Advice Needed on ACT Prep Classes

Check with your daughter's school and see what they recommend. I used to teach a preparatory test for the ACT to high school students. I really think it was beneficial to them. It was a five week course after school. I have since retired and I do not think that the district does it any more. The JJC course might have too many high school students enrolled and your daughter might feel outranked by their age. That would be a decision you would have to make together. I think it is definitely worth your while to have her take some type of course introduction. It is very thorough and there is a book available that the students use to study and answer sample questions. It makes them think, reason and quickly answer and then go on to the next question. It is a good learning experience. Your daughter will gain confidence in taking a standardized test in a time limit situation which is a "trial" test only!

I see you haven't gotten many replies yet, so I'll try to add something.

At the very least, I think you could probably buy your own study guide and sample tests and she could work through them at home. This way, she won't be totally shocked on the day of the test & will have an idea of what to expect.

Back in the 90's, I used to do tutoring, including ACT & SAT prep. I don't know where you live, but I worked for a place called The Reading Tree. They have locations in Naperville, Plainfield and Downers Grove. They should be reasonably priced, and I would think you'd get smaller class sizes through their prep classes than some of the larger places. In fact, I see they have listings on their home page for prep classes. Check it out at www.readingtreelearning.com. They've been doing tutoring for a long time, and I would highly recommend their company.

Good luck to her!

My son took the ExcelEdge course to prep for the ACT. He improved 1 point from the practice. He took it a second time and went up another point. According to him, "The course made absolutely no difference". He is an average tester, despite having ADHD. My daughter will may be taking the same course this year as she is a poor tester (3.4 GPA). She has talked with several people that have taken various prep courses and all say the same thing as my son. But, if it boosts her confidence I'm all for it. I will leave the final decision up to her.

My daughter just left for college 2 weeks ago so this is a fresh topic with us. I talked to a neighbor before I had my daughter test. She had 2 boys. One took a review class & one did not. The one who did , did better. So, she sent the second to take a review class & retest & he raised his score the second time around. Because of her boys, I signed my daughter up for the class. She scored very high on her ACT. She was also an honors student but I think the review class helped her get over the anxiety of taking the test.

Her class was offered through the school, by Kaplan I believe. It was cheaper through the school but was still around $400. She recived an amazing review book & had homework to complete. Have your daughter check with her school counselor.

Good luck !

I took a prep class for the ACT when I was in high school (a hundred years ago :o)--1996)and found it beneficial. I did well on the test and felt a little more prepared than I would have, had I not taken the prep course. I took mine at another high school and can't remember how I found out about it. Maybe the high school has some suggestions?

There should be a book out there to help prep for ACT. www.kaptest.com is one website to check out. The colleges look at SAT tests as well.

Our high school reviewed with the kids. Not sure if it was an after school thing or not - my son didn't go to it but he tested very high anyway. It was out there in the 70's when I took it, and I wish I had studied for it.

C. T.

Dear J.,

I would highly recommend taking a prep class. The two "leaders" in the field are Kaplan and the Princeton Review. I'm sure that if you Google them, you will be able to find info on classes, locations, price, etc. I grew up on the east coast where everyone takes the SAT. I took the Princeton Review class and liked it a lot. It was actually fun, although it is very time consuming. They were good at teaching test-taking strategy and building confidence, so I think that your daughter would learn a lot there. They have you go and take actual old exams under exam conditions (this takes a few saturday mornings, so be forwarned) but it is a fantastic tool. When you go for the real thing, you've got lots of tests under your belt already. Plus, they use the results to pinpoint what areas you need more help on. They weren't cheap, I think between $1000 to $1500, but it is well worth it. If she does well on the test, it will open up lots more scholarship opportunities which will offset the cost of the prep-class. I would also say that unless you get a really good recommendation about a local class to go with a national chain. THey are "tried and true" so to speak. Best of luck!