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SAT and ACT Tutoring in Del Mar

SAT & ACT Tutoring in Del Mar

If you live in Del Mar and you need an SAT tutor or ACT tutor, here is the practical summary: our Carmel Valley tutoring office is about 3 miles from Del Mar Heights. Blake Jensen meets Del Mar students there by appointment, and he also tutors via Zoom for families who prefer to stay home. Call or text Blake directly at (858) 367-0187.

Blake specializes in the SAT and ACT and has worked full-time on test prep for nearly 20 years. He works with students from Torrey Pines High School, Canyon Crest Academy, Cathedral Catholic, Pacific Ridge School, and Santa Fe Christian Schools, as well as Del Mar homeschoolers.

 

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Del Mar by the numbers: what the local school data says

Del Mar students feed primarily into Torrey Pines High School and Canyon Crest Academy, two of the strongest public high schools in California. Torrey Pines enrolls about 2,644 students (grades 9-12) and reports an average SAT score of 1360 and an average ACT score of 30. About 85 percent of Torrey Pines seniors sit for the SAT each year, according to SDUHSD's school profile. Canyon Crest Academy is currently ranked the #1 public high school in California and #30 in the nation by Niche.

Those school rankings create real expectations. A student at Canyon Crest or Torrey Pines who scores at the average for their school (SAT ~1360) is applying from a school where many classmates score higher. If your student is targeting UC San Diego, UCLA, or schools beyond, the realistic target is 1450 or above on the SAT and 32 or above on the ACT. That is the gap our tutoring is designed to close.

Vince wrote an op-ed for the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2024 on SAT and ACT access in San Diego County. It is worth a read for any Del Mar family thinking about when and how to approach test prep.

What Del Mar families often tell us they tried first

We hear a lot of the same stories when families first reach out. This is not a criticism of every option out there, but it is an honest summary of what tends to go wrong before students land with us:

  • Group prep courses. Group courses are cheaper, and they work for some students. But a student who is already scoring in the mid-1300s on the SAT usually needs something different from the student who is starting at 1100. Group instruction moves at one pace and targets one level. The student who needs to move from 1350 to 1500 often leaves a group course exactly where they started.
  • Marketplace tutors (Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, and similar platforms). These platforms connect families with tutors at a range of price points. The quality varies enormously. The most common complaints we hear are that the tutor was a recent college grad who had scored well on the test once but had no teaching method, and that there was no structure or accountability between sessions.
  • A tutor who is great at math or English but is not a test prep specialist. The SAT and ACT are not simply harder versions of school subjects. They reward specific pattern recognition and pacing skills. A tutor who teaches AP Calculus may not know what the SAT Math section is actually testing, and vice versa.
  • Starting too late. We get calls in April from families with a May test date. We will help if we can, but 6-8 weeks is a tight runway. Vince's post "5 Bad Ideas for Your Kid's SAT or ACT Prep" covers the most common timing mistakes.

Meet Blake Jensen, your SAT and ACT tutor

Blake Jensen, SAT and ACT tutor in Carmel Valley, serving Del Mar

Blake is a native San Diegan, a former Division I basketball player (St. Mary's College and Whittier College), and a full-time SAT/ACT specialist with nearly 20 years of experience. He works with motivated students aiming for top-30 admissions and with recruited athletes who need to hit Academic Index targets for Ivy League and equivalent programs.

His students have earned perfect 36 ACT scores, opened doors to Ivy League programs, and secured more than $200,000 in merit scholarships across recent families. He recently coached a fencer to a perfect 36 ACT, which was the score required to lock in a Johns Hopkins scholarship offer.

Blake also works with students who have LD or ADHD and those managing test anxiety. For Del Mar families, in-person sessions at Carmel Valley take about 10 minutes by car. Zoom works just as well when the week gets busy.

Read 50+ five-star reviews from Blake's students and their families.

 

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Watch: Vince and Blake discuss the Digital SAT

In this podcast episode, Vince and Blake walk through what actually changed when the SAT went digital, what it means for how students should prepare, and how to tell whether the SAT or ACT is a better fit for a given student.

SAT tutoring for Del Mar students

We tutor the current Digital SAT in its actual format, including the College Board's Bluebook app, the adaptive module structure, and the section timing. Every session is one-on-one, built around what your student specifically misses.

For students already scoring around the Torrey Pines or Canyon Crest average (SAT 1360), the work to reach 1450-1500 is almost entirely about pacing, decision speed, and recognizing the question patterns that repeat throughout the test. We cover Reading, Writing and Language, and Math individually based on your student's score breakdown.

If you have a high-achieving student aiming for a very competitive score, see our dedicated SAT tutoring for high scorers page. For students preparing early, PSAT tutoring is a natural entry point and a good foundation for National Merit consideration.

ACT tutoring for Del Mar students

The ACT is a faster test than the SAT, with four sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) and relentless pacing pressure throughout. For students aiming for 32 and above, the gap from a 28 or 29 is rarely about content; it is about how quickly and accurately the student identifies what each question requires and executes. That is what we train.

If you are not sure whether your student should take the SAT or the ACT, Blake can help figure that out from a baseline diagnostic. For students who prefer remote sessions, online ACT tutoring via Zoom works just as well as in person. See also: ACT tutoring for high scorers.

How Blake's tutoring works

  1. Free 15-minute consultation. You talk with Blake about baseline scores, target scores, school workload, the timeline, and what has not worked so far. You leave knowing what he would do next.
  2. Baseline and score-gap mapping. If your student has a recent official score, Blake starts there. If not, he will point you to the right diagnostic.
  3. Pick a package. Most families choose a package for the consistency and accountability it builds. Hourly works for targeted help.
  4. Weekly sessions in person or on Zoom. Typically 60 or 90 minutes, once a week. Blake diagnoses why points are being lost, then builds repeatable strategies for that student specifically.
  5. Customized homework between sessions. The questions your student missed this week shape next week's assignments. Progress compounds because the plan keeps updating.
  6. Check-ins between sessions. Blake texts or emails between sessions to keep students accountable, which matters a lot during busy Torrey Pines or Canyon Crest exam weeks.
  7. Test-day readiness. As the test date approaches, sessions shift to pacing, endurance, and precision so the real test feels familiar.

Blake's tutoring packages

Same pricing in person at the Carmel Valley office or on Zoom.

Foundation: 6 hours, $2,250

Targeted help or a short-term sprint before an upcoming test date.

  • 6 hours of tutoring (in-person or online)
  • Baseline assessment and score-improvement plan
  • Weekly practice checklist
  • One check-in per week between sessions
  • One parent progress update

Momentum: 12 hours (most popular), $4,200

The best option for meaningful score gains over about 12 weeks.

  • 12 hours of tutoring (in-person or online)
  • Diagnostic and personalized 12-week plan
  • Targeted practice and missed-question review
  • Two check-ins per week between sessions
  • Parent progress updates every 3 sessions
  • Priority scheduling

Premier: 24 hours (high-touch concierge), $8,700

For families who want heavier weekly volume and more between-session support.

  • 24 hours of tutoring (in-person or online)
  • Everything in Momentum, plus:
  • Up to four check-ins per week between sessions
  • Parent progress updates every 2 sessions (optional)
  • Concierge scheduling flexibility
  • Two full practice-test or section reviews

Hourly ACT tutoring is $350-$375/hour, with per-hour discounts built into the packages above.

What Del Mar families have said

"Blake was amazing at what he does. I had my twin girls work with him and one received a perfect score of 36 and the other a superscore of 36 on the ACT. Would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to improve their SAT or ACT score."

Haena Min

"Blake helped two of our daughters prepare for the SAT (they are four years apart). Both had tremendous improvement in their scores. Our youngest improved her score by 250 points over her initial practice test. Blake assigned homework regularly and helped motivate them to do it."

Pete Boukouzis

"Blake helped me increase my overall SAT score by 240 points. Blake was extremely flexible to my busy schedule, and his tutoring methods were both personal and engaging."

Hayden Kuppenheimer

Read all SAT and ACT tutoring reviews.

Getting here from Del Mar

From most of Del Mar, the office is about a 10-minute drive: take Del Mar Heights Road east about 3 miles to High Bluff Drive. The office building is near the corner. Go down the stairs into the courtyard; Blake's office is in the back right corner (Suite 113). Free parking and EV charging are available.

Address: 12625 High Bluff Dr. #113, San Diego, CA 92130

Get driving directions.

Other services available to Del Mar families

Del Mar SAT and ACT tutoring: common questions

Do you work with Torrey Pines and Canyon Crest students?

Yes. Both schools are within walking distance of our Carmel Valley office. We know both schools' AP calendars and test-prep timelines well.

How does Blake compare to ScoreBuilder or other local group prep options?

Group courses (including ScoreBuilder's class format) can be a reasonable starting point for some students. But a student already scoring around 1350-1400 on the SAT usually does not need more group instruction; they need someone who can diagnose specifically why they are losing 80-100 points and address it with a customized plan. That is Blake's work. He has close to 20 years of one-on-one experience doing exactly that.

What about tutors on Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, or similar platforms?

Marketplace platforms let you find tutors at various price points, and occasionally you find a great one. The most common issues we hear about: tutors who are smart and well-credentialed but have no systematic teaching method, sessions that feel like doing homework together rather than targeted skill-building, and no structure or accountability between sessions. Blake's approach is different: every session is structured, every homework assignment is specific to what that student missed, and he follows up between sessions.

When should a Del Mar junior start SAT or ACT tutoring?

The practical rule: start 10-12 weeks before a target test date with a student who can do weekly homework. For most Torrey Pines and Canyon Crest students, that means beginning in early summer before junior year for a fall test, or in January for a spring test. Earlier is fine; later makes everything harder.

What about students with LD/ADHD or test anxiety?

Blake has extensive experience with LD/ADHD students on the SAT and the ACT. He also works with students managing test anxiety. Building predictable routines and repeatable strategies is part of how he works with every student, but it matters especially for students whose confidence or focus breaks down under pressure.

Can my student do sessions entirely online?

Yes. Online SAT tutoring and online ACT tutoring via Zoom with screen-share work just as well as in-person for most students. Many Del Mar families use a mix, coming in person on weekend mornings and switching to Zoom on busy school nights.

Also serving students from these nearby communities

In addition to Del Mar, we regularly work with students from:

Ready to get started?

The fastest path is a free 15-minute phone or Zoom call with Blake. He will tell you what he would do with your student and what a realistic score goal looks like from where they are now. No sales pressure.

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