Most students see improvements of 100-200 points with focused, personalized instruction—and some improve even more depending on their starting score and dedication. The key is identifying your specific weak areas, whether that's reading comprehension, grammar, or math problem-solving, and targeting those systematically. Varsity Tutors matches you with tutors who specialize in SAT prep and can create a customized plan based on your baseline score and goals.

Most students benefit from starting SAT prep in the spring of junior year, giving you time to take the test multiple times if needed before senior year college applications. If you're already a senior, starting prep immediately is important—even 6-8 weeks of focused tutoring can yield meaningful score improvements. Varsity Tutors can assess your current level and help you create a timeline that works with your college application deadlines.

The Reading section gives you 65 minutes for 52 questions, which means pacing is critical. Many students struggle with spending too much time on difficult passages; the strategy is to read actively, answer questions in order of difficulty, and skip challenging questions to return to later. Tutors can teach you evidence-based reading techniques and help you practice with timed drills to build speed without sacrificing accuracy.

Multi-step problems require you to break down what's being asked, identify which information you need, and work through calculations carefully. A common mistake is rushing through the setup; taking 10 extra seconds to organize your approach often saves time overall. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can teach you systematic problem-solving strategies and help you practice with real SAT questions so you build confidence on test day.

Both tests are equally accepted by colleges, but the SAT tends to be slightly more common in New Mexico. The best choice depends on your strengths: the SAT emphasizes reading comprehension and data analysis, while the ACT includes a science section and has a faster pace. Many students benefit from taking a diagnostic test in each format to see which aligns better with their skills, and tutors can help you make that decision based on your performance.

Most students take the SAT 2-3 times to reach their target score, and colleges don't penalize multiple attempts—they typically only see the scores you submit. Taking it twice gives you time to identify weak areas and improve; taking it more than three times rarely yields significant gains unless you've had targeted tutoring between attempts. Varsity Tutors recommends taking a diagnostic test first, then deciding on your timeline based on how close you are to your goal score.

SAT vocabulary appears in context, so memorizing word lists is less effective than learning how words function in passages. The best approach is reading challenging material regularly and practicing with real SAT passages to see how vocabulary is tested. Tutors can teach you strategies for inferring meaning from context and help you build a working vocabulary specific to SAT-style passages, which is more practical than traditional flashcard methods.