“Test makers pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into research and development to make the tests subtle and challenging.”
Spring is here. That means if you’re a high school senior planning on college you’ll be expecting news soon. Accepted? Not accepted? Accepted but can’t afford to go? It can be a stressful and emotional time. There are so many numbers to consider. Which numbers in particular? Your test scores.
How do college test scores relate to money and personal finance? Oh, let us count the ways…
Today there is a growing emphasis on test scores. Just as your FICO credit score impacts your credit card (or student loan) interest rates, your SAT (or GRE, LSAT, or other score) can dramatically impact your college choice.
If college is so important, is it equally important to pay for coaching when it comes to taking entrance exams? How much does this kind of service cost? Is it worth it? I spoke with Bara Sapir of Test Prep New York.
Bara, you offer test preparation services. It’s often said that education is the best investment. Why invest in test preparation?
One of the best investments is to invest in one’s self. Both education, and test prep, are part of a long term investment in you or your child’s future, with proven returns. College graduates earn on average 40% more than non-graduates. Many schools won’t even consider a student for acceptance, much less financial aid, unless the student’s score falls beyond a certain threshold.
Nothing prepares students for standardized admissions exams like formal test preparation courses and tutoring. Focused test prep is the ONLY means students have to gain a thorough understanding of the material, strategy and format of these tests, none of which are taught in school. School helps students to learn critical thinking and prepares them to pass tests containing straightforward informational questions. Standardized tests like the SAT don’t test knowledge or the ability to recall facts; rather, they require the test-taker to get into the mind of the test writer(s), to be alert to nuances of tone and point of view, and to pick not the factually “correct� answer but rather the “least worst� answer. Test makers pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into research and development to make the tests subtle and challenging. There is simply no way to prepare for one’s best performance on such a specialized task without specific training.
The test itself is a metaphor: part of the challenge is to simply stay on course—unwavering no matter what is thrown at them—similar to how they will need to perform in college and in their professional lives. If students go onto further education, the MCAT (verbal reasoning), GMAT, LSAT and GRE are even trickier…and metaphoric.
[Editor’s note: a similar metaphor could be said for personal finance. For example, chose an investment strategy and then stick with it even as, say, the market fluctuates.]
Why is test preparation an increasingly important part of the college application process?
From the viewpoint of an applicant, one wants to do everything possible to make sure that test scores advance – rather than hold back – one’s candidacy for admission. In today’s hyper competitive world of college admissions, being fully prepared for this pivotal test, mentally and emotionally, is more important than ever..
Note these important points:
(For example, Harvard said last week that it had received a record 27,278 applicants for its next freshman class. This is a 19 percent increase from last year. Of these applicants, Harvard accepts about 2000 students (less than 10%). Academically, 56% of the applicant pool scored 1400 or higher on SATs, almost 2,150 scored a perfect 800 on their SAT verbal test and more than 3,200 scored an 800 on the SAT math. Nearly 3,200 were valedictorians of their high school classes. Compare this with other reputable schools, like the University of California, whose acceptance rate is 23% and Hunter College in New York, 26%. At these schools (which are lower on the chain) you’re competing not only with students who want to get into the same schools you do, but with students who prepared themselves to be admitted to the toughest schools with the lowest admittance rate.)
Furthermore, for applicants seeking merit scholarships or financial aid, scores play a significant role in determining whether one will receive support. Prior to the 1990’s, scholarship money was awarded to athletic recruits and students in economic need. In comparison, today almost every competitive 4-year college awards scholarships to attract academic talent, and the measure of desirable academic talent is often the SAT / ACT score – particularly since colleges are aware that grades can be inflated.
What kind of budget should prospective students or parents prepare to spend on test preparation?
You get what you pay for. Bigger test preparation companies offer impersonal, template, one-size fits all approaches. These courses run between $1K-$2K for a group class, or $100-$200 an hour for a tutor. The results, and improvements, vary. The most efficient, effective route is customized training with highly trained test-prep professionals. Our rates range between $200-$400/hour. Usually these courses require far fewer hours and produce greater score improvement than old-school test prep.
What are the fiscal or other benefits of getting into one’s top school choice?
The investment in going to a top tier school pays off in the quality of education one receives, the connections one makes with future colleagues and the opening up of later opportunities in one’s academic and professional career. While the cost of a university education is a significant investment, a better school usually translates into higher career earnings ranging from the thousands to millions over a lifetime.
Anything else?
It is important to evaluate whether you need to solely master material or to get into the best headspace to take the test, or both.
If a student has test anxiety, low expectations, or trouble focusing, these factors can seriously impact his or her score. It’s crucial that a tutor is able to access the mental and emotional/psychological needs of a student. For some, test preparation is a band-aid used to get through the test. But that band-aid might not ‘stick’ on test day if a student is nervous, anxiety ridden or stressed out about their high-stakes test.
Our tutoring program is unique for two reasons: First, we are the only company to offer highly specific diagnosis and provide customized solutions for students whose scores have mysteriously ‘plateaued.’ Often, the reasons have to do with belief systems that are no longer useful or unproductive habits and behaviors holding back the student.
Second, our company also teaches methods to eliminate test anxiety and stress. This seems to be ignored by all the other companies despite its widespread debilitating effect on scores and performance. We’ve developed a product to address this problem: the Full Potential™ Audio series. This is a 5+ hour audio program created to optimize test-taking potential by enhancing retention, recall, concentration, and confidence for the test and for life. For a majority of our clients the full potential program and methods provide the crucial element to help clients score their best. And of course this investment is priceless.
Thanks for telling us more about the test preparation process, Bara. If you’d like more information on Bara’s products and services please go to Test Prep New York.
What do you think about paying for college test preparation? Is it worthwhile? Or are so-called “elite” schools simply elitist and not worth the added expense? Do tests really measure your potential for real-world success? Join the conversation in any of our university and college groups.
