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3 Considerations When Choosing an SAT or ACT Prep Program

Paying for college really starts in high school.  All those extra coaches, fees for lessons and expenses for tests are just the beginning of what is yet to come.  So how can you manage those expenses so you get the “biggest bang” for your buck?  One way is to choose a test prep program that meets your specific needs and allows your dollars to target that purpose.  After all, depending on where you live, prep programs can range from $30 an hour for standard tutoring all the way to $8400 for an annual package with some big name companies.  Each has their own benefits and drawbacks.

There are basically three different ways to engage in a test prep program.  The first is one-on-one tutoring specific to SAT or ACT, the second is a group delivery model and the third is an on-line tutorial which may be individual or group but involves a live video feed.  In order to choose one, you need to consider these factors:

1 – Timeline for Preparing – In an earlier blog I wrote about creating a timeline for working from the endpoint backwards.  That way you don’t miss deadlines for test registrations or college applications.  But as you select a test prep program, be sure you get the specifics about when classes occur, what happens if you miss a session due to illness or other school related obligations, and how does the instructor address your specific needs.  Will their schedule fit with yours?

2 – Cost vs. Benefit – What is the overall cost for a program and does it include a practice test?  How are practice test results used to structure the prep program or is it a generalized plan?  While there are no guarantees on any plan, you want to invest your time and energy in better understanding your own performance and getting the best possible score as an outcome.

3 – Consider Your Learning Style – Do you learn better through visual, auditory or kinesthetic modes?  How can you capitalize on other learning modes if your number memory is low?  The Highlands Ability Battery helps answer these questions and can assist in making an effective decision for selecting a test prep program, but how do the three delivery models address these modes of learning?

Choosing a test prep program may include conversations with student peers or parent booster groups when attending school functions, but when it comes time to select the one for you, be sure to consider these three factors.  If you need more information on the Highlands Ability Battery, contact me.  If you need more information about the programs in your home area, contact me.  Choose wisely, get the best result possible, and the “biggest bang” for your buck.

If you’ve had a good SAT or ACT prep experience, please comment here to share that with other parents and students.

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3 Tips for College Admissions Using Basic Etiquette

Have you seen the daily postings of “Do you remember this” on Facebook with photos of old products or tools that were used 10, 20, 40 years ago?  They take many of us back to an earlier time and the things we did or used on a daily basis. But for young people, they may seem irrelevant.  Much like Ann Landers, Emily Post or Miss Manners, wrote about social etiquette for syndicated publications for years, the new age has brought new terms and concerns.  Etiquette has now expanded to “Netiquette,” and the proper uses of the net in business, and I would expand that to say, “Your College Search.”

While many of our forms of communication have changed over the last 20 years with the Internet and cell phones, some of the old manners of business are still the best method to secure a positive outcome whether you are looking for a new job or seeking college admission.  Here are 3 Tips to help you in that process:

1 – Get Connected – When you make contact with an individual in an admissions office; get their name, a direct number you can reach them by phone for future questions, and an email address.  These are the first steps in building a relationship.

2 – Be Authentic – Don’t waste their time and yours.  If the school really isn’t an institution in which you could see yourself attending, don’t waste their time and yours.  Identify other schools that are a closer match to the experience you are looking to build.  The questions you ask should not have answers readily found on the school website, so do your homework.

3 – Be Polite – Use your manners each time you speak with someone in the admissions office and thank them for their time.  However, be sure to send a thank you note following an interview.  While email is good, handwritten is even better!

Basic etiquette is simple but it is so important.  It sends a message about your character, your attention to detail and your value of other people’s time.  Their time is valuable, but so is yours.  Make every effort count.  Get connected, be authentic, and be polite.  Basic etiquette still works wonders!

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Working Backwards

In spite of the highly publicized expense of college, the numbers of applicants is growing at an astounding rate.  The need for an education beyond high school is recognized, but the importance of preparing is often overlooked by the demands of a daily grind.  Too many times, students find themselves short of an opportunity because of a lack of planning.  So make a plan to plan backwards!  Start with the end in mind.

Juniors, you know you need to take the SAT, ACT or even PSAT.  You may even need a prep course to fine tune those skills or techniques for taking tests effectively.  Target your date of an exam, work backwards and allow enough time for taking that prep course.  Your plan may even include a follow up test with prep course in between the first “baseline” test.  Either way, the entire plan needs to be driven by the target date of submitting college applications and having test scores available.  It typically takes about 3 weeks to get scores after you sit for the SAT, ACT, or PSAT.

Seniors, you must have your timeline established.  You are in final test opportunity mode with only two fall dates left to register for the SAT and three for the ACT.  You’re also in college visit mode and completing applications.  The Common Application went live on-line the first week of August for those 2013 applicants, so essay questions are posted.  This is the time to begin planning your essay!

Although it is critcal for juniors and seniors to be carefully assessing their timeline, it is not too early for sophomores and freshman to begin their plan.  By building your plan with the end in mind, you can guard against missing deadlines and create great opportunities to build your “value” as a university applicant.  You also begin to establish a plan of behavior that pays big dividends as you navigate time management in college.  Work backwards…it works!

Need help?  Click here to contact me.