August 23, 2023
s test prep a student’s favorite thing to do? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
We know that test prep isn’t at the top of anyone’s most exciting things to do. Believe it or not, we get
it. Just because our passion is college prep and we love spending our weekends helping students
perform better on college entrance exams, we know we are in the minority.
The thing is, we feel strongly that test prep is an important part of any college-bound student’s journey.
After years of guiding thousands of students through this process, we continue to see the impact that a
strong SAT or ACT score has on their college acceptances and the amount of money they receive in
scholarships. Putting in the time and work to understand how to be a better test taker just pays off.
How Test Prep Helps Students
You may have heard the saying, practice makes perfect. Just like anything, the more you practice, the
better you get. An updated version of that saying is, practice makes progress. That’s exactly why we
recommend that students practice the SAT or ACT before taking the real test.
Taking a test prep course allows students to get comfortable with the format of the test this is unlike
most tests they have taken before. Test prep also helps students understand the types of questions that
they will encounter which could also be formatted and asked in a different language than they typically
see at school. An experienced test prep instructor will advise students on strategies for approaching
various types of test questions and walk through exercises that allow students to better understand the
test. We find that this not only helps students feel more prepared and confident on their test date, they
have a better idea of time pacing and see improved scores.
SAT and ACT test scores still matter
We have written about the importance of SAT and ACT scores before (like in this past blog) and we
continue to find that test scores are still important to our students who are college bound and applying
for scholarships. Although the test-optional admissions trend continues, we find that most students
looking at competitive or direct-admission programs need a test score and that test score still matters.
This is especially true for any students who plan to apply for merit-based scholarships to help pay for
the cost of college. In the state of Indiana, all Juniors are required to take the SAT and the score they
earn can impact the type of high school diploma they receive.
Fall Test Prep at Class 101
In Class 101’s experience offering Test Prep courses, we find that student test scores nearly always
increase. On average, Class 101 Test Prep students increased their ACT score by an average of 3.1
points. Students who took an SAT Test Prep course saw an average increase of 170 points on the SAT
from their baseline score.
Our Class 101 offices run virtual and in-person Test Prep workshops throughout the year to help
students as they prepare for tests. At each of our Test Prep workshops, we help students:
– Identify “top 10” trends
– Master SAT or ACT topics in targeted areas for greatest improvement
– Learn score-boosting strategies and techniques to increase overall score
– Gain confidence
– Increase chances of getting into selective colleges and universities
– Increase chances of merit-based scholarships to make college more affordable
Each course is 6 hours of test prep and includes:
– Classes taught by a live expert
– Study guide
– Interactive practice quizzes
– Personalized practice worksheets
Class 101’s September Test Prep Workshops
Join us at our next upcoming in-person and virtual Test Prep Workshops this September over three
days:
Fall Workshop 4: Sundays, September 10, 17, 24 | 1 – 2:50 pm
Fall Workshop 5: Sundays, September 10, 17, 24 | 3 – 4:50 pm
Fall Workshop 6: Tuesdays, September 12, 19, 26 | 6 – 7:50 pm
Fall Workshop 7: Mondays, September 11, 18, 25 | 6 -7:50 pm
Fall Workshop 8: Tuesdays, September 12, 19, 26 | 6 -7:50 pm
To learn more and to register, reach out to us at one of our locations:
Class 101 Brandon, FL | Class 101 Carmel, IN | Class 101 Bloomington, IN
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