FAQs

Do you help prepare students for standardized college entrance tests?

ETA Tutors prepares students for the ACT, SAT and PSAT utilizing proprietary standardized test preparation tutorials.

What does a Standardized Test Preparation Tutorial consist of?

Typically, our tutors meet with a student for 6-8 sessions in person or 8-10 sessions on-line. The sessions are typically one hour, and preferably on a weekly basis prior to a test date.

What is taught in the tutoring sessions?

Each of our tutoring professionals will describe the format for each section of the standardized test and assign content review required before the exam. Tutors work with each student to re-teach concepts or ‘fill in the gaps’ of content prior to each test. To maximize test scores, students are taught test taking and time management strategies unique to each test section of the exam.

Additionally, students complete practice tests before an exam date, and the tutor will review the results of those practice tests with each student. Based on individual practice results, tutors offer additional test taking strategies and recommendations for each student. The student may also be assigned specific content areas to study and review prior to the test date.

Students often find success in their first standardized test after a completed tutorial. Many students prepare for re-take exams by using the official test booklet and answers obtained through the testing service for a fee. (For the ACT, the test booklet and answers are available for an additional fee for the April, June, and December tests.) By working through the previous test questions and answers, the student can greatly improve their chance for an improved score on a re-take exam. The tutor will help the student with time management and the difficult concepts in each test section.

After working with ETA Tutors, is my desired score guaranteed?

Given the myriad of factors that influence each individual test score, we cannot offer a guaranteed exam score. (We recommend being wary of any service who offers such a promise!) ETA Tutors can help predict the potential score a student could achieve on a college entrance test by examining several test score predictors, including a baseline and/or pre-exam standardized test which can be calculated while working with the tutoring professional.

Do you provide support to students with learning differences or anxiety that cause academic stress and testing challenges?

ETA Tutors have expertise in exam preparation for students with learning differences, ADHD, anxiety, and other personal challenges. We provide tutorials customized to fit the needs of each student and according to any pre-approved test accommodations. (The student, parent and high school counselor will need to work together to obtain the test accommodations.)

If a parent has a concern about a possible learning challenge, ETA Tutors can offer a recommendation to families for a professional who could provide a learning assessment, which is a diagnostic tool to identify learning challenges (ADHD, dyslexia, visual or auditory processing deficits, or memory issues).

Do you offer learning support for academic course work?

ETA Tutors provides supplemental academic tutoring on an hourly basis for most high school courses (including advanced placement math, science, social studies and English classes) as well as for some college courses.

Do you provide organizational and time management training?

ETA Tutors teaches organization and time management skills in addition to the practical study skills and test taking strategies embedded into its college entrance exam tutorials and academic tutoring sessions.

Do you offer college search and college planning services?

ETA Tutors provides individualized college planning services at an hourly rate. The tutor and student will set an agenda for the meeting based upon which stage of the college search process the student is at. Parents are always welcome to attend any college planning meeting. Regardless of where the student presents in the college application process, the purpose of the meeting(s) is to empower the student to take ownership and accountability in managing the application process with the goal of finding a ‘good fit’ school.

Do you offer college application support?

One of our tutoring professionals can meet with a student to explain The Common Application and/or individual school applications. (The Common Application is the application students use to apply to over 900 colleges and universities.) The tutor can work with the student to start, stay on track, and complete college application(s) in a timely manner, while offering tips and general instructions along the way.

Do you offer college essay assistance?

A tutoring professional can meet individually with students starting in the summer before their senior year and anytime during the senior year. This brainstorming session takes place at a local coffee shop or the tutor’s home office.

During the one-hour meeting, the tutor will help the student brainstorm possible topics for The Common Application essay – which is a personal narrative essay. The goal is to write an essay on a topic that lets the admissions staff understand the student’s attributes and character. The student will leave the meeting with a rough outline for the essay and set a personal deadline for the first draft. The tutor will provide one thorough review of the first draft with extensive feedback and comments using Google docs.

How do you communicate the progress of the tutoring sessions?

Yes. While maintaining your student’s voice, our professional writing tutor helps each student brainstorm a basic “story” by highlighting student life experiences to help answer college-specific and Common Application essay prompts. ETA Tutors staff help students outline each college essay as well as provide comprehensive editorial feedback.

How do you communicate learning progress?

ETA Tutors continually monitors and measures individual student progress and regularly communicates with parents, teachers, or academic advisors.

Where are you located and how do you meet with students?

ETA Tutors provides one-to-one tutoring services in the home offices of the tutors, local coffee shops, or public libraries in the northeast suburbs of the Twin Cities metro area, in addition to on-line tutoring sessions.

How are your tutors following health and safety guidelines?

Each of our tutoring professionals discusses individual health and safety needs with every student and family. Every tutor is an independent contractor and may inquire about student vaccination status. ETA Tutors respects the health, safety, and privacy of all students and families. Each of our tutors will work with every student to determine special precautions and a safe working plan.

What are your rates?

Please use this website to contact ETA Tutors to discuss hourly rates. ETA Tutors monitors rates for similar tutoring services in the area, and is committed to providing quality services at reasonable rates.