Capital Educators vs Dr. Li’s for SAT prep

[Anonymous]

Test optional will be the norm for the next 3 years. Expensive test prep will not help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Test optional will be the norm for the next 3 years. Expensive test prep will not help.

Not even for merit aid?

[Anonymous]

One problem with an anonymous message board is that every single post with positive things about Capital Educators could be written by the same person, and that person might work for them. Take anything you read on this kind of thread with a grain of salt (or two).

[Anonymous]

Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

Several kids from our school went to Dr. Li. Cheap but not not so great tutors. My DS took Dr Li' classes for magnet prep, but he found it very repetitive and stoppped taking classes after a few classes. The SAT prep classes are large and is popular with Asian kids.
If your kid is motivated, I would borrow a couple SAT books from the public library, have your kid take the tests in the book to see where their level is at. Then take more practice tests and as you get more comfortable with etst taking, have them take a free practice tests that all these centers offer to attract students. This should be good enough for prep. Do not spend $$$ on classes.
My DS got a 1600 in 2nd attempt (took once in early junior year, got 1540 and then retook in late junior year (past June) and got a 1600

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a college counselor. My students have consistently not had the same success as mentioned here. This is curious to me. Have they not done the work that the PPs' kids put in? Are the PPs outliers? Either way, based on my experience with multiple students, I can't recommend this group.

Perhaps we are using different bars for success.

My child did very poorly on her PSAT. She has a mild learning disability, and this did not surprise me (we were not aware of her issue at that point, so she did not get any time accommodation). Her score improved by a few hundred points after the intensive preparation provided by Capital Educators. They cannot turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. I did not expect them to get her admitted to Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One problem with an anonymous message board is that every single post with positive things about Capital Educators could be written by the same person, and that person might work for them. Take anything you read on this kind of thread with a grain of salt (or two).

There is no way for me to prove this to you...but I wrote one of those positive reviews and am a REAL person basing my comments on REAL experience. Can't speak for anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

For private tutors, you can look at https://www.wyzant.com/.

[Anonymous]

We used Cap Ed. My kid's score went up from 1130 to 1270. She did absolutely no work on her own though, outside the class. Also, her score went up 150 only on the reading writing side. Her math stayed exactly the same after taking three times (once a baseline, then took class and second SAT, then her school had a in-school SAT day a week later which was great, like getting another chance.)

The class was online when she took winter 2021 and that didn't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

Extremely arrogant attitude fr Dr Li himself! very unprofessional, yelling, shouting, false accusing without invetigration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

expensive, but not that usefuly, really waste time. repetitive content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any experiences at Dr. Li’s or other recs? Or private tutor recs? Thanks!

Extremely arrogant attitude fr Dr Li himself! very unprofessional, yelling, shouting, false accusing without invetigration.

hey, I have same impression - went to open house once, I don't really like his attitude so didn't sign my kid up.

[Anonymous]

My kid worked with a tutor for 6 months. Weekly 2 meetings. Group of 5-6 kids.

Total cost $500.

DC got 1530 and credits the tutor for results.

these other places which do 1:1 are waay to expensive.

ps: this tutor starts in jan or feb and prepares for june and aug SAT and will not start a batch if there are less than 4 kids - to help keeps costs low for all. great deal.

[Anonymous]

* 2 hr meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used Cap Ed. My kid's score went up from 1130 to 1270. She did absolutely no work on her own though, outside the class. Also, her score went up 150 only on the reading writing side. Her math stayed exactly the same after taking three times (once a baseline, then took class and second SAT, then her school had a in-school SAT day a week later which was great, like getting another chance.)

The class was online when she took winter 2021 and that didn't help.

This is similar to my kid. The help was marginal The ROI is meh.

A kid has to be motivated to self study. Do practice exams. If they are, use khan academy instead and save the money. All the tips and tricks are standard. Cap Ed has no insider info. You can probably find a YouTube video on it.