In your sights is the most important test of your high school career, the ACT. It’s reputation not only stems from the test itself, but from the torture of trying to prepare.
Devising a plan to prepare for the ACT can be a daunting task. With so many options, it is difficult to find the best path for success. There are tutors, classes, books and more, each with different pros and cons. Should one start preparing months in advance or cram at the last minute?For everyone it’s different. “ It depends on the type of student,” Judith Stahl, Seaholm’s college and career counselor said.
When it comes to preparing for the ACT, books are a popular choice. A few of the most popular books are Barron’s: How to Prepare for the ACT($16.99, Barnes and Noble), Kaplan’s ACT 2011- Strategies, Practice and Review ($19.99, Barnes and Noble), and Princeton Review: Cracking the ACT ($19.99, Barnes and Noble). “Princeton Review offers great test preparation books,” Stahl said. “Disciplined students can do it on their own.”
Each of these books offer tips and tricks to help students on test day, as well as practice questions and full-length tests. The only downside is, the motivation and progress are in the hands of the student.
Another option is classes. A step above books, but not quite the personalization of a tutor, classes are a good alternative. One popular class is offered by Princeton Review at Groves High School. The class is spread over several Saturday and Sunday sessions, and is eighteen hours total. This offers the help of an instructor, and a very comprehensive curriculum. However, classes are not beneficial for everyone.
“I couldn’t focus at all. My score didn’t even go up,” senior Lesley Hocking said.
An alternative to these are online classes, like the ones offered at ACTstudent.org. Online classes provide lots of helpful information, numerous practice tests, and diagnostics tests to help pinpoint a student’s trouble areas.For just $20, the classes are available to the student all year.
Often the most expensive option is a tutor. Of the most popular are Studypoint tutors that cost anywhere from $60/ hour to upwards of $150/hour.
Studypoint’s guarantee states, “If your child completes our 30-Hour ACT Program and doesn’t improve by at least 3 points, we will provide you with an additional 18 hours of ACT tutoring for free. Likewise, if your child completes our 24-Hour ACT Program and doesn’t improve by at least 2 points, we will provide you with an additional 18 hours of ACT tutoring for free.”
Kaplan tutors offer sessions between 20 and 40 hours at cost of $3000-$4000. Kaplan guarantees a higher score or your money back.
Princeton Review offers private 24 hour tutoring sessions that cost anywhere from $2000-$7000.
Princeton review doesn’t offer any guarantees, but they do pride themselves on offering, “a completely customized prep plan to address your specific learning style and goals.”
These tutoring sessions offer personalized help, and a focus on the individual strengths and weaknesses of the student. Having a tutor may be beneficial because they aid students by keeping them on a study schedule.
While the ACT is a crucial part of a student’s application, students should understand there are other factors colleges look at when evaluating students.
“Yes the ACT is important, but it’s more than just an ACT score,” counselor Toby Loukmas said.
Loukmas said colleges take a holistic approach to assessing a student, looking at factors and resume components beyond one standardized test score.
The University of Michigan Admissions Office web site states that “no test score or GPA will guarantee admission, and that the student’s entire application package is taken into consideration when making admissions decisions.”
