For countless numbers of graduate school applicants, preparing and sitting for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT can be extremely stressful.  If you are considering working with a test prep organization, you will most definitely want to follow this blog series.  MyGuru offers excellent test prep services for grad school applicants. They offer GMAT tutoring, GRE tutoring, LSAT tutoring, and more. Perhaps more importantly, has the outcomes to prove that their strategies and individualized approach with students works.

We are delighted to offer this interview series, which will feature a new interview question every two to four weeks.

Below is our fifth question for MyGuru.

Grad School Road Map: Where do students often go wrong in working with a test prep tutor?

Stefan Maisnier, Director of Online Tutoring:  Working with a test prep tutor is a serious commitment, and let’s be honest, it’s a serious cost, too! However, it can have a very large return on that investment if you find the right fit and this article will help you to avoid the three biggest mistakes students make in engaging a test prep tutor.

1) Waiting to Engage. Most tutoring students I work with have already tried some other method of test prepping, self-prep online or a group class for example, and only after that failed to achieve their sought improvement did they consider personalized tutoring. Why wait!? Most tutors, including yours truly, will offer a free initial 15-30 minute session to discuss how they can help reach a student’s target score and you, the savvy applicant, should take advantage of that consultation as soon as you know that you need to take a standardized test as part of an application process. Simply engaging with a tutor requires no commitment, and a good tutor should be able to immediately help any student avoid some of the pitfalls common to test prepping by highlighting good resources beyond themselves.

2) Focusing on the Tutor’s Score. One of the most common questions I get is some variation on “what was your official score”? In response, I am always honest – I’ve taken numerous practice exams and scored 99th percentile or higher on those for each of the exams that I teach, but the only official exams I ever took in an attempt to maximize my personal performance were an SAT and a GRE using score scales and sections that don’t even exist any more and could not be any less representative of my abilities as a tutor. This has kept some students from working with me and it could not be a less relevant issue for a prospective student. Instead of focusing on the tutor’s score, ask about scores their students have reached. Ask about schools past students have gone on to attend. Find out what improvements the tutor has facilitated in past partnerships. These are much more relevant considerations than if your tutor personally scored a 175 on an official LSAT.

3) Overcommitting and Under Performing. Once you choose a qualified tutor, that tutor is a partner and you should always feel comfortable discussing your concerns over anything as you work upon your score improvement together. If you can’t do the homework on time because your day job workload is too much in a given week, share that information up front with your tutor. If you think you will benefit from more frequent practice tests, tell your instructor! The worst case scenario for a tutor is a student who commits to one set of expectations and continuously fails to complete the agreed upon practice. The only way to improve a skills based endeavor, which these standardized tests absolutely are, is through regular practice and deliberate targeted review. The most certain way to not achieve your goal is to overcommit and doom yourself to under performance.

The very best way to work with a tutor is to engage early and communicate openly as you work together in concert to build the skills necessary for excellence. By avoiding these three pitfalls, you will put yourself on the path to standardized test success!

DISCOUNT ON DR. DON’S BOOK RIGHT HERE ON THE GSRM WEBSITE!!

Be sure to check out Dr. Don’s book, “Road Map for Graduate Study, A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students,” right here on the GSRM website. For a reduced price CLICK HERE, go to The Book page, scroll down, click on the Order Now box, and use discount code GSRM.