Results
The numbers, and how I count them.
Since no ethical tutor can promise a score, here is exactly what my students have done, counted the honest way: official scores and practice scores reported separately, every student included, and the counting rules written down.
Average official score gain, SAT scale* (about +7 on the ACT), every student who has sat an official test; median +250
OfficialAverage practice-test gain, SAT scale* (about +7 on the ACT), median +260
PracticeLargest official gain on the SAT scale: a 1220 practice SAT to a 34 on the ACT, in eleven sessions
Officialof my students who have sat an official test have beaten their baseline
Official*SAT and ACT students are averaged together by converting ACT scores to the SAT scale with the official ACT/College Board concordance (an ACT 31 counts as 1400 and a 34 as 1500). Counted: every student who has sat an official test since starting with me. Nobody is left out.
For scale: the College Board's own study of students who practiced about 20 hours on Khan Academy found an average gain of 115 points, and independent research on commercial test prep usually finds gains well under 100. My students have gained about 225 on the real test on average (the median student, 250), and practice scores climb further and faster than that.
Official scores
Tests administered by the College Board or ACT. Baseline is the most recent score the student had when we started, official or a full-length practice test. Best official is superscored where a student sat more than once, which is how colleges read it.
| Test | Baseline | Best official | Gain | SAT scale* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT → ACT | 1220 | ACT 34 | +9 ACT | 1220 to 1500 (+280) | Eleven sessions, winter to spring 2024, in person in New Jersey. Baseline was a practice SAT (about an ACT 25); the 34 is her superscore across the February and April 2024 sittings (English 35, Reading 34, Math 34, Science 32). |
| SAT | 1010 | 1230 | +220 | +220 | Baseline was his official March 2025 SAT. Fifteen sessions over one summer; official sittings in September and October 2025. |
| SAT | ~1000 | 1250 | +250 | +250 | Math 670. Four official sittings from October 2023 to August 2024, each one higher than the last. Baseline is approximate (recorded by the program office, not by me). |
| SAT | 1190 | 1330 | +140 | +140 | Reading & Writing 670 to 760. Thirteen sessions, fall 2025. |
| PSAT → ACT | 1140 | ACT 31 | +260 | 1140 to 1400 (+260) | Baseline was a practice PSAT in October 2024; her official PSAT a few weeks later was 1290, and her first ACT, in 2025, a 31. |
| SAT (paper) | 900 | 1080 | +180 | +180 | Fall 2023, SAT prep alongside Algebra II. Baseline was his PSAT (500 reading, 400 math). |
| SAT | 860 | 1120 | +260 | +260 | Baseline was his October 2024 PSAT (400 reading, 460 math). Best superscore across five sittings in 2024 and 2025: 550 reading, 570 math. |
SAT scale: average +227, median +250. Every student beat their baseline.
Practice scores
Full-length official practice forms, first attempt only. Any test a student had seen before is thrown out, even when the number was flattering. Practice scores run higher than official scores for most students, which is exactly why I report them separately.
| Test | Baseline | Best practice | Gain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Current | 980 | 1270 | +290 | Fall 2026. First official sittings in December. |
| SAT Current | 1190 | 1360 | +170 | Fall 2026, after eight weeks. PSAT in October, SAT in the spring. |
| PSAT / SAT | 1140 | 1450 | +310 | 2024 to 2025. Math 530 to 760. |
| PSAT (9th grade) | 900 | 1170 | +270 | 2025 to 2026, from an official PSAT 8/9 baseline. Online from Dubai. |
| SAT | ~1000 | 1260 | +260 | 2023 to 2024. Official best 1160. |
| SAT → ACT | 1220 | ACT 31 | +180 | SAT scale, 1220 to 1400. Official best was higher than practice: 34. |
| SAT | 1010 | 1170 | +160 | Summer 2025. Official best 1230, again higher than practice. |
| SAT | 1190 | 1230 | +40 | Fall 2025. Official best was higher than practice: 1330. |
| SAT | 860 | 1300 | +440 | Spring 2025, from an official PSAT baseline. Official best 1120. |
SAT scale: average +235, median +260. Counted: every student with a baseline and at least one later full-length practice test.
What this means for your student
Two patterns show up in every row. First, the number moves: every student improved on the real test and on practice tests, and the four students who started below 1050 gained between 180 and 260 points on the real test. Second, practice scores usually run ahead of official scores, sometimes by a lot. That gap is test-day nerves, pacing, and sleep, and it's why the program includes proctored practice tests under real conditions, a test-day routine, and a debrief after every score instead of just lessons. The goal isn't a great practice score; it's the score report.
Other outcomes
Students I've worked with have gone on to Rutgers, Bucknell (early decision), the University of Tampa, and the Bronx High School of Science (by SHSAT). One student hit her goal score in six sessions and graduated from tutoring early, which is my favorite way to lose a client.
How I count
Official means a test administered by the College Board, ACT, or the New York City Department of Education. Practice means a full-length official practice form taken under time, on the first attempt; I exclude any repeated test. Baseline is the most recent score the student had when we started, an official PSAT or SAT or a full-length practice test. Best official is superscored where a student sat more than once. Gain is best score minus baseline. SAT scale means ACT scores were converted with the official ACT/College Board concordance so the two tests could be averaged together. Counted means everyone: every student who has sat an official test is in the official table, and every student with a baseline and a later practice test is in the practice table. Names are left off on purpose; these are teenagers, and their scores are theirs.
This is a small practice, so these are small numbers. They'll grow, and they'll be reported the same way when they do.
Start with a free 20-minute call.
You, your student, and me. I'll ask a lot of questions and tell you honestly what I'd do in your shoes, including which test to take. No decision required on the call.