Frequently Asked Questions
General
What age range do you provide tutoring services for?
We provide tutoring for students from fourth grade through college. Our academic or single-subject tutoring is catered to all levels, beginner through AP. Our standardized test prep includes private school entrance exams like the ISEE, college entrance exams such as ACT, SAT, and Advanced Placement, as well as the GRE, GMAT, TEAS, and MCAT graduate school exams.
Where do sessions take place?
We have two options for how our students can request sessions: in-person in our office, or virtual. A majority of our sessions take place at our office located in Sorrento Valley, with students meeting tutors in-person. We also offer virtual tutoring for students who would prefer to meet online for every session or even for would like to do so when it’s convenient for them, in conjunction with in-person sessions in our office.
When is the best time to start tutoring?
If you’re considering seeking help for an academic subject, as soon as you start struggling. The main concern with academic subjects is that usually students leave too much time between when they start to struggle in a class and when they reach out for a second person’s help.
For test prep students, you want to consider when you plan to take the test as well as what upcoming commitments you have. One big piece of the test prep process is figuring out where you’re starting so that you have a better idea of how much work may be required to get to your goal score. Because of this, starting tutoring early gives you more runway to leave space for your other commitments, while maintaining your ideal timeline. For example, if you are planning to apply to colleges Early Action, the last possible date you can take the ACT will be in October. You can then use that timeline to determine that you want to take a baseline by April, tutor through the summer and into fall, and sign up for the September and October test dates. Don’t worry - we can also give you more specific advice in regard to when you should start tutoring based on your individual timeline.
My child has a learning disability. Will this affect their tutoring?
We provide guidance to all of our tutors on how to work with students with learning disabilities: getting students involved in their own learning process, pinning down what they specifically struggle with, and adapting their teaching style to accommodate. During academic tutoring, this includes strong oversight of assignment due dates, as well as deep dives into alternate ways to approach and think about the topics they continue to struggle with. During test prep, this includes iterating our approaches and general content focus to match the needs of each student. Additionally, you may also qualify for test accommodations through ACT, SAT, and GRE if you have support for the learning disability through your school.
With what rigor do you vet your tutors?
Each of our tutors has undergone a comprehensive background and reference check. We don’t take chances when it comes to putting our employees with students!
Our tutors have received or are pursuing Bachelor’s degrees at selective colleges and universities. They have gone on to pursue graduate or doctoral degrees, careers in medicine, and complete research in their field. Additionally, every tutor is required to take a full-length ACT and score in the 99th percentile to prove ability on the standardized exams. Academic tutors are required to take a full-length SAT Subject Test in their subjects of expertise.
How do you keep parents involved in the tutoring process?
We send short summaries to you after each tutoring session to keep you informed of your child’s progress in-session and overall. Additionally, you can request updates at any time directly from your child’s tutor for more insight into their specific progress.
Test Prep
What is the purpose of taking a diagnostic test through Mo Prep?
The main purpose of taking a diagnostic test in general is that a baseline score tells us how close or far you are from your goal score. The added benefit of taking a diagnostic test through Mo Prep is that we have added insights into each question of our diagnostic tests to give us feedback on exactly what type of content and strategy use you may be missing based on your results. Each question is coded (e.g. Clause, Trigonometry) so that we have empirical information on exactly what you answered wrong and right to give more specific guidance on what you need to focus on during prep.
If you are an ACT or SAT student unsure which test you want to take, taking a diagnostic test for both exams will allow us to compare the results on each test to determine which you may be better suited for.
For GRE and GMAT students, your baseline score will also give us an idea of which category you are scoring in during the adaptive online exam.
What is the complimentary Consult?
We offer a complimentary Consult to all of our test prep students. We use the Consult as a meeting time to discuss the results of your baseline exam, determine timeline, and create a tutoring plan that matches the focus areas you need to work on. We get direct insight into the academic background of the student to give more informed guidance and provide information on the tests, colleges, and prep process as a whole. During the Consult you are also matched with a tutor based on your specific needs, schedule, and personality.
Is it necessary that I have a Consult before starting prep?
The short answer: not at all! If you feel comfortable with which test to move forward with and would prefer to start right away, we can match you with a tutor without having a consult.
How many hours of tutoring will my child need?
This is best discussed in the Consult, or once we have a baseline score and a goal score. How many total hours of tutoring each student completes is highly individual and based primarily on where you are starting, where you want to be, and how quickly you are able to incorporate new information.
What does the typical tutoring schedule look like?
Most students meet with their tutor 1-2 times per week for 1 or 1.5-hour sessions. Which exact times you choose to meet depend on matching your schedule with one of our tutors. That being said, we can accommodate most reasonable requests. Most students choose a recurring meeting time (e.g. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm) and keep that reserved timeslot throughout the length of their tutoring.
Academic
How do you structure your academic sessions?
Our single-subject tutoring sessions are based entirely on what your student needs, though there are two typical tracks that academic students take. Some students are already behind in their class and need to catch up. For those students, tutors will work with you through any remaining questions you may have from past units or assignments along with helping you maintain your current due dates and content by using your syllabus and course material as a guide. For students looking for a challenge to get ahead, our tutors will dive deeper into the topics you are currently working on to challenge your knowledge application, as well as work in advanced supplementary books from trusted sources to bring your knowledge beyond what your current class is offering.
Do we have to commit to a certain number of sessions?
Absolutely not! Everyone learns at their own pace. Particularly for academic classes, sometimes you may have very specific topics you need to work through before being able to continue successfully on your own. We aim to provide students with the tools they need, so they don’t need us in the future! For some, that means working through course material with your tutor weekly so that you don’t fall behind; for others, that means booking the occasional tutoring session when the material gets more complicated than you can handle on your own.