ACT Online Tutoring with Manhattan Review

Setting Yourself Up for the Career You Dream Of

Being accepted to leading undergraduate programs has become more competitive than ever before. Having high grades and being involved in extracurricular activities are no longer enough to guarantee you admission at the most selective colleges and universities. These days, being accepted at the college of your dreams requires careful planning, persistence, and hard work. For those students who know they want to attend a university with instant name recognition, high standardized test scores can be a critical part of being admitted, particularly since many universities continue to place significant importance on high ACT or SAT scores. 

Performing well on the ACT is not only about gaining admittance to leading undergraduate programs—it's also about building the connections and gaining the experiences you need to put yourself in control of your professional future. Whether you've already started preparing for the ACT or you're searching for how to start, Manhattan Review offers cutting-edge ACT online tutoring options designed to exceed your ambitions and open important academic doors.

Selective Hiring, Exceptional Instructors

Manhattan Review is respected across the test prep industry for its selective hiring process of instructors and tutors. While we expect high scores from our instructors, we also expect them to possess a passion for helping their students progress and obtain their own high test scores. Working with a tutor who can effectively teach you to master a standardized test and who has obtained their own stellar test score gives you the best chance of acing the ACT and scoring in the highest percentiles. We know that taking an exam and teaching others how to take an exam are two completely different skills, and we are dedicated to hiring only those tutors who teach test-related information in ways that can be customized to every student's unique learning style.

Hiring an ACT Online Tutor – Advantages & Disadvantages

For many years, Manhattan Review has proudly offered not only in-person ACT preparation courses and tutoring, but also online prep classes and resources. The global pandemic that began in 2019 accelerated a rapid shift towards online instructional options, as in-person meetings were simply not feasible for months at a time. While Manhattan Review continues to offer in-person courses and tutoring in locations where there is significant demand, potential students might wish to consider the advantages offered by our online preparation options. With a thorough understanding of the advantages and possible disadvantages of online learning, you can select the best option for yourself and your specific ACT prep needs. Here are a few advantages to virtual learning that are frequently mentioned by our online students:

Less time travelling – more time to study for the ACT

Travelling to a physical location is time consuming. Taking the New York subway, the London Tube, or driving across LA can be an incredibly inconvenient experience, and often an expensive undertaking, as well. Many students are happy to say goodbye to travel times in order to spend their time on what matters most: preparing for the ACT. Some students complete their online tutoring at their favorite internet café or coffee shop while others prefer to learn in the comfort of their home. Regardless of where you learn best, you can save yourself a significant amount of time and stress by enrolling in one of our comprehensive online tutoring options to prepare for the ACT.

Increased flexibility

We all have busy schedules and struggle to balance the demands of work, school, family, friends, extracurricular activities, and other important commitments. Trying to fit in-person ACT tutoring into your daily routine can be challenging and sometimes simply isn't possible. Our online tutoring options allow students flexibility in their preparation by offering you the option of learning at home or any location with a stable internet connection. If you are concerned about asking questions between online tutoring sessions, there is no need to worry; your instructor will happily answer any questions that might arise, either during your next live session or via email. Our online private tutoring packages are a perfect fit for busy students who are also still serious about obtaining an impressively high score on the ACT.

While there is plenty to like about online tutoring options, we understand that there may also be some possible disadvantages. These are some of the concerns that potential students occasionally mention to us:

Lack of Social Interaction

There is something reassuring about in-person interaction. It is a wonderful experience to sit across from someone who is invested in your learning and who offers you their undivided attention. We fully understand that this satisfying feeling can be difficult to replicate online.

Having said that, you and your tutor can easily get to know one another in a virtual environment. You and your tutor can write on a shareable whiteboard just as you would both write on a piece of paper on a desk. With our online private tutoring options, you can select the tutor who best meets your specific needs regardless of where they happen to be located, which will only increase your learning, leading to a higher ACT score and a more well-rounded performance on the day of your exam.

Dependance on Technology

Many students worry that they will not be able to install the required programs to participate in online tutoring sessions. While this was a significant concern years ago, technology has become so stable and easy to install that this is not something to be concerned about anymore. At Manhattan Review we use Zoom, a popular online teaching platform many students already know from school. So, while there were valid concerns about online learning technology in the past, this is no longer an issue as systems become increasingly stable every year.

For Parents/Caregivers:

Manhattan Review is a boutique test prep company, which means we have the ability to dedicate more resources to our hiring process than most test prep firms. Because of this, we are able to execute a true 360-degree evaluation of potential tutors, ultimately hiring only those with both superb test-taking and teaching skills. We have learned a great deal from our extensive experience in the test prep industry. Specifically, we understand that taking an exam and teaching others how to take it are two separate skills. While we expect high test scores from our potential instructors, high scores alone are no guarantee of being hired. Our instructors are skilled at tailoring the information they teach to each student's learning style, and the quality of our instructors is simply another reason Manhattan Review stands out from other test prep companies. 

To truly understand what makes Manhattan Review so unique, it helps to consider the origins of the firm. Manhattan Review was conceived and started at an Ivy League business school, specifically, Columbia University Business School in New York City. Manhattan Review's Founder was not only pedagogically trained but went on to become a leading academic, eventually accepting a position as a professor at a prestigious business school in Europe. The experience the founder gained by being an active member of collegiate hiring committees, as well as evaluating the teaching potential of countless applicants, cannot be overstated or acquired through other contexts. That is why Manhattan Review's preparation options are widely considered the best choice for serious ACT students.

Given the highly selective hiring process conducted by Manhattan Review, our instructors are more than capable of teaching all aspects of effective test preparation. This includes administering diagnostic tests, planning the most useful lessons, and guiding students through applicable test content. We strive to make sure each student receives the attention and expertise they deserve when preparing for such an important exam as the ACT.

What About Test-Optional Colleges?

As academic institutions attempt to move beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges are once again requiring students to submit standardized test scores—from the ACT or SAT—as part of their application. Some colleges, however, have chosen to remain test optional for another year or two. What does that mean for students preparing their college applications?

Simply because a college does not require a student to submit standardized test scores as part of their application does not mean test scores shouldn't be submitted. Test scores can make a big difference when it comes to scholarships. At many colleges, even those where admission is test optional, test scores may be required for certain scholarships or for admission to specific majors or honors programs. Private institutions or organizations that award scholarships may require test scores as part of their scholarship application. It is critically important to verify scholarship and financial aid requirements when applying to colleges, because even though the college itself might be test optional, applying for specific financial awards may require the submission of test scores. 

Test optional colleges do not require the submission of ACT or SAT scores, but should a student submit a score, it can and most likely will be considered. And this is a good thing! Consider the college applications of two high school students. The applications demonstrate nearly identical data as far as classes taken, grades received, volunteer hours completed, and the number and quality of extracurricular activities. Even though this particular college is test optional, one student chooses to submit her ACT score while the other student does not. 

Which student do you think has a better chance of being accepted? 

The one who provided more information to the admissions committee. Research from the College Board consistently demonstrates a correlation between standardized test scores and college success: students with higher test scores achieve higher college grades and they are more likely to return for their second year of college. College admissions officials know this, and when considering who to offer acceptance to, they will always prefer having as much information about a student as possible in order to guide their decision-making.

The bottom line is that as long as standardized tests exist, there are benefits to taking them. And given that standardized tests can be mastered with the guidance of skilled professional educators, there is no reason not to take this potentially life-changing exam and ultimately gain acceptance (and perhaps financial support) at leading undergraduate programs.