How do families choose between tutoring, coaching, and SSAT or ISEE prep?

Start with the problem you are trying to solve. If your child struggles with writing, reading comprehension, or math concepts, tutoring is the best starting point. If your child is academically strong but disorganized, procrastinates, or gets overwhelmed by long-term tasks, coaching will likely have the biggest impact. If test scores are part of your strategy, SSAT or ISEE prep helps, but it works best when it is built on a strong foundation of reading and reasoning skills. Many boarding school applicants benefit from a combination, especially when the program coordinates everything in one plan. A helpful way to decide is to ask: what breaks down first when things get busy? Is it understanding the content, managing the workload, or handling timed pressure? Your answer points to the kind of support that will help most.