College Consultant Tip: Get a Tutor Before Finals Week
It's been said time and time again: Grades are by far the most important element of your college application. In the eyes of college admissions officers, high school grades reflect your comittment to learning, your desire to succeed, and your willingness to push yourself as you work toward your dream school.
When I meet with students, however, they largely consider GPA to be the least fascinating part of the college admissions process. Students always have questions about SAT and ACT tutoring, college essay help, and school search tips, but rarely does a kid sit across the table from me and ask "What about my grades?"
I think this is because students think that improving their grades is going to be hard work. And they aren't wrong. Bringing up your grades and improving your GPA requires more than just a twitch of your nose.
Yet, improving your GPA is easier than raising an SAT or ACT score. It's a lot easier than writing the perfect college essay. And it's a ton easier than doing hundreds of hours of community service or opening your own business to impress colleges.
So where do you start if you want to raise your GPA?
We suggest hiring a tutor. Our Omniac Tutors can cover any subject you throw at us and even come to your house to meet you!
And we don't think you should wait until finals week to get started working with someone. It's tempting to try to make things up at the end, but it's often not realistic. In addition, getting started early has quite a few advantages you probably haven't even thought about:
1. It's easier to catch up when you start early.
It is significantly easier for a tutor to help a student meet their academic goals before all of the damage has been done. Many of our clients call us the week before finals, hoping to use the last test to turn a D into a C. While we are always happy to help students patch things together at the last minute, all tutoring is more effective if it starts early and stays consistent. Learning is like losing weight; it can't happen all on one day!
2. Tutors help you focus on learning instead of your grade.
Most students get into trouble when they start to think that grades are more important than learning. A grade is temporary; you will get a new set every semester. If you are working smart, you should be focused on learning the material, not just getting your goal grade. Working with a tutor gives you the confidence you need to concentrate your efforts on understanding the class you are in now so that you can use that knowledge to learn more effectively in the future.
3. Busy schedules mean you have less study time.
Students with a long list of intensive extra curricular activities often don't have time to spend 3-5 hours on their own studying. While a student in an ideal setting would have an infinite amount of time to study and work, it's an unfortunate reality that most students don't have enough time to even do the homework they are given. A tutor can help make the most of the time you do have and aid you in prioritizing the elements that will help most when finals week does come calling.
4. Tutors keep you motivated by keeping you accountable.
A tutor is your study friend, there when you need a partner to keep you going or when you need someone to quiz you for that test coming up. They call you to remind you that you need to have all your math done by Friday before the test and they are there to answer questions at late hours when Mom and Dad are tired from a full day of work. In short, they've got your back when you need a lift to succeed!
5. Tutoring can help make your good grades great.
Are you consistently getting Bs? Always stuck at the low end of As, worried that you might drop lower? Why are you settling? Selective colleges don't mind the occasional B in a class, but you really should be earning As to impress the schools you dream about. Working with a tutor can streamline your work and push you to the point of real success! Think of tutors as personal trainers for your mind!
So go get a tutor. You'll thank me when your grades (and your college application) become that much stronger!
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Got other reasons that tutors rock? Leave them in the comments!