Removing required testing does not make acceptance to a competitive college more likely. In fact, many test optional and test free schools have experienced significant increases in application numbers. Test optional and test free policies arose en masse during the early months of the pandemic when access to the ACT and SAT was restricted or denied. Testing has generally returned to normal now and access to a test is not an ongoing issue; colleges, though, have generally maintained their test optional or test free policies.

If you are asking if you should take a test at all, then the answer is yes. If you are asking which test to take, then it is often a matter of “test-driving” each one to see which might be a better fit. For the majority of students, the scores are usually quite comparable; for some, there is a significant difference between the two. In the broadest terms, the ACT rewards students who work fast and are comfortable in STEM, whereas the SAT rewards students who are more contemplative and tend to read more deeply.

There is no definite answer to this common question because it depends on your personal goals. We encourage our students to set clear, well-defined goals as soon as possible. For some students, that goal is a specific college or range of colleges, and those schools will dictate a “good” score. For other students, the goal is numerical. A “good” score is easy to determine for these students. For still others, the goal is financial: they want a test score that will allow them to qualify for financial or merit aid. Regardless, we believe that it is vital to establish goals early so that students, parents, and tutors alike understand what is required and desired from the tutoring process.

You must register with the official testing agencies for any test you take. To register for the SAT, visit the CollegeBoard website. To register for the ACT, visit the ACT website. For other tests, click here for more websites.

Fees for tutoring are $200 dollars per hour for Rob Margolis and $175 per hour for our other tutors. Payment is due at time of session. We prefer credit cards and will keep your number on file.

We do not generally offer classes. Instead, we focus our work on providing high-quality, specialized one-on-one test preparation. Each student has particular strengths and needs that must be addressed in order to maximize opportunities for success on a standardized test or in a specific class. These needs may be gaps in knowledge, issues with motivation, coping with test anxiety, or a combination of all of the above. We provide expert guidance that is specifically tailored so that each student can realize his/her/their full potential.

We offer sessions 7 days a week. On weekdays during the school year, sessions typically occur in the afternoon and evening. Exact times and dates depend on student and tutor availability. Most students meet their tutor at least once a week for one hour per session. Availability, budget, and proximity to a test may affect frequency.

Given the nature of customized test preparation, it is difficult to predict a fixed number of sessions for a student. Generally, most of our students require at least 10-12 sessions of tutoring, but some require more and others require less.

Our in-person sessions are conducted in our offices in Johns Landing, conveniently located just south of downtown Portland. We offer Zoom sessions as well for students who prefer meeting virtually. For more information, please see the Contact Us page.

Students typically start the process the summer before Junior Year to prepare for the PSAT or four months in advance of the their first SAT or ACT. Some students begin prep as sophomores, but in general 9th and 10th graders are often better served focusing on developing strong fundamental math and English skills and reading every day.

The Preliminary SAT (PSAT), also referred to as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), is a standardized test offered to students in the fall of their sophomore and junior years. While the questions are slightly less complex compared to those on the SAT, the PSAT is intended to provide students with a predictive score range of how they would potentially perform on the actual SAT. The PSAT is not used by colleges for admissions purposes and thus has the reputation of being the P(ractice)-SAT.

We strongly encourage students to prepare for the PSAT as it is a crucial stepping stone for later testing success. It is also the only way juniors may qualify for National Merit recognition.

Beginning in 2023, the PSAT will be offered in a digital format for all students.

Despite our name, we have no affiliation with the local coffee roaster. "Stumptown" is actually one of Portland's oldest nicknames, referring to either Portland's logging industry or rapid residential growth which left many tree stumps in its wake. Students, however, are more than welcome to bring coffee to their sessions, especially to curry favor with their tutors.