Should You Invest in ACT or SAT Prep Classes?
March 2nd, 2009 - by
Kitchen-Table Test Prep Questions – Should I invest in my child now?
Another sign of the tough economic times-parents are spending on test prep help for their college-bound children as never before. A number of recent articles in the national press have featured discussions of the brisk business that test prep companies are currently enjoying, in part, because of the troubled economy.
Many of our clients at Academic Approach, an education company that prepares students for the college admissions tests, have expressed the sentiment that they are “investing in their child’s future.” Parents don’t feel compelled to skimp at this stage of the process with admissions and financial aid scholarships more competitive than ever.
The Wall Street Journal corroborates this sentiment recently in an article entitled “Families seek help with college” reporting that some families significantly invest in test prep in order to increase their children’s chances of gaining admission not just to the top-tier schools but also access to the generous aid packages that those schools offer admitted students.
The kitchen-table questions that families are asking are: Is test prep a good investment? If so, what would be the best test prep strategy for my college-bound kid?
Though some students may be motivated enough to prepare on their own, others might need the structure of a test prep class, and still others might be best served by a personalized test prep tutoring program. A colleague who is a college counselor at a nearby prep school offers the analogy of how gym memberships are used by different people: some people are motivated enough to just go to the gym and workout on their own, some might need to enroll in a cardio-training class, and others would be best served by one-on-one sessions with a personal trainer.
The questions linger: What is the right thing for my child? How can parents determine what would work best for their child’s specific needs and aptitude?
Pragmatically speaking, we recommend that parents approach the test prep question by further informing themselves.
Of course, parents should consider test prep within the broader discussion of the entire college admissions process beginning a conversation with their child’s college counselor at school no later than March of the junior year in order to develop as realistic a sense as possible of how their child’s broader profile (transcripts, curriculum, test scores, co-curricular activities, etc.) compares to the profiles of students admitted in recent years to the schools that their child wants to attend.
We strongly urge parents be certain to carefully vet any test prep program that they are considering for their child in order to assure that it offers an approach to the tests that meets their child’s specific needs while also meeting best practices guidelines established by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors: familiarity with test question format; familiarity with test administration procedures; alignment with skills necessary to master college preparatory coursework; and instruction in basic study habits and skills.
Courtney Federle, PhD from The University of California, Berkeley, has taught at The University of Chicago and is currently working as a teacher and curriculum developer at Academic Approach.
Due to the piles of snow usually covering their home field, The University of of Maine at Presque Isle plays a schedule of almost entirely road games. They haven’t had a game at home since 2005. Most of their practices happen in a basketball gym. 