ACT Preparation

Our tutors provide thorough, tailored ACT support that helps pave the way for a successful test day.

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Process

Ready to tackle standardized testing?

The ACT can be a gateway to the college admissions process. Sound daunting? You’ve come to the right place.

1

Assess whether the ACT is part of your college process

Some students opt to take the SAT instead, while others decide to apply only to schools that have dropped SAT and ACT requirements altogether. The right choice about whether or not to take the ACT really depends on the student, and we are happy to help you troubleshoot this question.

ACT vs SAT: which test is right for you?
2

Determine when you need to take the test

The ACT is administered several times annually, and most students take the exam by the spring of their junior year. We advise students to start studying in the summer before junior year and aim for a test date in the fall or winter. 

Request a complementary college coaching consultation
3

Familiarize yourself with the format of the exam

The ACT is administered in-person at official test centers and consists of 4 sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science. The Writing section is optional. Total testing time clocks in at 175 minutes, not including breaks or the 40-minute optional Writing section. 

Check out the official ACT website north_east
4

Establish a baseline on a previously administered test

We highly recommend taking a full-length official practice exam as your diagnostic. ACT Inc. offers several free practice tests. Logging your wrong answers from this diagnostic is helpful in beginning to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

From our blog: how to get the most out of your practice tests
5

Create a preparation plan

The ACT is highly coachable, patterned, and predictable. Familiarity through repetition leads to dramatically superior outcomes on the test. We recommend a minimum of 16 one-on-one tutoring sessions to cover the entirety of the test. Most of our students space these sessions out over the course of two to four months in our Comprehensive Package.

View a sample syllabus
6

Start tutoring and practice testing

You’ll meet with your tutor regularly (ideally, at least once per week), complete homework in between sessions, and take practice tests. Practice tests are the best way to measure how well you’re applying the methods you’re learning and to gauge the progress of your score. 

Tutor spotlight

We are a cooperative of English PhDs, professional writers, and mathematicians who provide exceptional one-on-one tutoring and test prep support to our students.

Meet everyone

We are a cooperative of English PhDs, professional writers, and mathematicians who provide exceptional one-on-one tutoring and test prep support to our students.

Jimmy

Jimmy is a PhD candidate in Sociology & Social Policy at Harvard. He holds a JD (Harvard) and BA in English and Social Studies (Harvard). Currently, he is a Lecturer on Law at UCLA Law and a pro bono attorney.

Colleen

Colleen earned a PhD and MA from Harvard University in History, an MA in Modern European History from St Andrews, and a BA in History and Art History from University of Notre Dame. Currently, she is a researcher at Johns Hopkins.

Graham V.

Graham holds an MD (Vanderbilt University Medical School) and MBA (Harvard Business School). He earned his BS from MIT in Materials Science & Engineering. Currently, he is an Emergency Medicine Resident at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Bassel

Bassel received an MS in Civil Engineering from MIT and a BS in Engineering from Harvard. He has taught college courses on topics ranging from probability and statistics to modern history.

Jonathan W.

Jonathan is an MPA student at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. He earned his Bachelor's from Tufts University, where he double-majored in Politcal Science and Economics.

Elliot

Elliot earned his BS in Biology at MIT, and his MSc by Research in Clinical Medicine on a Rhodes Scholarshop at Oxford University. Currently, he is an MD/PhD student in the the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.

Grace

Grace is a dental student at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She graduated from Duke University with honors and a double major in Biology and Global Health.

Aditya K.

Aditya is a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Illinois. He received his BS in Computer Science and Applied Computational Mathematics from CalTech and MS in Computational Science and Engineering from Harvard.

Mike Mc.

Mike attended Darmouth College, where he won numerous awards for his creative and critical writing. He earned his BA in English, and went on to become a secondary school teacher.

Elizabeth G.

Elizabeth is an MD/PhD student at NYU School of Medicine's Medical Scientist Training Program. She holds a BA in Biology with a minor in English from Hunter College.

Dan W.

Dan is an MD/PhD student at Harvard Medical School. He earned his BA in Cognitive Science at Yale University (Phi Beta Kappa), where his thesis earned the Angier award.

Troy

Troy graduated from Yale with a BA in Ethics, Politics, and Economics. After serving in Teach for America, he attended Harvard Law. Currently, Troy works for an education technology startup focused on preparing students for college.

Mihir

Mihir is an MD student at Harvard Medical School. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Betta Kappa with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry and Master's in Chemistry from UPenn.

Akash

Akash is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School. He received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and completed a one-year retinal neurophysiology research fellowship at the National Eye Institute.

Alexander V.

Alex earned his Master's in Musicology from Oxford University and his Bachelor's, with a double major in in Mathematics and Music, from Harvard University. He has been tutoring students for over eight years.

Priyanka N.

Priyanka studied Molecular and Cellular Biology, Global Health, and Spanish at Harvard College (summa cum laude). She is now a medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

Ash N.

Ash received his MA in Economics from Columbia University. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Econometrics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (summa cum laude, Tau Beta Pi).

Kate H.

Kate earned her BA in Public Policy from Stanford, and then completed a year of service with City Year San Jose before joining The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit consulting organization. She now teaches English in Madrid, Spain.

Alexandra M.

Ali is an MD/PhD student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She received her BS from Boston College where she majored in Biology with a minor in Medical Humanities and was a Gabelli Presidential Scholar.

Joy

Joy is an MD/PhD candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned a BS (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology) and BA (Anthropology) from Brown, and completed a postbacc fellowship at the National Cancer Institute.

Sam M.

Sam graduated with honors from Middlebury with a BA in English and a minor in Spanish. He went on to work in the film and tech industries for over a decade. Sam now specializes in private academic tutoring and exam prep.

Roel

Roel earned his BS in Applied and Computational Mathematics at CalTech, and he is currently an MA candidate in Jazz Composition at Berklee. He has over 1500 hours of tutoring experience.

Natalia Ic.

Natalia received her BA in History from the City College of New York. She went on to earn a Master's of Science in General and Special Childhood Education at the Bank Street College of Education.

Tess D.

Tess earned her BA in Psychology at Harvard College. After a few years working in entertainment, she's now pursuing a Master's in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University's Teachers College.

Justin C.

Justin graduated from Yale Law School in May 2023 and is now working for the federal judiciary. He previously graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018, where he double majored in Peace, War, and Defense and Economics, graduating with highest distinction and highest honors for his thesis on the effects of superhero movies on individual political views.

Liam B.

Liam holds a BS from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. After graduating, he accepted a leadership development role within the healthcare sector of CVS.

Michaela W.

Michaela is an MD/PhD at Harvard-MIT. She holds a BS in Biochemistry with minors in Philosophy and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Colorado (summa cum laude), where she was an NCAA Division I, All-American track athlete.

Alicia C.

Alicia is a PhD student in Linguistics at NYU. She graduated magna cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, with a BA in Linguistics and Data Science and a BA in Spanish with a minor in Music.

Cassandra G.

Cassandra attended UVA on a four-year, full cost of attendance scholarship with a double major in Human Biology and Spanish. After graduating in May 2020, she went straight into the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, with dreams of becoming an adult or pediatric oncologist.

Hollis P.

Hollis holds a BA in Rhetoric and a BS in Environmental Economics and Policy from UC Berkeley. He is presently an MA Candidate in Architecture at Harvard University.

Nick S.

Nick graduated from Columbia University with degrees in English and Economics. He next earned a teaching certificate and moved to Barcelona to teach English. Since 2003, he’s been teaching all over the world, usually spending winters in Berlin and summers in Barcelona.

Sunny

Sunny is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she spent seven years researching neurodegenerative diseases. Notably, she was a part of a group studying cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease which, in 2021, entered a Phase I clinical trial for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

Eddy Y.

Eddy graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and a minor in Marketing/Psychology. Eddy went on to get his teaching certification in secondary mathematics from Penn’s Graduate School of Education and currently works as a middle and high school math teacher in South Philadelphia.

Marta

Marta is an MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School. Prior to matriculating at Harvard, Marta headed to Bonn, Germany as a Fulbright scholar. There, she conducted research related to Parkinson's disease and expanded her German language skills.

Samantha F.

Samantha graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a BS in Human Biology, Health & Society and a minor in Education. After obtaining her Master in Medical Education at the University of Nottingham as a Fulbright Scholar, she is now an MD Candidate at NYU.

Mary S.

Mary is a resident physician in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and an incoming Stanford dermatology resident. She received her MD degree from Yale School of Medicine and her BS in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Yale University.

Eleanor S.

Eleanor is an MBA/Masters in Computer Science dual degree candidate at the University of Chicago/Booth School of Business. Previously, she received her Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Matthew S.

Matthew attended Emory University, where he majored in English and Creative Writing and won several student film awards. He currently works in the film industry.

Amy S.

Amy graduated with a BS in Cognitive Science from Yale University, magna cum laude. She now attends Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She hopes to develop new therapies and treatments for individuals with neurological disorders.

Sam C.

Sam graduated with a degree in Physics from Princeton University. After graduation, she taught physics at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She's currently pursuing her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Raphael

Raphael attended Yale University, where he earned a BA in Musicology and graduated cum laude. After Yale, he completed a Masters of Music in Voice and Opera at McGill University, while tutoring math privately outside of his classical training.

Iggy

Iggy majored in Mathematical Sciences at West Point. He now studies machine learning and applied mathematical techniques at MIT, working at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory to develop algorithms that predict the impact of cyber-attacks on national defense systems.

Katherine T.

Katherine graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a major in Computer Science modified with Film and Media Studies and a minor in Theater - a mouthful! Upon graduation, she accepted a role as Engineering Analyst at Accenture. 

Emily V.

Emily is a PhD candidate at Harvard University in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. Currently, she is being funded by the National Science Foundation to research conditions in which the gut microbiome may behave in a way that is adaptive to the host. Prior to graduate school, Emily graduated from Harvard College cum laude with a degree in Human Evolutionary Biology and minor in Chemistry.

Tarika

Tarika graduated with dual degrees in Philosophy and Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin. She then spent a year as a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic Biomedical Ethics Research Program in Rochester, Minnesota before moving to Boston to pursue her MD at Harvard Medical School.

Layla

Layla is an MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Writing Seminars and a minor in Islamic Studies. Her post-grad fellowship conducting ovarian cancer research at the National Center for Advancing Translational Science culminated in her choice to pursue a career in medicine.

Benazir

Benazir holds a BA in Linguistics from Harvard College, where she graduated cum laude and with honors. More recently, she was a recipient of the Alex G. Booth ’30 Travel Fellowship, which she used to study, sail, and travel around the world.

Yael

Yael earned a BA in Math and the History of Art and Architecture from Harvard College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). In her senior year of college, she began the Harvard Teacher Fellows Program, through which she earned a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Molly P.

Molly received her BA from Harvard, graduating with Highest Honors in English and Theater, Dance & Media. During her time as an undergrad, she was named a Le Baron Russell Briggs Traveling Fellow, an Artist Development Fellow, and a John Harvard Scholar, and spent a summer studying Shakespeare at the University of Cambridge in England.

Nicholas C.

Nicholas he earned bachelors’ degrees in both Computational Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Rice University. He is now pursuing his Master’s in Medical Physics at Columbia University, with which he hopes to pursue radiation therapy for treatment of cancer patients.

Romina

Romina is currently a student at Yale Law School. She graduated from Harvard College with a BA in Social Studies and African American Studies. Prior to enrolling at Yale Law, Romina worked as a public finance analyst at Barclays Capital Inc. in New York City.

Hailey Y.

Hailey attended Yale, where she majored in Neuroscience. She's currently an MD Candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Camila

Cami attended Stanford University, where she majored in Bioengineering and minored in Political Science. She’s now a student at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Anna Tw.

Anna holds an MFA in Acting from the Shakespeare Theatre Company/George Washington University and an MA in Acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Previously, she earned her BA in Creative Writing from Stanford University.

Michael T.

Michael is a current JD Candidate at Harvard Law School. He previously graduated from Brown University with BA degrees in Economics and International Relations (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa).

Lauren Q.

Lauren is pursuing her DMD at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She previously he graduated cum laude with a BS in Psychology and Neuroscience from Yale, where she also received a certificate of advanced language study in Spanish.

Jason L.

Jason is an MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School. Previously, he conducted research as a Fulbright Fellow in China, and graduated with honors from Stanford University, where he earned his BS in Human Biology.

Dana

Dana earned her bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Political Science and Economics, graduating cum laude. She continued to the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies to earn her master’s degree in International Relations and Economics, where she graduated with high distinction and served as a teaching assistant for Theories of International Relations.

Andrew St.

Andrew received a BA from Columbia University, where he graduated magna cum laude and double majored in American Studies and English. After earning his MFA in Poetry at Brooklyn College, Andrew is now an adjunct lecturer at CUNY.

Alex W.

Alex graduated from UCLA with a degree in Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology. She's currently a National Health Service Corps Scholar at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM).

Farita

Farita earned her BS in Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her MS in Biomedical Engineering at the MIT Media Lab. She is now a PhD Candidate working on the Theoretical Physics of Living Systems at the MIT Media Lab.

Siva

A first-generation US college student, Siva studied Mathematics and Molecular/Cellular Biology at Harvard College, graduating in three years with highest honors in field and Phi Beta Kappa distinction. He is now a MD candidate at Harvard Medical School.

Alexandra K.

Alexandra graduated from Caltech with a BS in Physics in 2022, where she worked with four diverse research groups in four years. Alexandra is now a PhD student and NSF GRFP Fellow at the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science.

Ritvik

Ritvik graduated with a BSE from the University of Michigan, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. He has been accepted to and will be attending either Johns Hopkins School of Medicine or Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Olivia M.

Olivia is a 2016 graduate of Harvard University (cum laude) in English and Mind/Brain/Behavior. She also holds a Master of Studies in English (1900-present) from St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford (2017). Olivia works as both a professional tutor and theatre director in the UK.

Tim Z.

Tim is a PhD Candidate in Physics at MIT. He studied Mathematics, Physics, and Economics at Vanderbilt University, where he received the Underwood Award for the most promising senior in physics, earned highest honors for his thesis, and graduated cum laude.

James Pa.

James graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University, majoring in Biology and minoring in Portuguese. He is now pursuing his MD at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Jack Mc.

Jack earned his BA in Theatre and Performance Studies (cum laude) at Yale University, where he also pursued extensive coursework in humanities departments like English and History. After Yale, Jack earned his MA in Theatre at The Ohio State University with a focus on dramatic literature, history, and theory.

Yurigrace

Yuri-Grace is presently a Clinical Science PhD Candidate & NSF GRFP fellow at Harvard University. Originally from Peachtree City, GA, she graduated from Harvard College in 2021 with a BA in Psychology (highest honors) and a secondary in Classics.

Sam H.

Sam graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature. She has professional experience working as a paralegal and a classroom English teacher. She is now pursuing her JD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rob F.

Rob holds an MFA in Fiction from New York University. Previously, he worked for Bain & Company and graduated from Stanford with a major in Political Science. He currently writes poetry, fiction, and art criticism.

Julia A.

Julia holds an MEng and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. There, she served as a TA for Fluid Dynamics, Mechanical Design, Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, and Engineering Ethics. Currently, Julia is employed at an engineering consulting firm specializing in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Sanjana K.

Sanjana graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan with a major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and minors in Music and the Sociology of Health & Medicine. She is now pursuing her MD at the University of Michigan.

Jinoh

Jinoh attended Columbia University, where he graduated with a Neuroscience and Behavior major with a 3.8 GPA and departmental honors. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Neurobiology at Harvard.

Alice H.

Alice holds a BA in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Communication Design from Northumbria University (Fulbright Scholar). She will next attend the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she will obtain her Master's in Design Studies.

Alexa Z.

Alexa graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies and a secondary degree in Psychology. She earned high departmental honors in Social Studies, and her thesis on political myths, critical theory, and female social mobility received magna distinction.

Nathan M.

Nathan graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a BS and MS in Molecular and Cellular Biology and minors in Bioethics and Music. Selected for a 2023 Marshall Scholarship, he will be studying for a DPhil in Paediatrics at Oxford through 2026 (researching tuberculosis diagnostics), after which he will attend Harvard Medical School to pursue his MD.

Arielle S.

Arielle majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale. She received the Class of 1971 Summer Science Research Fellowship, Dean’s Research Fellowship in the Sciences (twice), and Mellon Senior Research Grant for her research in the transfusion biology and immunology. She is now an MD candidate at the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis.

Caroline Be.

Caroline attended Yale College where she majored in History of Science and Medicine. She graduated with Latin Honors, Distinction in her major, and a 3.92 GPA. She was awarded the Heinrich von Staden Cup for her contribution to the social and intellectual conscience of the college.

Duncan H.

Duncan attended college at the Georgia Institute of Technology, graduating with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, magna cum laude. Driven by his passion for space, he is now working on a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering through Georgia Tech.

Julia H.

Julia double majored in Global Studies and Spanish Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her thesis on microfinance loans earned her Honors in Global Studies, and she graduated magna cum laude and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Nate O.

Nate attended Harvard College before completing a five-year Fellowship appointment in the Harvard Department of Philosophy, where he developed a research-backed method of teaching logical reasoning skills to high school and college students.

Diane J.

Diane studied history at Yale College, focusing on the acceptance of western medicine in East Asia. After working at a boutique consulting firm in New York, she went on to earn her MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Jack S.

Jack graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Government. He completed coursework for an MPhil in Political and Economic Sociology at the University of Cambridge, which he attended as the Lionel de Jersey Harvard Scholar. Jack is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School.

Anupam

Anupam graduated at the top of his law school at King’s College London with First Class Honors. Since graduating from King’s, he has worked as a Growth Lead in the tech, finance, and film industries. He is now beginning an MPhil in Economics at the University of Cambridge.

Claire H.

Claire holds a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Bowdoin College. After working in a pediatric oncology research lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, she is now pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Science at the University of California San Francisco.

Alex H.

Alex is currently pursuing a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at MIT. She previously earned her BS in Chemistry at CalTech, where she was recognized with the Merck Index Award.

Michael Ki.

Michael is a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience and Genomics at Harvard University. His current focus is on developing cutting-edge research technologies for fellow scientists.

Jesse

Jesse holds a BA in History from Columbia, where he was a Navab Fellow, Solomon & Seymour Fisher Civil Liberties Fellow, and Benjamin F. and Bernice Block Scholar. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Theatre Acting at Columbia.

Torrin

Torrin triple majored at Oberlin College in Music Composition, Horn Performance, and Mathematics. He holds a Master's from the Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing an additional Master's degree from the Yale School of Music.

Tom S.

Tom earned master’s degrees in economics and statistics from the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford. Previously, he completed four undergraduate degrees in mathematics, economics, statistics, and philosophy at Indiana University.

Hyaewon

Hyae Won graduated from University of Washington with a double degree in Bioengineering and Biochemistry. She's currently pursuing her MD at Harvard Medical School.

Erica S.

Erica attended Stanford University, where she majored in International Relations and double minored in Economics and Modern Languages (French and Arabic). As a Marshall Scholar, she completed an MA in Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS University of London and an MA in Conflict Resolution at King’s College London.

Aarthi

Aarthi attended Yale University, graduating magna cum laude with a BS and MS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She is currently pursuing her MD in the joint Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program.

Ryan Ro.

Ryan graduated with a BS in Mathematics from MIT. He is now pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Chicago.

Nick Ma.

Nick graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a perfect 4.0 GPA from Harvard College. After graduating from Harvard, he attended Tsinghua University as a Schwarzman Scholar, earning a Master’s in Global Affairs. Now, he is a student at the University of Oxford, reading for a Master’s in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Jackson C.

Jack studied Physics and Philosophy at Yale, graduating with distinction in the major, magna cum laude, and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He now works in a photonics lab in New York City.

Taylor Y.

Taylor is an MD Candidate at Duke University School of Medicine. Previously, she majored in Chemistry with a Neuroscience focus at Bowdoin College.

Chris C.

Christopher is pursuing a Master's in Urban Planning at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD). Previously, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. He completed his MS in Engineering in Data Science at Penn as well.

Beth G.

Beth earned her BA in Human Biology and MA in Education from Stanford University. She is now in the PhD program in Animal Biology at UC Davis, where she studies the proteins involved in sperm-egg fusion.

Alyssa K.

Alyssa is an MD-PhD student at Yale School of Medicine. Previously, she earned a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard College.

Elia

Elia graduated from the University of Chicago with a BS in Mathematics and was awarded the Paul R. Cohen prize for achieving the one of the highest academic records in the field of mathematics in his class. Currently, he is completing a PhD in Mathematics at MIT.

Mary M.

Mary accepted a full-ride scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in Biology and Spanish. She is currently pursuing her MD at Harvard Medical School, where she is learning about the expansion of global surgery.

Marc

Marc is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the University of Chicago. Previously, he earned his MA in South Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania on a full merit scholarship and his BA in Philosophy at Kalamazoo College.

Clara E.

Clara holds BS and MA in Computer Science from Stanford University, specializing in Artificial Intelligence.

Lekhya

Lekhya imajored in Human Physiology at Boston University, where she graduated summa cum laude within three years, and was a member of the Sargent Honor Society. She is currently a first year medical student at Columbia Medical School.

Lake

Lake graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kansas with a degree in Ecology. After graduating from the Yale School of Medicine, he matched into an Emergency Medicine Residency in Denver, Colorado.

Caleb Hh.

Caleb graduated from Harvard College in with a joint concentration in Physics and Mathematics, for which he received high honors. He plans to begin pursuing a PhD in Experimental Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics in 2024, with a focus on laser cooling and optical trapping.

Hattie

Hawthorne graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021, where she majored in English and Political Science. She next received her Master’s from Cambridge University in Politics and International Studies.

Kaiz

Kaiz graduated from Williams College, where he pursued a dual major in biology and psychology. He is currently pursuing his MD at Harvard Medical School.

Juliet B.

Juliet is a PhD candidate in Biology at MIT. She also holds a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

Aaron A.

Aaron attend Harvard for undergrad, where he studied biology and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After Harvard, Aaron moved from one Cambridge to another, studying for a Master's in the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge as a Harvard-Cambridge Fellow.

Katie P.

Katie is an MPhil Candidate in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge. Previously, she graduated from Arizona State University, where she earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, a BA in Global Health, and a minor in sustainability.

Michelle W.

Michelle graduated with high honors from Princeton University, majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Global Health & Health Policy and Neuroscience. Currently, she is working as an associate consultant at Trinity Life Sciences.

Kavya

Kavya graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College with a joint degree in Chemical & Physical Biology and Statistics. Currently, he is studying computational biology at the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar.

Reyanna

Reyanna holds a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Yale and an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS University of London.

Adam T.

Adam holds a BA in Physics from Washington University in St. Louis (2013) and PhD in Physics from MIT (2024). He has worked as an engineer and data scientist.

Ben S.

Ben pursued a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and a Doctorate in Dental Surgery at the University of Michigan in a Dentist-Scientist Training Program (DSTP) supported by a fellowship from the federal government. He’s now pursuing a clinical residency in periodontal surgery at Harvard University.

Sonya G.

Sonya holds a BA in Biological Sciences and a BA in Russian from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She's currently pursuing her MA in Regional Studies at Harvard, and she'll begin her MD at Stanford next year.

Shreyas

Shreyas is currently pursuing his MSc in Comparative Social Policy at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2023, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University with a BS in Statistics, a BA in Public Policy and a minor in chemistry.

Henry L.

Henry is an MPhil Candidate in Latin American Studies at the University of Oxford. Previously, he earned his BA in Spanish and History at Yale.

Richard T.

Richard attended the University of California, San Diego where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science with a minor in Mathematics. Last year, he moved across the country to New York, where he is now a data scientist at BNY Mellon.

Harry D.

Harry graduated from the University of Richmond as the valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA (Phi Beta Kappa) and four first-authored publications. Finding medical research inescapable, he is getting a combined MD/PhD degree at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, desiring to pursue orthopedics surgery with research in targeted drug delivery.

Rebecca L.

Rebecca is in the highly selective joint 5-year BS/MPH program at Yale University with a BS in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) and an MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). She graduated from Yale College summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Neetij

Neetij graduated from St. Olaf College with a major in Biology and a minor in Biochemistry. He developed a love of research as an NIH IRTA fellow and as a scholar within the Fulbright US Student program, and he is now pursuing an MD at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Meet everyone

Testimonials

“Marisa was super understanding and fun! She was very encouraging and kept me on task throughout our sessions. Marisa grouped together types of problems to make them more easily recognizable on the actual test. My score jumped from a 29 to a 34.”

BrookeOfficial score: 34. Improved by 6 points.

“My son received an excellent score of 35 on the ACT, and I give Jimmy all the credit for getting him to study!”

Rebecca, parentOfficial score: 35.

“Lucas was highly knowledgeable and had a very friendly demeanor. My daughter looked forward to every session and was thrilled with her improved scores. ”

Natesh, parentACT

FAQs

  • What is the difference between the ACT and SAT?

    Although the SAT and ACT are very similar, there are some significant differences. The biggest difference is that the ACT has a separate science section, which focuses on your ability to interpret scientific data, not memorize it.  The ACT's writing section is optional, while the SAT has no optional sections. On the ACT, math accounts for one-fourth of your total score, whereas on the SAT, math comprises half your total score. And, while the SAT focuses more on applying acquired knowledge to unknown situations and problems (aptitude), the ACT is more focused on testing the knowledge a student has acquired over the course of their schooling (ability). The best way to decide which test is right for your child is to have them sit for a diagnostic of both exams. If one test feels far more intuitive, or the end score is far higher, that is the one the student should study for and ultimately, take. Most colleges will accept the SAT or ACT interchangeably.

  • Are ACT scores that important?

    The ACT is just one part of your child's entire college application. It’s considered alongside their GPA, academic transcript, personal essays, letters of recommendation, and interview. That said, the way schools weigh ACT scores varies. Be sure to check each school’s website to see details about how they consider the ACT. 

  • What does it mean when a school is "test optional"?

    "Test optional" schools do not require the ACT or the SAT for admission. Many schools have gone test-optional temporarily or permanently in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if your child submits their scores to a test-optional school, the institution will consider them as part of the whole application. Some schools also require the ACT or the SAT for certain programs and merit-based scholarships. Be sure to check each school's website for more details.
  • When should my child start prepping for the ACT?

    Students will typically take the ACT in the fall or spring of their junior year, with another sitting in the fall of their senior year if needed. While prep can begin as early as possible, starting in the summer before 11th grade is ideal for most students, so they have ample time to achieve score goals without the distractions of exams, extracurriculars, and applying to colleges.

  • How does ACT scoring work?

    Each of the four components (English, Reading, Math, and Science) is scored on a point system from 1-36, and the composite score is the average of these sections. If your child sits for the test multiple times, colleges might look at the most recent composite score, their single highest score, or a "superscore"--that is, the average of their highest English, Reading, Math, and Science scores, regardless of the test dates. Be sure to check each college's website to find out what version of the ACT score is considered. 

  • How long is the ACT?

    The test clocks in at 2 hours and 55 minutes; if you choose to complete the optional 40–minute writing test, the total testing time is 3 hours, 35 minutes.

  • How has COVID-19 impacted the ACT?

    For COVID updates and the ACT, follow this link.

Plans

We’ve created a structured yet flexible pricing plan that offers everything you need to succeed on test day.

Choose a Tutor Tier

Hourly Rate

1 Hour

All of our tutoring is available on an hourly basis. If you're not sure how much tutoring you'll need or when you plan to test, you can enroll in our "pay as you go" option.

$ 140

$ 180

$ 260

$ 340

First Time Package

4.5 Hours

The three session package is a good way to get a student's feet wet, evaluate the amount of tutoring they’ll ultimately need, and see if they feel comfortable with a tutor. Most students use this package to gauge their preliminary strengths and weaknesses so that the tutor can chart a longer term plan.

$ 630

$ 810

$ 1170

$ 1530

Comprehensive Package

24 Hours 5% OFF

Our preferred approach to the ACT provides complete coverage of the exam in detail. Along with learning test strategy and practicing time management, students complete a thorough and customized syllabus of practice exams, drills, and homework assignments.

$ 3192 You save $168

$ 4104 You save $216

$ 5928 You save $312

$ 7752 You save $408

Planning Ahead Package

30 Hours 10% OFF

Because the ACT heavily rewards repetition and coverage, we offer this package to students who would prefer to space their preparation out over a longer duration. Some students find this package useful if they need to spend more time preparing for particular sections of the test or getting acclimated to the pressures of standardized testing.

$ 3780 You save $420

$ 4860 You save $540

$ 7020 You save $780

$ 9180 You save $1020

Tutor Tiers

We have 4 tiers of coaches. The coach’s tier is based on the experience level of the coach with our team. All coaches begin working with Cambridge Coaching at the Standard tier.

  • Standard

    0-150 hours
    $140/hour

  • Senior

    150-200 hours
    $180/hour

  • Guru

    250-300 hours
    $260/hour

  • Master

    350+- hours
    $340/hour

Ready to tackle standardized testing?

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