ACT Q & A
Student Perspective
Q: What was your experience during the consultation process, before your first tutoring session?
A: When we first had our orientation/introduction to the program with Dana, I immediately knew we had chosen the right place. Dana was so responsive to our concerns and it was evident that she wanted to match us with the proper tutor to achieve our desired score of 32. She broke down our past scores in depth in order to decipher what subjects and topics we were lacking in and how our past study habits had possibly led to those scores. It was more than just an introduction, it was a comprehensive overview of who we were as students, which was very impressive. Furthermore, they did not just pair us with any random tutor. During this process, Dana tried to match us with someone that can relate to us in regards to our learning style, personality, and future goals in order to ensure that the experience could be one that we not only learn through but enjoy every week as well. I can not say enough about how amazing Dana was throughout this process and her thorough evaluation of us as students made me feel even more confident that we were on the right track towards improving our score.
Q: How was your experience with your tutor?
A: Based on our goals to go into the medical field and type of students we were, Dana decided that the best tutor for our needs was Osama, and from the very first session, I could not have agreed more! Based on our past scores, it was evident that we had lots of room to improve in all areas, and while some tutors specialize in only a few subject areas, I can say with the utmost confidence that Osama was great in all of them! We had a total of 13 lessons with him and throughout all of them, we saw a drastic improvement in not only our scores but our overall understanding of the content in general. Not only did he pass on some of his own testing strategies from his experience with SAT/ACT and the MCAT, as he was looking to go into the medical field just as we hope to do, but he also taught us skills that can be applied not only to the test but to future subjects as well.
From the very first lesson, it was clear that he saw the test differently then we did, with more awareness of the important details and the ability to condense the information to make such a daunting test seem simple. For example, in the science section, he taught us how to more quickly comprehend the data in the charts and therefore allow us to focus on the major details instead of being overwhelmed by insignificant ones. On the reading, he showed us how to approach the questions more directly in order to limit the amount of distracting details and allow for the answer to become more clear. All of which aided in our comprehension of the section and speed by which we completed it. Even regarding math, no matter what question we asked he always had an answer for us with a detailed, yet comprehensible explanation to go with it, making everything permanent and not simply useless skills that I memorize and possibly forget in the next lesson.
All of his help led us to boost our average score well above our desired goal of 32 to around 34 after taking entire practice tests. A 7 point jump for me and 4 point jump for my brother! Never did I think I could achieve those scores consistently, yet with Osama's amazing tutoring and support to push us to the next level, I should have never doubted it!
Q: Did COVID-19 impact your tutoring sessions with Mo Prep?
A: We had our lessons during the bulk of the Covid-19 lock down and even that didn't stop Mo Prep from ensuring that we would be prepared for the test. Osama was always so flexible regarding the scheduling of the sessions as both my brother and I work, so at any time, we could simply text him to change the session date with no difficulties. Also, Mo Prep would drop off practice books occasionally and practice tests for us to complete, allowing for us to gain even more practice without even having to leave our house!
Parent Perspective
Q: How did you navigate ACT changes and cancellations due to COVID-19?
A: The best way to navigate the ACT changes was to ask Mo Prep. They were able to get the most accurate and updated information. It was difficult to get anyone from ACT to answer the phone or emails without going into circles with no clear answers. As a parent, I relied on Mo Prep for upcoming dates for ACT sites, what ruling the courts had for accepting test scores, and just any questions I had - they helped our family maneuver through this confusing time.
Q: What has been the most beneficial part of tutoring for either yourself or your kids?
A: The boys are very academic and organized, but having Mo Prep teach them testing techniques, strategies, and overall time management skills made a huge difference in the way they took their test as well as the confidence level they had going into their test. Osama gave them so much experience and insight on how to test. In addition, he is also applying for Medical School and sharing the same interest as the boys made their relationship so valuable.
Q: Were there any surprises on test day?
A: On test day they were surprised that it wasn't canceled for the 5th time. The clock was so small/far away and I was so grateful Mo Prep let them borrow the ACT watch to practice at home/use on the actual test day. Without the stop watch, the boys would have had a difficult time monitoring the amount of time they had left in each section.
Q: Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share about your ACT/test prep experience as a whole?
A: Mo Prep has been one of the best decisions we have made to correlate test scores to their academic level. They are student advocates; so attentive, thorough, and overall a company that wants to help students achieve the best scores for the highest opportunity in college admissions. Our family is very grateful for all the help Mo Prep has given us through this ACT journey.
