Important Differences between Dalby and Other Test Prep Services

Excellent Instructors

Kate and Rick Dalby teach all the test preparation classes. Together they have instructed thousands of students for over 20 years how to improve standardized test performance. Both Dalbys regularly take the SAT, at a recognized testing center, to stay current on major and subtle changes on the SAT.

Why would you take a course at a national franchise from teachers just out of college reading from an instructor’s manual, when you can come to Dalby and learn from the best in the field? Both Dalbys are experienced in all four parts (reading, math, writing, and essay) of the test. They don’t need to “specialize” in a single part of the test. If your instructors can’t handle all four parts of the test, how can they expect you to excel across the board.

Use of College Board/ETS Material

We only use College Board/ETS materials. Some companies use publications from Kaplan, Barrons, Arco, Princeton Review or their own in-house materials. We find those materials substandard.

Weekly, Timed Practice Tests

Believe it or not an astounding number of companies don’t do timed practice weekly or they use non-ETS materials (what we term “virtual reality” SATs) for testing. This encourages “teaching to the test” and other questionable practices that can give a false impression of progress. We administer timed official SAT/PSAT tests regularly.

Shorter Classes

We limit instruction to about 2-2.5 hours per class. Many other companies have classes that are 3 or 4 hours long. We find that is too long to hold the students interest. We frequently hear stories of students skipping those classes, falling asleep in class, or leaving early to avoid the marathon.

Homework Policy

We only give homework if the student requests it or we specifically recommend it to a student. (Exception is weekly vocabulary quizzes which require the student to study at home.) We know that too many students don’t do the homework so we do all the work needed on-site during the testing sessions.

Small Class Sizes

Class size is limited to ten or fewer students and the classes are grouped by math scores. We even have an Accelerated SAT class for high scoring students.

Tutor Availability

One of the Dalbys is available by phone or email to answer the student’s questions or concerns.

Math Approach

Our math approach is based on teaching the math needed, not by having the student skip large numbers of questions and “back solving” with the “no algebra approach” that many companies seem to embrace. View Our Student Survey Results & Testimonials to learn more. We have a vested interest in your children’s success and want them to succeed in their education goals. We want to hear from you!