Online SAT tutoring at Caddell Prep is 1-on-1 instruction with a tutor, in packages from 12 to 48 hours. Sessions are scheduled around the student rather than around a class calendar, which for most families is the reason to choose tutoring in the first place.
Packages are not section-specific. A student can use the hours for math, for reading and writing, or for both, and change the split as his diagnostic results change.
Table of Contents
What an Online Tutoring Session Looks Like
The tutor and the student are both looking at the same problem on a shared whiteboard, and both can write on it. The tutor works through the question with the student rather than talking at him.
We use a platform built for tutoring, not a video call with a whiteboard app open next to it. That difference is bigger than it sounds. On a general video platform the tutor is talking at a face while the student works on paper the tutor can’t see. On ours, the work happens in the same place for both people.
Everything written during a session is saved into the student’s PDFs afterward. A student going back over a problem sees the tutor’s actual work from that session, not a clean copy of it.
Homework is assigned through the platform with instant feedback, so a student knows immediately whether he got a question right rather than waiting until the next session to find out.
Why Online Tutoring Works as Well as In Person
Most parents assume online is a downgrade. For SAT tutoring specifically, it mostly isn’t.
SAT work is problems on a page. Two people looking at the same problem on a shared screen, both able to write on it, is the same activity as sitting at a table with a pencil. Nothing about the subject requires being in the room.
There is one real difference, and it’s worth naming.
In a room, a tutor can see when a student’s attention has gone. Online he can’t see whether there’s a game or another assignment open in a second window. That’s the actual risk of online tutoring, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
What we do about it is keep students working rather than listening. The student explains his reasoning out loud, works problems on the shared whiteboard while the tutor watches, and answers questions throughout the session. A student who is playing a game can’t do those things, so it surfaces within a few minutes.
Cameras are available for both the tutor and the student. We don’t require students to turn theirs on, but sessions do work better with the camera on, and a parent is welcome to ask for that.
Scheduling Around a Full Week
This is the reason most families choose online tutoring over an online class.
A class meets at set times whether it’s online or in a room. Tutoring doesn’t. Take away the travel on both ends as well, and a session can happen at 7am before school or at 9pm after practice.
That matters because of how a junior’s week actually looks. A student with sports, music, a job, or a full AP schedule often has one free hour, and it isn’t the same hour every week. A round trip to an office turns that hour into two and a half. Online tutoring can follow the schedule instead of asking the schedule to follow it.
It also means a missed week doesn’t have to become a missed month. Rescheduling a session is a matter of finding another hour, not rearranging a family’s driving.
Who Does the Tutoring
Every tutor at Caddell Prep is trained by Glyn Caddell on the curriculum he built.
He went through every practice test the College Board has released, categorized every question into 32 specific topics, measured how often each one appears, and wrote the lessons in that order. He also wrote Digital SAT Math Secrets, which our students use for practice between sessions.
That means the method is the same whichever tutor a student works with. Same training, same categorization, same approach to a question.
Where Students Tutor From
Anywhere with an internet connection.
Tutoring is the easiest thing we offer to buy from outside New York. There’s no cohort to fill and no class calendar to match, so a family anywhere can start next week.
One honest limit. Sessions are scheduled around the student, but our tutors keep Eastern-time hours. A family on the West Coast can absolutely work with us, and does, but the available window is narrower than it is for a family in New York.
Is Online Tutoring Right for Your Student?
Two things have to be true.
Tutoring is the right format for a student who needs specific topics rather than full coverage of the test. A student who is behind across the board normally gets more from a class, at a lower cost per hour.
Online is the right delivery for a student who will stay in a one-on-one video session. That’s a lower bar than a three-hour class, since a tutor is talking directly to one student and there’s nowhere to hide, but it isn’t zero.
Start With a Free Diagnostic SAT
A free diagnostic SAT gives a student an accurate score based on College Board scoring, plus a ranked list of which of the 32 topics are costing him the most points.
That list is what the sessions get built around. Without it, the first few paid hours go to finding out what could have been known beforehand.
The diagnostic is taken online, so it works the same wherever a family is.
Tutoring for Math or Reading and Writing
Sessions can cover either section or both, and the diagnostic decides the split.
Students focused on one section can read more about SAT math tutoring or SAT reading and writing tutoring.
Tutoring Packages and Pricing
Packages run from 12 to 48 hours, with three-installment payment plans available. Online and in-person tutoring are the same price.
See SAT tutoring packages and pricing for the full table and for guidance on how many hours a given score improvement normally takes.
Call (917) 722-0677 to get more information or to get started.
Prefer to Meet in Person?
n-person tutoring is available at our Oakwood office on Staten Island, with the same packages at the same price.
Other Ways to Prepare Online
Our online SAT prep class is live instruction on a set schedule, capped at eight students, for a student who needs the structure and a lower cost per hour.
Our on-demand SAT course is self-paced, covers all 32 topics, and is the least expensive option. It works for a student who will do the work without anyone expecting him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does a student need?
A computer or tablet with a browser and an internet connection, plus a microphone. Most laptops have everything built in.
Does a student have to turn his camera on?
No. It isn’t required. Sessions do work better with the camera on, and we’d recommend it, but a student who prefers not to can still work with a tutor.
Can a student use a tablet instead of a computer?
Yes. A tablet with a stylus is actually good for the whiteboard work, since writing by hand is closer to how a student will work on test day.
Can a student get the notes after a session?
Yes. Everything written on the whiteboard during a session is saved into the student’s PDFs.
What happens if the internet drops during a session?
Reconnect and pick up where you left off. If a connection problem costs meaningful time, the tutor will make it up rather than counting it against the package.
How far in advance do sessions need to be booked?
One day. If something comes up and you need a session sooner than that, call the office and we’ll try to fit it in the same day.
Can sessions be rescheduled?
Yes. Sessions can be rescheduled, and a session needs to be cancelled at least two hours in advance.
Two hours is a short window on purpose. A student who gets sick on a Wednesday afternoon shouldn’t lose an hour he paid for.
Ready to start? Call (917) 722-0677 or take a free diagnostic SAT first.