Is ACT and SAT Test Preparation a Good Investment?
Ever wonder if an ACT or SAT test preparation course makes financial sense? It is certainly a great worthy question and exactly the one I had when I first started investigating courses . Here’s what my due diligence showed to me.
Virtually Every School has a Lower Limit for Acceptance
There is a lot more than bragging rights riding on your ACT and SAT scores! First, virtually every college and university requires that you meet or exceed a minimum score in order for you to be accepted . When looking at any university or college you can bet that the more competitiveprograms require higher scores still.
Do You Want to Pay Full Price or Would You Prefer a Discount?
So, it’s pretty common knowledge that there is a minimum score for acceptance you say? Well did you know that those stratospheric tuition fees you see on most university websites, especially private institutions are really just suggested retail prices?
Depending upon the college or university just a 1 point increase in your ACT scorecan reduce your tuition bill by $2,000 – $5,000 annually. Sounds incredible, I know but you can watch a 2 minute video here: The Truth About ACT Test Scores and Scholarships and see more than a dozen real world examples.
Fully Prepare for Maximum Return
Knowing that just a 1 point increase can translate into $10,000 to $20,000 in tuition reduction over four years I hope you will agree with me that it makes a lot of sense to prepare to the best of your abilityfor the test. So the next question is how to best prepare? For me, reading a book or even taking some online tests doesn’t seem to be enough when there is so much riding on just 3.5 hours. Think about it, we’re talking about $3,000 – $6,000 an hour! Let those numbers sink in and you’ll appreciate why I wanted to get the most from my investment of time and money. No, for me getting the help of a professional test preparation center made the most sense.
ACT and SAT Test Preparation Centers: What to Look For
The only remaining question for me was what to look for in a test prep course ? Again, after plenty of research I found these “must have”criteria:
1. Knowledge of your school’s curriculum. This is important because it allows you to focus on the holes and gaps that will be presentbetween your current education and what the ACT and SAT demand.
2. Small class size. The optimum seems to be around 8 students in the class in order to provide the right balance between peer to peer learning and individualized attention.
3. Fluid course style with attention to individual needs . Avoid centers that teach a canned course because it will likely not meet your particular needs.
4. Find an ACT/SAT test preparation location that focuses on both content and strategies. Doing well on the ACT and SAT is as much about how you take the test as it is what answers you supply.
In the end, I think you will find that a local, professional test preparation center that offers courses with individualized attention and provides a guarantee of improvement will be the best investment you will ever make.