ISEE tutoring at EDUBUS is built for students in Irvine and the surrounding Orange County cities who are applying to private schools that require or accept the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). The program covers all four official levels and all six entry grades, from Primary 2 through Upper Level, in two formats: one-on-one sessions and a small-group fall class. This page explains who each format suits, what a tutoring plan covers, how sessions are scheduled around the three testing seasons, and what the packages cost.
Who ISEE tutoring is for
This section explains which students are served by one-on-one tutoring and which by the small-group class.
| Student | Recommended format | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Applying to grades 2, 3 or 4 (Primary 2, 3 and 4) | One-on-one only | Reading level and attention span vary widely at this age; pace and materials are set for the individual student |
| Applying to grades 5 through 12 (Lower, Middle and Upper Level) with one or two weaker sections | One-on-one, or the fall class plus one-on-one | Sessions concentrate on the sections that the placement assessment or a practice test identifies |
| Applying to grades 5 through 12 and suited to a group pace | Small-group fall class | 17 weeks, one module or all three, with the online learning system between sessions |
| Preparing outside the fall class dates, or with a schedule that changes week to week | One-on-one | Sessions are scheduled around the family’s availability, in person or online |
ISEE tutoring — Two formats: one-on-one and small-group
This section compares the two formats on levels, schedule and location.
| One-on-one tutoring | Small-group fall class | |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | Primary 2 through Upper Level | Lower, Middle and Upper Level |
| Schedule | Set with the family; sessions may be added or moved | Once a week for 17 weeks in the fall |
| Where | EDUBUS teaching center, 720 Roosevelt, Irvine, or online | In person in Irvine |
| Content | All five areas: vocabulary, reading, writing, mathematics and logic; emphasis follows the assessment | Three modules: Verbal Reasoning; Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Reasoning with Mathematics Achievement |
| Practice between sessions | EDUBUS online learning system | EDUBUS online learning system |
Prices for the fall class and the online learning system are on the ISEE courses page. Tutoring prices are listed below.
What a ISEE tutoring plan covers
This section lists the areas a plan can include and links to the section guides.
- Vocabulary: synonyms and sentence completion for the Verbal Reasoning section. See the Verbal Reasoning guide.
- Reading: passage types, question types and timing for Reading Comprehension. See the Reading Comprehension guide.
- Mathematics and logic: word problems and quantitative comparisons in Quantitative Reasoning, and the curriculum-based Mathematics Achievement section. See the Quantitative Reasoning guide and the Mathematics Achievement guide.
- Writing: the 30-minute essay, which is not scored but is sent to schools with the score report. See the essay guide.
- Primary levels: reading and mathematics, plus Auditory Comprehension at Primary 2, taught with materials matched to the student’s reading level. See the Primary 2, Primary 3 and Primary 4 guides.
The emphasis of a plan follows the placement assessment. A student who reads at grade level but loses points on quantitative comparisons spends most sessions on mathematics and logic; a student whose vocabulary lags spends more time on word study and reading.
ISEE tutoring: Scheduling around the three testing seasons
This section explains how the test calendar shapes the start date of tutoring.
Each school year has three ISEE testing seasons, and a student may test at most once per season, for a maximum of three times per school year.
| Season | Months | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | August to November | The main season for fall applications; most Irvine families test first in this season |
| Winter | December to March | A retake window, and the last opportunity to meet January application deadlines |
| Spring/Summer | April to July | Mid-year transfer applications, or early practice for the next application cycle |
Scores for online tests are usually released in 3 to 5 days and scores for paper tests in 5 to 10 days. A tutoring plan therefore works backward from the school’s deadline: the test date is chosen so that scores arrive in time, and the start date is set by the number of sessions the assessment shows to be needed. Students who follow a structured schedule may use the 12-week plan as the frame for their sessions.
ISEE tutoring: The process
This section describes the four steps every tutoring plan follows.
- Placement assessment. A free assessment establishes the level, the current standing in each section and, for Primary students, reading level and attention span. Families may book it before enrolling.
- Plan and target scores. Advisors review the requirements of each target school, set section targets, choose the testing season and recommend the number of hours.
- Sessions and practice. Tutoring sessions are combined with section practice in the EDUBUS online learning system. Full-length practice tests are scheduled at each stage, and the error report guides the next sessions.
- Testing and applications. The student registers for the chosen season and tests. Families on the combined plan continue with application support from the same team.
ISEE tutoring: Pricing
This section lists the tutoring packages. Prices are from the EDUBUS 2026-27 course guide and are confirmed at enrollment.
| Package | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Trial lesson | 1 hour | $150 |
| Starter package | 20 hours | $3,000 |
| Standard package | 50 hours | $6,500 |
| Comprehensive package | 100 hours | $12,000 |
All packages may be used in person, online or in a combination of the two. The placement assessment is free and does not require enrollment.
ISEE tutoring: Where sessions take place
This section gives the in-person location and the online option.
In-person sessions are held at the EDUBUS teaching center at 720 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620, in the Northwood area. Online sessions use the same tutors and the same materials and are scheduled in the family’s time zone. Families in Newport Beach, Tustin, Lake Forest and other Orange County cities may choose either format or alternate between them.
Bilingual families and Orange County school requirements
This section addresses two situations common among Irvine families.
- English is not the student’s first language. The Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension sections depend on academic vocabulary and reading speed. Tutoring plans for these students begin with vocabulary and reading before timed practice; the guide for students whose first language is not English explains the sequence.
- Which schools require the ISEE. Requirements differ by school and by entry grade. The Orange County schools page lists the schools that accept the ISEE, with entry grades and the level each grade requires; the scores guide explains how schools read the score report.
ISEE Tutoring in Irvine: Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours of ISEE tutoring does an Irvine student usually need?
It depends on the level, the starting point and the time left before the testing season, which is why every plan begins with a placement assessment rather than a fixed hour count. EDUBUS offers packages of 20, 50 and 100 hours; the assessment shows which sections need work and how many sessions fit before the target test date.
Does EDUBUS offer ISEE tutoring near Irvine in person, or only online?
Both. In-person sessions take place at the EDUBUS teaching center at 720 Roosevelt in Irvine, and the same tutors teach online for families elsewhere in Orange County or with tight schedules. Families may combine the two formats within one package.
Why do Irvine students applying to grades 2, 3 or 4 receive only one-on-one tutoring?
At the Primary 2, 3 and 4 levels, students differ widely in reading level and attention span, so a small class moving at one pace serves few of them well. One-on-one sessions let the tutor set the pace, the reading materials and the session length for the individual student.
When should an Orange County family start ISEE tutoring for a fall application?
The fall testing season runs from August to November, and most Irvine families take their first test in this season. The placement assessment sets the start date by working backward from the chosen test date and the improvement needed in each section; for the 12-week structure that EDUBUS uses for Lower, Middle and Upper Level students, see the 12-week plan.
Can an Irvine student combine ISEE tutoring with the EDUBUS fall class?
Yes. Students at the Lower level and above may take the 17-week fall class for one or all three modules and add one-on-one sessions for the sections that the placement assessment or a practice test shows to be weakest. Both formats use the EDUBUS online learning system for practice between sessions.
How does EDUBUS match ISEE tutoring to the requirements of Orange County private schools?
The plan is built around the target schools. Advisors review each school's testing requirement and deadline, set the section targets accordingly, and schedule the test season so that scores arrive before the school's deadline. The Orange County schools that accept the ISEE are listed on the schools page, with entry grades and the level each grade requires.
