SAT and ACT Tutoring in Encinitas

SAT & ACT Tutoring in Encinitas

If you're an Encinitas family looking for an SAT or ACT tutor, you have two formats to choose from: in-person at our Carmel Valley office (about 18 minutes south down I-5) or fully online via Zoom. Both work equally well, and the pricing's identical — pick whatever's easier on a Tuesday night.

Blake Jensen is the lead SAT/ACT tutor and has more than 15 years of experience. He's actually taught SAT classes at The Grauer School in Encinitas, which gives him a useful inside view of how the school's approach to college prep meshes with the test. We also work with students at La Costa Canyon High School, San Dieguito Academy, Sunset High School, Cathedral Catholic, Pacific Ridge School, and Encinitas-area homeschoolers.

Contact Blake for a free 15-minute consultation, or read on.

What we know about Encinitas families preparing for the SAT and ACT

Encinitas has more high school options than most North County cities, and the differences between them affect how we plan prep.

• La Costa Canyon High School (LCC) is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in the San Dieguito Union High School District, serving Encinitas, south Carlsbad, Leucadia, Olivenhain, and Cardiff. IB students have an unusually heavy fall workload, so we typically plan SAT/ACT prep around the IB internal-deadline rhythm.
• San Dieguito High School Academy (SDA) on Santa Fe Drive is the original SDUHSD school (established 1936) and operates as a "school of choice" alongside Canyon Crest Academy — meaning many SDA students chose to be there. SDA's college counseling is strong, but the school's flexible scheduling means SAT/ACT prep planning needs to be student-driven.
• The Grauer School is the only independent K–12 of its kind worldwide, located in Encinitas. Its college prep model emphasizes "Graduation Defense" presentations, depth over breadth, and individualized college planning — which has produced impressive college outcomes for the Class of 2026. We've taught SAT classes for Grauer and know how to map our prep into the Grauer experience.
• Sunset High School handles continuation-school students, where prep often looks different — we adjust accordingly.

What's true across all of Encinitas:

• The surf/sports balance is real. Encinitas kids juggle surf lineups, club soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse. Our weekly plans assume real schedules.
• The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce 2026 Salute to Education honored students from Canyon Crest, La Costa Canyon, San Dieguito Academy, Torrey Pines, and The Grauer School — a good snapshot of the schools Encinitas families consider in this college-prep ecosystem.
• Many families ultimately choose Zoom over the drive. Even at 18 minutes door-to-door, after-school commute traffic can stretch it; Zoom sessions work just as well.

Meet your tutor: Blake Jensen

Blake is a native San Diegan and former Division 1 basketball player (St. Mary's and Whittier), with nearly 20 years specializing in SAT and ACT. He's especially strong with student-athletes — he understands what it feels like to perform at a high level on a hard deadline.

His students have earned perfect ACT scores (36), opened doors to Ivy League programs, and pulled in more than $200,000 in merit scholarships across recent families. He recently coached a fencer to a perfect 36 to lock in a Johns Hopkins offer.

For Encinitas students, sessions can be in-person at Carmel Valley or fully Zoom — same content, same pricing.

SAT tutoring for Encinitas 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. Sessions are 100% one-on-one and built around what your student is specifically missing.

For LCC IB students, the SAT often hits when DP-level coursework is at its heaviest. We plan around that. For SDA and Grauer students, the SAT calendar is usually more flexible, but starting early still pays.

ACT tutoring for Encinitas students

The ACT is faster than the SAT and has a Science section that's really about reading charts and tables under time pressure. For LCC students with strong IB Sciences backgrounds, this section often comes naturally — we focus prep where the actual lift is.

If you're unsure between SAT and ACT, a baseline diagnostic answers the question in about an hour.

How our private tutoring works

1. Free 15-minute consultation. We talk baseline, target, school workload, timeline, and what hasn't worked yet.
2. Baseline + score-goal mapping. Recent score if you have one; diagnostic if you don't.
3. Pick a plan. Hourly for targeted help; packages for sustained gains over 12 weeks.
4. Weekly sessions in person or on Zoom. 60 or 90 minutes, once a week.
5. Customized homework. Missed questions drive next week's plan, so improvements compound.
6. Accountability between sessions. Quick text/email check-ins help students follow through during busy weeks.
7. Test-day readiness. As the test date approaches, we shift to pacing, endurance, and precision.

Blake's tutoring packages

Pricing is identical in-person or online.

Hourly rates for ACT tutoring range from $350–$375 per hour with package discounts.

Testimonials

"My son had private ACT tutoring with Blake over the summer, to prepare for the Sept ACT. To summarize, 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. My son found Blake to be a fun, intelligent and engaging tutor."

— Carolyn Whitehouse

"Both my son and daughter immediately enjoyed working with Blake in preparation for the SAT. They found him approachable, kind, positive and efficient with their time. 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

You can read 50+ more Google reviews for the Carmel Valley office, or visit our full reviews page.

Getting to our Carmel Valley office from Encinitas

From central Encinitas (near Encinitas Blvd. and I-5) it's roughly 9 miles south on I-5 to Del Mar Heights Rd. — about 15–18 minutes outside of peak traffic. From Olivenhain or Leucadia, add a few minutes. From the Cardiff side, it's a slightly faster shot down I-5.

The office is at 12625 High Bluff Dr. #113, San Diego, CA 92130, near the corner of Del Mar Heights Rd. and High Bluff Dr. Go down the stairs into the courtyard; Blake's office is in the back right corner. Driving directions.

Many Encinitas families default to Zoom on weeknights and reserve in-person for weekends or summer.

Encinitas SAT & ACT tutoring FAQ

Do you work with La Costa Canyon students?

Yes. LCC is a regular school for our students. We're familiar with the IB calendar and plan SAT/ACT prep around DP-year workload peaks.

Do you work with San Dieguito Academy (SDA) students?

Yes. SDA students often have flexible scheduling, which works well for our format. Many SDA students choose to start in summer before junior year.

What about The Grauer School?

Yes — Blake has taught SAT classes for Grauer in the past and is familiar with the school's college prep approach. We typically work with Grauer students 1-on-1 for SAT or ACT outside of any school programming.

Do you work with private school and Cathedral Catholic kids from Encinitas?

Yes. Many Encinitas families send kids to Cathedral Catholic or Pacific Ridge; we work with both regularly.

When should an Encinitas junior start SAT or ACT tutoring?

For LCC IB students, we recommend starting in summer before junior year to avoid the DP coursework peak. For other students, 10–12 weeks before a target test date is the rule of thumb.

Is it better to drive down or do Zoom?

Honestly, depends on the week. Both work. Zoom with screen-share is just as effective for SAT and ACT prep. Many families do a mix — in-person on lighter weeks, Zoom when school's intense.

Is Blake currently taking new SAT students?

Yes. (Matt Sheelen is not currently accepting new SAT students; Blake is your primary contact for in-person SAT and ACT tutoring.)

Ready to start?

The fastest next step is a free 15-minute consultation with Blake. We'll talk through your student's situation and tell you exactly what we'd do next.

Contact Blake