Tutoring generally provides students with additional knowledge and resources relevant to the subject(s) for which they are using a tutoring service, whether it be through a tutoring company or through a private tutor. Keep in mind that tutoring is not necessarily crucial for the success of a student. Several students have achieved amazing results with no tutoring, and those results have exceeded those of students who used a tutoring service. Some students seek tutoring as they may feel that they are not confident in particular areas of one (or more) subjects and wish to rectify such issues. In terms of how this is related to your ranks, lack of tutoring is not connected to lower ranks. Lower ranks occur due to the student performing at a lower standard compared to their peers, which may be the case irrespective of whether or not they receive tutoring.
To answer your question, it definitely is possible to maintain a high rank without tutoring. The factors involved in doing so are solely dependent on the student themselves, as follows:
- The student must have the will to do what it takes to ensure optimal performance. Favourable performance requires a long-term commitment, manifested in sustained effort, which requires a lot of determination in order to ultimately attain the student's desired goals.
- Once the student's mindset becomes clearly advantageous, the focus will shift to the academic position of the student. This depends on an effective study strategy/method/plan that allows the student to effectively understand, learn and manipulate the content across their respective subjects, and is therefore an important element to consider, regardless of whether you attend a selective school or whether you use a tutoring service.
- With respect to your question, and depending on your subjects, downloading good quality sets of notes may be a beneficial addition to your textbook as well as past exam papers as good quality notes tend to cover the syllabus of a particular subject in a direct and thorough, yet concise manner.
I hope this helps!