Testimonials

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I have worked with Jacob Hogan for two years, and I can confidently say he is the best teacher I’ve had. He figured out how to teach me best and to work with my strengths when taking standardized tests. He always works at my pace and makes sure I understand what I’m working on. He genuinely cares about his students and wants us to succeed. I know that I can ask him any question without thinking it’s stupid, and I know he will do everything he can to get me an answer. He truly prepares his students for their tests. He has helped me so much in preparing for them that I approach each test with confidence in my knowledge. He is an amazing teacher, and I’m truly grateful that I’ve gotten to work with him! -GG 

It's a Test Thing... has undoubtedly improved my ACT knowledge by a long shot.  Jacob's teaching has been incredibly helpful and enjoyable.  In the few months I've attended It's a Test Thing... sessions, I have already learned numerous test-taking tips and new approaches to math problems that increased my math and science scores from a 27 to a 31.  Jacob even looked over my writing for my final English essay this year, which I earned a 100 on.  He has been supportive and encouraging of my standardized testing, school grades, and even future goals.  I couldn't be more thankful for Jacob and all of his help so far through It's a Test Thing...

We were very blessed to find Jacob about four years ago through a friend's recommendation. He has now worked with both our son and daughter to help improve their ACT scores. For both children, we chose the one on one tutoring sessions for the most individualized instruction possible. Jacob took previous ACT score reports for both children and studied them before their first sessions, coming up with a personalized plan tailor made for each child.  He took into account their test taking strengths, as well as their weaknesses, which we greatly appreciated. Our daughter needed the most help in math & science and our son's greatest need was in learning to pace himself during each section of the test, in an effort to learn to finish each of the 4 ACT sections in a timely manner. Jacob was patient, understanding and really sought to understand their individual needs in regards to optimizing their ACT scores. Both children loved his easy going, friendly personality and found him very easy to talk to. They also found his methods of instruction easy to understand and follow.

Jacob truly cares about each and every student he works with and this is evident by the rapport he quickly establishes with his students and their parents. We actually live in Huntsville, but found the 30 minute drive very worth our time and money for both children. Jacob worked with us to find a convenient time for our kids to attend their sessions, especially since they were driving from out of town to see him. We have since referred many Huntsville friends over the past four years and all of them have been exceptionally pleased with Jacob and his tutoring services. He helped raise both of our children's composite scores by 4 points each & has helped them reach their ACT score goals. As a result, they now qualify for significant merit scholarship money from Auburn. We are so thankful we found Jacob and appreciate all he has done for our family. If you are looking for an ACT tutor with wonderful communication skills, expert knowledge of the material and a passionate desire to help his students succeed, Jacob is your answer!

-Mom of 2 previous students 

Jacob worked with our son Selby Duncan for six weeks to prepare him for his 4th attempt at the ACT test. He had scored the same the previous three times and really wanted to improve his score for college scholarship potential....his score improved by 3 points after working with Jacob. His dedication to developing our son's skills at tackling the ACT was exceptional. His one-on-one guidance each Sunday for six weeks proved to be successful !! I would whole heartedly recommend his services !!

Jacob has helped me grow amazingly over the past five years. No matter how busy he was, he was always there to help me. We have been on a journey together. I'm truly blessed God led me to him because he has helped me improve in so many ways. Jacob helped me improve my ACT score in just three short months. He's helped me in various classes ranging from biology to, his passion, political science. My writing would not be this good if it wasn't for his guidance and expertise. Jacob is by far the best tutor and mentor I have ever had. 

He's taught me so much not only in my education but also in my life. He constantly motivates me. Thank you for being the best "ACT Guy" ever! Cannot wait to start preparing for the verbal section of the MCAT with him soon! 

                Sujana Reddy 

My daughter started taking the ACT test at the beginning of 8th grade.  She made a 23 on her first attempt and over the next couple of years through work on her own was able to improve her score to a 28 with a 35 in math. We realized that she would probably not be able to improve her score any more without external help.  Then my next door neighbor told me that they had sent their daughter to this Mr. ACT GUY in Decatur, and she was able to improve her score by 4 points.  So, I decided at the end of her 10th grade year to send her to Mr. ACT GUY.  With Mr. Hogan's coaching, she was able to boost her English score from a 25 to a 35 and a PERFECT score in Math. All in all, with the techniques she learned from Mr. Hogan, the additional testing material he provided, and Mr. Hogan being able to point out where and why her answers were wrong, she came out with a composite score of 33 (for a 10th grader).  This was after just 12 hours of one-on-one coaching by     Mr. Hogan.  We understand the child still has to practice, but it makes a big difference when someone like Mr. Hogan is able to spot her weak areas and help her find ways to boost her strong areas so that she could achieve the best composite score possible.  More than pleased is an understatement. 

Maribel - mom to prior student 

For some students, the ACT may be a piece of cake, but for other students, like myself, bad ACT scores could be the only obstacle standing in the way of high school and acceptance/scholarships to a dream college. Jacob Hogan's "It's a Test Thing" is the reason why I can now not only get accepted to my dream college but I can get a decent scholarship to attend it.

When I first took the ACT my composite score was a 21. Then I took it two more times and received a 24 both times, which still wasn't good enough to attend the college I desired. This is when I reached out to Jacob Hogan for assistance. After joining his class just one day of the week for six weeks, my ACT score suddenly jumped to a 30.

I learned that the ACT isn't just about how smart an individual is, it's also about test taking skills, timing, and endurance. Jacob dug deep into each subject and taught me the little things that can make a big difference. I thought of Jacob as more of a coach; he found my weaknesses and turned them into strengths. He improved my testing endurance by allowing me to take several real full-length practice test. He sat with me one-on-one and showed me the correct way to approach each question I missed. These are qualities that none of my ACT books or high school classes ever offered me. 

I can go to school for 12 years with countless different teachers, learning 8 hours a day and still only get a 21 on my ACT. I had six, three-hour classes with Jacob and got a 30. That’s truly impressive. I’m really thankful for Jacob’s help.

-Kishan Patel

Jacob has a natural ability in analyzing students' learning styles and pinpointing exactly what they need to succeed.  Furthermore, Jacob's approach makes learning fun.  Our sons looked forward to their tutoring sessions--I never heard them complain!  They both said that Jacob made tutoring sessions interesting.  Jacob helped my two sons prepare for the ACT:  the first improved his total ACT score by 4 points, and the second one improved by 5 points!  One qualified for college scholarships with Jacob's help--and one received a full ride scholarship!  There's no question that the time our children spent in tutoring saved our family a lot of money in college tuition fees.  Jacob also helped our students' studying habits, and prepared them for college by improving their studying and learning techniques.  We chose one-on-one tutoring, because we needed specific help in improving scores in certain areas (Math!! / Science).

Our severely dyslexic son's goal was college admission in his junior year of high school. He had his heart set on one university, but he had the entrance barrier of meeting a certain score on the ACT or SAT, and he was afraid he couldn’t meet the score. Standardized high stakes tests never showed Alex’s true intelligence and knowledge, and his scores were always rock bottom. Our requests for the accommodation of more time because of the dyslexia were denied by the testing services, saying his dyslexia was not “severe” enough! We found Jacob and he worked with Alex in an ACT Prep class, teaching him how to take the tests. Alex took the test and then we eagerly awaited the results. The verdict? Alex scored exactly what he needed for admission to the college of his choice and he was accepted. This past May, after four years of college success, Alex received his bachelor’s degree and he is now a graduate student! Without Jacob’s patient and precise coaching, Alex’s higher education goals would not have unfolded on schedule. Jacob has a heart for helping young people meet their goals and he knows how to communicate with them. Jacob truly cares about his students and they appreciate him. We will always be grateful to Jacob for helping Alex reach his admission goal, and we highly recommend Jacob to any student wanting to succeed.

After 6 tutoring sessions with Jacob, my son’s ACT score increased from a 24 (in February 2015) to a 28 (in June 2015).  It’s remarkable that his Math score increased from a 23 to a 28, English from a 24 to a 29, and Reading increased from a 22 to a 32!  Mr. Hogan was a tremendous help in identifying the areas where my son needed the most improvement, and provided strategies that gave him confidence while taking the test.  If you are seeking help in increasing the ACT score for your son or daughter, I would highly recommend sending them to Jacob Hogan!

-David

Jacob is so awesome at what he does!!! I took his class as well as did private tutoring! He helped me bring my composite up 9 points, and helped me to bring my English from a 17 to a 34! He was so sweet and genuinely cared. I really enjoyed having him help me and would most definitely recommend him to anyone!

My son Trevor received tutoring from Jacob. Trevor is a strong all A student, but Prior to tutoring - he was stuck at a 28 on the act and really wanted to get a 30. After working with Jacob, he got a 32 on the ACT (and a 34 in math!!). Jacob focused on math and also helped him with other test skills that helped him (over) achieve his goal and allowed him to receive a full tuition scholarship at the University of Alabama! Thank you Jacob and Roll Tide! If you are serious and willing to work, Jacob will help!!!