Hello Curvebreakers and NickTheTutor family! I am proud to say we have grown to over 100,000 strong across various media platforms and I can only attribute that to you! As we continue to grow I will continue to reach out to all of you on a daily and weekly basis through my various social media platforms.
That said, I wanted to give some advice to the Class of 2022 and 2023 when it comes to preparing for and taking SAT/ACT exams.
Many companies and individuals are advising students during this difficult time, and I wanted to make sure to clarify where I stand on what students can and should be doing going forward.
Parents and students need to be aware that most large test prep companies try to herd students in a particular direction for self serving reasons. It makes it easier on the company when everyone is taking the same path as there is no requirement for the company to vary their services and tailor it to the individual. Our promise is that we will never take that approach with our valued clients – whether that be with individual students, families, or school districts.
“At this time more than ever, students need someone in their corner giving them individualized advice.”
Telling students that they should start their prep with the December ACT or March SAT is simply wrong on many fronts. Each student is an individual – we have individual schedules, responsibilities, obligations, and time tables. It would be a shame to tell a student who has spring sport obligations to start their SAT prep with the March SAT at the height of their extracurricular responsibility.
In fact, with lesser options and uncertainty it is more important than ever for students to be flexible in their testing schedule, and for their support system to be flexible as well. At this time more than ever, students need someone in their corner giving them individualized advice. For example, some students may not have the opportunity or need to take the SAT in this environment. For those students, test optional is a great option. For most other students, studying for and taking these tests is paramount. That said, we strive to give each student honest and valued advice rather than try to push every single person to the same path.
I hope that as parents, students, and educators we can put our minds together to find what will work for each student. The days of all students following the same path have been over for years and more so now than ever, students need to look at their individual goals to plan out what test they should take and when. This not only saves time, but money.
Also, it would be remiss if I did not also add that the idea of taking both the SAT and ACT in the official setting before deciding which test to then continue to prepare for is not only an incredible waste of time but very bad for the student and family. Of course no student wants to go into the test unprepared, so you would have to prepare for both tests. You would then spend time and money preparing for a test you ultimately will not be submitting to a college. I could go into a long list of alternative reasons why this is poor advice but I will leave those be for now.
The better plan would be to take a diagnostic of both the SAT and ACT in a controlled setting either at home or with a live proctor via zoom or in office when things open up. Then, discuss those results with an expert and come up with a plan of action with dates, deadlines, and timelines with an expert. This approach is efficient, effective, and builds confidence.
Long gone are the days of “take the March SAT.” That is the same recycled advice I received in high school in 2003. The new era is upon us, and we are here to guide you to success.