Breaking down college entrance tests and essays, step by step.

5+ point increase expected on the ACT

200+ point increase expected on the SAT

$1M+ earned in scholarships

Majority of students admitted to one or more “reach” schools

Our step-by-step method helps students focus less on what is on the test and focus more on how to take the test.

Testimonials

  • "Ben was beyond helpful during the college process for our two children. From prepping for SAT and ACT exams to helping inspire thoughtful essays for college entrance applications, we are grateful for the time and effort Ben spent with our children. Ben was not only a tutor for our kids, he became someone they enjoyed talking to each week and developed a relationship with him on a personal level. When our son was waitlisted at one of the schools he applied to, Ben offered to write a personal recommendation for him without hesitation. He truly cares about the success of the students he tutors. Both of our children were accepted into the colleges of their choice and are very happy with their decisions. I highly recommend Ben to anyone looking for guidance, tutoring, and overall help with the college process. There was a lot less stress in our household thanks to Ben during our kids junior and senior years. We are very grateful to have known him."

    Jen S.

  • "Working with Ben was an absolute game-changer in our son’s college application journey. Our son was accepted to every college he applied to and in some cases his essay was commended by admission counselors. His expertise, patience, and personalized approach played a pivotal role in bringing out the best in our son's writing. Ben was always available to work with our son on his college and scholarship essays. Our son enjoyed working on essays with Ben and never viewed writing as a negative activity. Ben not only provided invaluable guidance on structure, content, and tone but also fostered a supportive environment that boosted our son's confidence. His insightful feedback and constructive critiques helped refine his ideas and produce compelling narratives. Ben’s dedication to the process was evident through his timely responses and flexibility in accommodating our son's very hectic schedule. Thanks to Ben, our son's essays not only met but exceeded our expectations. We are confident that the skills he gained during his time with Ben will serve him well in his academic, professional, and personal endeavors. We wholeheartedly recommend Ben to any parent seeking a dedicated and skilled tutor for their child's essay preparation."

    Maria D.

  • "Ben worked with my son for his ACT prep for several months. He has dyslexia, which often times translates into lower test scores than his actual mastery of the subject matter. Ben was great in helping him with the skills he needed to turn test-taking anxiety into a positive experience. His scores improved significantly after working with Ben."

    Steve K.

  • "Ben worked with my daughter on ACT prep, as well as her main essay on the Common App. He is currently working with my son as well! My daughter enjoyed working with Ben - he is enthusiastic, attentive and made the studying interesting. She worked with him for about 4 months for ACT prep, and a few weeks of revisions on the essay. My daughter's ACT score improved by several points. She applied to 12 schools and so far has been accepted with merit scholarships to all of them - from Purdue to Auburn to Clemson to Dayton and more - she has many great choices when it comes down to selecting her college! As a working parent, I found it very easy to work with Ben. He is very responsive to emails and texts, and so flexible with needing to change dates/times due to busy schedules. He communicated with me after each session, including homework and what went well during the session and what still needed to be worked on. Overall, it has been a great experience and we appreciate all his efforts with our kids!"

    Julia C.

  • "My son worked with Ben on his Common App main essay the summer before his senior year. Ben made the process easy & seamless. My son had been dreading the whole idea of writing the essay. Over zoom, and with Ben's help, they quickly picked an essay topic, worked through multiple drafts and had the whole thing finished before the Common App opened in August. Ben made himself available to help with suplimental essays as well. If your child is stressed about the college application process do yourself a favor and hire Ben."

    Kristen W.

  • “I am thrilled to share my experience working with Ben Purcell as a tutor for my children. Ben has been an invaluable resource in guiding my kids through various subjects, including ISEE, SAT, ACT, and essay writing for college applications. First and foremost, the improvement my children showed under Ben's guidance was remarkable. Not only did they gain a deeper understanding of the subjects, but their confidence in tackling these exams and academic challenges also soared. all of my children even received Merit scholarships, a testament to their enhanced performance and Ben's effective teaching methods. One of the most notable achievements was the significant increase in SAT scores, with one of my children's scores jumping from 1200 to an impressive 1430. This improvement not only opened doors to better college opportunities but also boosted their self-esteem and belief in their abilities. Moreover, Ben excelled in communication both with my children and me as a parent. Scheduling sessions was seamless, he was always prompt and accommodating. Keeping me up to date with their progress and planning ahead for the next steps. Overall, my family's experience with Ben was incredibly positive. His dedication, expertise, and personalized approach have undoubtedly made a lasting impact on my children's academic success. I wholeheartedly recommend Ben Purcell to any parent seeking top-notch tutoring assistance for their children.”

    Addie H.

  • “Ben has taught me great strategies to tackle the upper level ISEE and get an excelling grade from it. He has helped me achieve a scholarship to my number one high school of choice through his tutoring. I would highly recommend him due to his concise lessons, fun character and valuable methods of teaching.”

    Michael H.

  • “Ben has helped me get my ACT test score up from a 27 to a 32 in only two months. His advice for time management on the test has been particularly helpful for me and I am forever grateful to have such an amazing tutor. I highly recommend him as a tutor because of his knowledge and academic lessons.”

    Zoe H.

  • “For the June 1st SAT we got our scores back today and I got a 1560! I got a 780 math and 780 reading. Big improvement on reading so thank you so much for helping me with that! I also decided to write down "simple answers" before reading the answer choices to some of the harder reading questions so I could compare my answer to the real ones. Thank you again for your help, I liked how you broke down the reading questions to make them simpler and the grammar tips definitely helped, a lot of grammar things that we talked about showed up in the test!”

    Miranda P.

  • "Ben worked with two of my children on English, Social studies and Economics; in particular Ben worked with my youngest for 6 years, supporting him through middle school and high school. Ben’s approach is highly individualized and takes into account the learning style and personality of the students, engaging them beyond the subject and constructively developing different perspectives through curiosity and compassion. We are grateful for Ben’s positive impact on the growth of our child and for creating a consistent stimulating framework. Great academic results also for our senior student."

    Anne L.

  • "Just thought over the test quite a bit. I felt that I did well on it, your system definitely helped and I managed time very well during the test. I saw lots of patterns that we talked about in our weeks of meetings and it was helpful. The test overall was simple, the English sections were straightforward, the only section that was difficult I believe was the second half of the math. It had lots of problems with long, tedious work answers, plus a lot of them were free responses. Thank you for all your help"

    Ian P.

Ben Purcell

Ben Purcell has more than 10 years of experience helping students raise their SAT/ACT exam scores and crafting application-enhancing college essays, working both independently and for major national/regional tutoring companies. His students have gone on to win major scholarships and attend Ivy League schools. For 5 years, he lived and worked in the suburbs of Chicago, teaching test prep in private and public schools and working as a teaching/research assistant to a history department chair at Northwestern University. Ben is currently in his 6th year as a high school social studies teacher in Indianapolis and holds a master’s degree in teaching. He was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2022 and 2023, as well as the IPS Change Makers Grant to improve literacy at his school. In 2024, he was awarded the Eli Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Grant. In his free time, Ben enjoys reading about history, going on road trips, and spending time with his wife, Jenny, who is also the Office Manager at Step by Step Academics.

Contact Us

Please reach out to us for test prep, college/scholarship essay support, and college application support.