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SAT and ACT Tutoring in Encinitas

SAT & ACT Tutoring in Encinitas

If you are an Encinitas family looking for an SAT tutor or ACT tutor, you have two practical options: in-person at our Carmel Valley office (about 18 minutes south on I-5) or online via Zoom. Blake Jensen tutors both ways and the pricing is identical. Call or text Blake at (858) 367-0187.

Blake has been doing SAT and ACT prep full-time for nearly 20 years. He has taught SAT classes for The Grauer School in Encinitas and works regularly with students from La Costa Canyon High School, San Dieguito High School Academy, Cathedral Catholic, and Pacific Ridge School.

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Encinitas by the numbers: what the school context means for test prep

Encinitas has more distinct high school options than most North County cities, and the differences matter for how we plan prep around each student's schedule.

La Costa Canyon High School is an IB World School in the San Dieguito Union High School District. SDUHSD serves roughly 13,000 students across Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and portions of Carlsbad and San Diego. LCC's IB Diploma Programme creates a front-loaded workload: Internal Assessments, extended essays, and Theory of Knowledge work pile up in fall of junior year, which is exactly when most students are also trying to prepare for October and November SAT and ACT test dates. The students who manage this best are the ones who start prep in summer, before the DP workload kicks in.

San Dieguito High School Academy operates as a school of choice within SDUHSD. Its flexible scheduling is compatible with our format. The Grauer School is an independent K-12 on Village Park Way in Encinitas, organized around relationship-based learning and individual student mastery. Blake has taught SAT prep for Grauer students and understands how to connect the school's approach to what the test actually requires.

Vince's 2024 op-ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune on SAT and ACT access is worth reading for any Encinitas family thinking through the timing and logistics of test prep in the SDUHSD context.

What Encinitas families often tell us they tried first

  • Starting prep mid-junior year when IB workload is at its peak. The students who make the most progress are the ones who start in June or July before junior year, when they have time and mental bandwidth for actual practice. Students who start in October or November at LCC are often trying to do SAT or ACT prep and IB Internal Assessments simultaneously, which almost never goes well. Vince wrote about this timing issue in his post "5 Bad Ideas for Your Kid's SAT or ACT Prep."
  • Group prep courses that do not account for IB load. A group course paced for a student with standard homework assumes availability that IB DP students simply do not have in fall semester. Blake builds plans around your student's actual weekly schedule, not a theoretical one.
  • Tutors who are good at the subject but not good at the test. A student who needs help with SAT Math often does not need someone who is strong in calculus. The SAT Math section tests specific algebraic and data reasoning patterns in a specific format. A test prep specialist knows those patterns; a subject tutor may not.
  • Using Wyzant or similar platforms and getting unlucky. Marketplace platforms vary enormously in tutor quality. The most frequent complaints we hear from Encinitas families who came to us after trying a marketplace tutor: no real method beyond going through practice questions together, no customized homework between sessions, and no meaningful accountability.

Meet Blake Jensen, your SAT and ACT tutor

Blake Jensen, SAT and ACT tutor serving Encinitas students

Blake is a native San Diegan and former Division I basketball player (St. Mary's College and Whittier College), with nearly 20 years of full-time SAT and ACT specialization. He is particularly effective with student-athletes, students who have IB or AP-heavy schedules, and students who have tried other prep options without the results they expected.

His students have earned perfect 36 ACT scores, secured Ivy League admissions, and collectively received more than $200,000 in merit scholarships across recent families. He also works with students who have LD or ADHD and those managing test anxiety.

For Encinitas families, sessions are in-person at Carmel Valley or on Zoom. Many Encinitas families do in-person on weekend mornings and switch to Zoom during busy LCC or SDA weeks.

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

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Watch: Vince and Blake on the Digital SAT

This podcast conversation covers what changed when the SAT went digital, how to decide between the SAT and ACT, and what the preparation process actually looks like. Useful context for any Encinitas family starting to plan around the IB or AP calendar.

SAT tutoring for Encinitas students

We tutor the current Digital SAT in its actual Bluebook format, including the adaptive module structure and real section timing. Every session is one-on-one, customized to what your student is specifically missing.

For LCC IB students, we build the prep timeline around the DP calendar rather than fighting it. For SDA and Grauer students, the schedule is more flexible, but we still build specific homework plans rather than generic practice sets. We cover all sections based on the student's actual breakdown: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math.

For younger Encinitas students planning ahead, PSAT tutoring is a natural starting point and good preparation for National Merit consideration.

ACT tutoring for Encinitas students

The ACT has four sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) and runs at a faster pace than the SAT. For LCC students with strong IB Science backgrounds, the ACT Science section often comes more naturally because it tests data interpretation rather than content knowledge. We focus prep where the actual lift is for each individual student.

Not sure whether SAT or ACT is the better fit? A baseline diagnostic usually settles it in one session. Online ACT tutoring via Zoom is available if the drive to Carmel Valley does not work for your schedule.

Blake's tutoring packages

Same pricing in person at Carmel Valley or on Zoom.

Foundation: 6 hours, $2,250

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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 Encinitas families have said

"Both my son and daughter immediately enjoyed working with Blake in preparation for the SAT. Somehow Blake got them eagerly taking practice tests and learning steps to improve their test-taking skills. My daughter's SAT score enabled her to get accepted into one of the top colleges in the country."

Holly Vesper

"My son had private ACT tutoring with Blake over the summer to prepare for the September ACT. After a lot of hard work, my son's score improved from a 27 to a 32. Blake taught my son the strategies he needed to improve his scores and also helped my son develop his confidence in this type of test-taking."

Carolyn Whitehouse

See all SAT and ACT tutoring reviews.

Getting here from Encinitas

From central Encinitas near Encinitas Boulevard and I-5: take I-5 south about 9 miles to the Del Mar Heights Road exit, then right on High Bluff Drive. Plan on 15-18 minutes outside of peak traffic. From Olivenhain or Leucadia, add a few minutes. From Cardiff, the run down I-5 is slightly faster.

Address: 12625 High Bluff Dr. #113, San Diego, CA 92130. Enter the building, go down the stairs into the courtyard, and Blake's office is in the back right corner. Free parking and EV charging.

Get driving directions.

Other services available to Encinitas families

Encinitas SAT and ACT tutoring: common questions

Do you work with La Costa Canyon students?

Yes. We plan SAT and ACT prep around the LCC IB calendar. For most LCC students, starting in summer before junior year is the practical answer to the DP workload problem. We are familiar with how the IB schedule affects available study time and we build around it.

What about San Dieguito Academy students?

Yes. SDA's flexible schedule works well with our approach. Many SDA students start prep in summer and use it as a foundation for fall or winter test dates.

What about The Grauer School?

Yes. Blake has taught SAT prep for Grauer students in a school context and now works with Grauer students one-on-one. He understands the school's approach to college prep and how to connect it with what the SAT and ACT actually test.

When should an LCC IB student start SAT or ACT prep?

Summer before junior year, before the DP workload peaks. The students who start in October or November at LCC consistently wish they had started earlier. For non-IB Encinitas students, 10-12 weeks before a target test date is the practical minimum.

In-person sessions or Zoom?

Both work equally well. Many Encinitas families mix both: in-person on weekend mornings and online sessions during heavy school weeks. The prep content and Blake's approach are identical either way.

Do you work with students who have LD/ADHD or test anxiety?

Yes. Blake works regularly with LD/ADHD students on the SAT and the ACT, and with students managing test anxiety. Building predictable routines and specific strategies reduces the anxiety and focus problems that come with timed testing.

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Ready to get started?

The fastest path is a free 15-minute call or Zoom with Blake. He will walk you through what he would do with your student and give you an honest read on what score gains are realistic from your student's current baseline and timeline.

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