We often hear the idea that, in business, it is difficult to be all things to all people. But undaunted, in addition to comprehensive classes and private tutoring, Inspiring Test Preparation is now offering this ultimate preparation solution to a select group: high-scoring procrastinators. The solution is the one-day bootcamp for ACT or SAT.
This summer Inspiring Test Preparation held three classes to help students get ready for the ACT. In July we held a three-week class that covered both ACT and SAT, and in August students chose between a three-week class dedicated to the ACT and a six-week class to prepare for both tests. Altogether 22 students participated in the classes and we have heard from ten class students so far. We also provided one-on-one preparation for over twenty students but not all took the September ACT.
Of ten class students providing full scores, we saw an average gain of 3.7 points on the composite with a beginning average of 28 and an ending score of 31.7. (A four point gain in the composite is like a 140 point gain on the new SAT.)
| ID | CLASS | DATE | DIAGNOSTIC | COMPOSITE BEFORE | SEPTEMBER SCORES | COMPOSITE SEPT | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACT/SAT | AUG | 30E 29M 31RC 27S | 29 | 36E 29M 33RC 30S | 32 | 3 |
| 2 | ACT | AUG | 25E 20M 28RC 25S | 25 | 35E 24M 35RC 27S | 30 | 5 |
| 3 | ACT | AUG | 29E 25M 30RC 24S | 27 | 35E 27M 33RC 27S | 31 | 4 |
| 4 | ACT | AUG | 25E 24M 24$C 30S | 31 | 31E 35M 35RC 24S | 34 | 3 |
| 5 | ACT/SAT | JUNE | 28E 31M 30RC 29S | 30 | 36E 34M 32RC 32S | 34 | 4 |
| 6 | ACT/SAT | JULY | 21E 32M 22RC 25S | 25 | 30E 35M 24RC 33S | 31 | 6 |
| 7 | ACT/SAT | AUG | 26E 32M 30RC 25S | 28 | 35E 34M 30RC 26S | 31 | 3 |
| 8 | ACT/SAT | AUG | 29E 29M 34RC 26S | 30 | 36E 33M 35RC 34S | 35 | 5 |
| 9 | ACT/SAT | AUG | 23E 24M 27RC 29S | 26 | 29E 27M 33RC 26S | 29 | 3 |
| 10 | ACT | AUG | 31E 24M 34RC 26S | 29 | 34E 27M 31RC 27S | 30 | 1 |
| DIAGNOSTIC AVE | 28 | SEPTEMBER AVE | 31.7 | 3.7 pt gain | |||
| RANGE | 25-31 | 29-35 | 1-6 pts |
Red eyes? Sneezing, coughing, ears itchi
ng? Tired, can’t stay awake, ADD medication doesn’t help?
Fall allergy season is fast approaching in Washington Metro DC, just in time for the fall ACT, SAT, and PSAT. Nasty allergens will make my students and me miserable. September is typically ragweed season, bringing with it runny noses, itchy throats, and fatigue. Typically people take medication that makes them drowsy or foggy headed; this is not a great recipe for test taking success.
With a week’s advance action, however, sufferers can relieve their symptoms without side effects; now is the time for allergy sufferers to prepare for the assault.
Maybe to call it “bait and switch” is extreme, but we are pretty annoyed. Last fall College Board introduced the redesigned PSAT and SAT, and released the scores in January 2016. At the time, it seemed as if all of the juniors we talked to were doing better on the new test, but we work with small numbers of students and figured that the new (and radically different) test was just better-suited to these individuals. This was also the perception of counselors we spoke to at various schools. Many of these same students also took an ACT in the fall with Inspiring Test Prep and in some cases, based on a comparison of 2015 PSAT scores and percentiles to the ACT diagnostic, we recommended they take the SAT, instead of the ACT.