One of the most common questions I get from families is:
"Should my sophomore start SAT/ACT tutoring now?"
The answer is often yes... but with a big caveat.
The SAT and ACT test math concepts that many students won't fully learn until junior year. That means that when sophomores begin prep, part of our work is often learning brand-new math concepts for the first time—not just reviewing them.
As a result, progress tends to be slower and steadier than many families expect.
That's not a bad thing. In fact, getting started early can reduce stress, build strong habits, and create more time for growth. But it's important to make sure expectations match the reality of the process.
If your student starts as a sophomore, don't expect overnight score jumps. Expect gradual improvement, a stronger academic foundation, and a head start on junior year.
Slow and steady is still progress.
When did your student start SAT/ACT prep? I'd love to hear what worked (or didn't work) for your family.
Matthew Ruehlman Tutoring
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Tutoring for a lifetime of learning. Test Prep, Subject, and Essay Tutoring.
06/17/2026
Early reports suggest that statistics questions made a surprising return on last week's ACT.
I've now heard from multiple students who were tripped up by questions involving box-and-whisker plots and standard deviation. Like many of the ACT's trickiest questions, these concepts aren't especially difficult—they're just uncommon enough that students often don't spend much time reviewing them.
If you're planning to take the ACT this summer or fall, I'd strongly recommend brushing up on basic statistics before test day.
For a quick review, here's a helpful resource from 36 University:
36 University » 3 Types of Probability Items to Expect on the ACT Math Test Three Types of Probability Items to Expect on the ACT Math Test You walk into the testing site and sit down, nervous but confident. You know you’ve prepared and you’re ready to give the ACT one last shot. You are sure this will result in your best your score yet. The English test is no problem. ...
06/15/2026
"I'll be going to the press!"
I laughed when I read that comment on ACT's official page.
Then I kept reading.
As funny as it sounds, the parent was describing something I've heard from students for years: testing rooms that are noisy, disorganized, and full of distractions.
Is that fair? No.
Can students control it on test day? Usually not.
That's why I actually train my students for the unexpected. Random noises. Interruptions. Distractions. Not because the ACT should get a free pass—but because resilience is a skill.
The goal isn't just a higher score. It's helping students learn how to stay calm, adapt, and perform when conditions aren't perfect.
06/12/2026
2026-2027 SAT deadlines are here!
Make a plan to prep and crush it now - and feel free to reach out if you want help making scores soar!
Register here - https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines
📣 Important update for NYC families applying to specialized high schools:
The SHSAT is going digital this fall.
That means students who prepare exclusively on paper may be practicing in a format that no longer matches the actual testing experience. Navigation, annotation, pacing, and reading on a screen all affect performance in ways that surprise many students.
If your child is preparing for the SHSAT this summer, make sure at least some of their practice is happening digitally. Content knowledge still matters, but test format matters too.
Questions about the transition or SHSAT prep? Feel free to reach out.
06/08/2026
FYI for students who tested this Saturday!
Scores from today's will be available starting June 22.
💻SAT Score Release: http://spr.ly/6188B8t3VI
One of the biggest misconceptions in test prep is that the reading and vocabulary sections are easier to improve than the math sections.
In reality, it's usually the opposite.
Math is often the easiest section to tutor because there are concrete rules, formulas, and processes students can learn and practice. Reading and vocabulary are much trickier because they develop over years, not weeks.
Think about the hardest words in your vocabulary. You probably didn't learn them from a flashcard set. You learned them because you encountered them again and again while reading.
The same is true of reading comprehension. While there are certainly strategies that help, the students who tend to excel in reading are usually the ones who have spent years reading for pleasure.
If your child has a long runway before the ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, ACT, or SAT, my biggest piece of advice isn't to start drilling practice tests tomorrow.
It's to help them find books they genuinely enjoy reading.
Not every book has to be a classic. The important thing is building the habit.
The best time to start improving reading and vocabulary scores is long before test prep begins.
One of the biggest shifts in math happens around 6th and 7th grade.
Before then, students often learn to recognize problem types and follow a process. Then suddenly the questions start looking unfamiliar—even when the underlying math is the same.
A lot of my work as a tutor is helping students realize that "I've never seen this before" is not the same thing as "I don't know how to do it."
If you're helping a child with homework, try giving them a little more time before jumping in. Often they already have the tools they need—they just need the confidence to use them.
With an official proctoring of the SAT this weekend, here is my quarterly reminder not to cram for it by doing a bunch of practice tests.
Especially with only a couple days to go, students are better off doing targeted practice on the concepts that they're most rusty on then trying to do as many practice tests as possible.
Students often avoid this type of prep because there's an extra step - you have to identify what's actually going wrong, and then drill that skill - this takes literally more brain effort than just clicking "go" on the practice test. But touching a concept once on a practice test and then reading the answer explanation isn't going to net you the understanding - 10 problems on one concept will.
The best college essay I ever read wasn't about building villages in Rwanda, winning a championship, landing the lead in the school play, or starting a business.
It was about the rage some people feel when they hear others chew.
A few years ago, a student of mine struggled to find a college essay topic. Every idea she brought me felt like she was trying to sound impressive rather than sound like herself. Then she mentioned that she has misophonia—a condition that can trigger intense emotional reactions to certain sounds, like chewing.
As she talked about it, I realized there was an essay there. Not because misophonia is extraordinary, but because it was something she genuinely didn't understand and had spent years trying to make sense of.
The resulting essay wasn't a list of accomplishments. It was an attempt.
And that's what an essay is. The word itself comes from the idea of attempting or trying. The strongest college essays are often not students showcasing their biggest achievements. They're students wrestling with a question, an experience, or a piece of themselves they don't fully understand yet.
When students stop asking, "What will impress an admissions officer?" and start asking, "What am I still trying to figure out?" the writing usually gets much more interesting.
If your student is working on college essays this summer, I'd love to help.
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