Students don't struggle with the SAT or ACT because they're not smart. Most students leave points on the table because no one's shown them how the test actually works.The SAT and ACT aren't IQ tests. They're learnable. The same concepts and the same patterns are tested in similar ways every time. Once a student understands that and starts preparing accordingly, their potential on the test increases dramatically.
Results
Here are some of my students' recent score improvements:
Amy - SAT - from 990 to 1280
Emma - SAT math - from 450 to 620
Steven - SAT math - from 630 to 750Jamie - ACT - from 21 to 32
Jason - ACT - from 27 to 34
Colin - ACT - from 17 to 23
The Tutoring Process
Tips and tricks have their place, but they're not the foundation. The students I work with develop a process:◍ Thinking critically without jumping to conclusions◍ Connecting what they already know to how the test presents information◍ Building habits that actually stick, so skills transfer to test dayI assess each student's strengths and weaknesses, draw on official practice tests and outside materials, and keep a shared Google Drive folder so key takeaways are documented after every session.One thing every student needs to know: mistakes in practice aren't failures. They're data. Every wrong answer tells us what to work on. This isn't about being perfect. It's about building skills and learning how to apply strategies that work for them.
About Me
My name is Luke MacDonald. I've worked with 100+ students since 2019 across all sections of the SAT and ACT. I scored in the 98th percentile on the SAT in high school.I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology from William Paterson University, which informs how I think about the learning process, not just the content.I work with students online and in person in northern NJ.Email me at [email protected]