submission of other tests (such as AP, IB, or Subject). For a list of hundreds (yes, hundreds) of schools that do not require SAT scores, please read my article "Test Optional Colleges".
Which schools to your students attend?
What I love about my program is I get a wide distribution of colleges that my students attend. Since I take students on a rolling basis, each year is a little different.
Beginning last year, I published a list of the colleges that my students committed to as a freshman. To view these, please visit "Class of 2010" and "Class of 2011".
Can you help students with the college admission process?
Even though I do know quite a bit about college admissions, I recommend hiring a private college counselor for a more in-depth approach. San Diego has many highly skilled counselors. Please consult the Resources page of the website for a list of college counselors in the San Diego area.
