Avoid the unethical tricks test prep companies use to dupe you.
s your child planning on going to college? If you answered yes, then just about the best thing you could ever do is enroll them in an SAT/ACT/CLT prep class. And that’s because these tests are not just essential for college entrance, they are instrumental in determining who gets the scholarship offers. To get the best score you possibly can is crucially important since most colleges have abandoned the test optional policy; 85% of colleges award places and money based solely on your result. The higher the score—the more money you get! A college’s prestige and national rankings are based on test scores, so it’s as important for your student to go to a great school, as it is for the college to attract the best students.
The cost of these all-important prep classes varies from a couple of hundred dollars to a jaw-dropping five-digit price tag. But as they say, buyers beware if you believe that the more you pay the better the course. It’s simply not true. So, to help you, here’s ten questions to ask when you are researching a test prep class or program:
- What is the reputation of the company?
Paid Reviews: Have you investigated their background and read independent reviews about their claims as well as the overall satisfaction from past participants? Has the company won awards or been featured favorably in the media? Hint: The best ones win industry awards, are featured in the media and have hundreds if not thousands of verifiable, authentic (and even dazzling) reviews.
College Prep Genius has been featured on Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, TXA21, WE, CW33, ION, Smart Woman, UShopTV and the Homeschool Channel and has won 30 unsolicited awards.
- Who writes the diagnostic test? Is it the same test for the beginning as well as the end?
Deceptive Diagnostic Test: Similarly, many companies create a hard (made up) diagnostic test for students to take as a baseline score in the beginning of the program/course/book. It is usually very difficult, and students tend to score low. After they have completed the program, students take another test, usually much easier (made-up) and different than the first one. They often score much better and feel proud and confident that they have improved, but results cannot be compared to an actual test. The fake test design is skewed in the company’s favor.
College Prep Genius has students take the College Board test #1 before starting our program and the same one again after they have completed the program, quizzes, and homework which gives a fair assessment of any improvement.
- Can you rely on the experience of the teachers?
Unscrupulous Practices: Don’t just believe the hype. Be willing to ask what college the teachers attended and what test score they received. Hint: Some dishonest companies have been caught boasting that their teachers come from top colleges when in fact, on occasion this has been untrue.
College Prep Genius’ instructors are professional and have personally experienced high-test scores themselves or their children who went through the class.
- What materials will be used for the students to practice with?
Wrong Info: Many test prep companies use practice tests that are unreliable and irrelevant to the real test; they don’t follow the actual patterns found on the real tests. Rarely do these tests help students learn the logic and recurring patterns that can only be found on actual tests. So, if you are going to the trouble of getting test-prep help, make sure the company you choose uses reliable materials. You can’t study for these tests but you must study the tests themselves and how the questions are written and answered. Since you only get around a minute per question, students spend 2-3 minutes working out problems the long way, which will burn up the clock. Once you understand the recurring patterns found on every test, you can learn to answer questions in 30 seconds or less.
College Prep Genius’ homework practice questions are from the test makers themselves, which are free.
- What is the format of what is taught in the class? I.e., Are they teaching more math concepts and lists upon lists of vocabulary words?
One thing that surprises most people is that the SAT and similar tests do not actually test your high school knowledge. You will be required to answer questions that are based on the familiar concepts of high school lessons, but are really testing your critical thinking, logic and ability to get through as many of the large number of questions as you can in a short amount of time. Many programs emphasize re-learning high school content by memorizing thousands of vocabulary words and focusing on more math concepts. If this were helpful, then everyone with a GPA of 4.0 would automatically scoop all the best scholarships. Test-taking is different skill set not taught in most schools and homes. Hint: While you cannot study content for these tests, you can prepare yourself by learning the recurring patterns in the tests themselves, and how you can answer questions in 30 seconds or less.
College Prep Genius teaches the hidden patterns on the test so students can discern the wrong answers first and eliminate them so as not to
overthink or second-guess themselves. It takes time to learn test-taking techniques and practice correctly, solidifying the information to apply appropriately. Accuracy before speed! These tests are based on logic, reasoning, and critical thinking.
- What exactly does their guarantee entail?
Nitty-gritty: I could sum this one up easily: Check the fine print! The operators of many of the expensive courses offer a money-back guarantee if a student’s score doesn’t improve beyond a certain range. While this sounds like a great deal in principle, it may not be easy to make a claim. To qualify, your student will most likely have to attend every single class and turn in every single bit of homework. This is usually unrealistic and where they’ll sting you because there is usually so much work that most students simply cannot complete it because of their already busy schedules; if they do comply, they are usually offered to take the same class again which ironically didn’t help the first time.
This goes along with the initial fake diagnostic test and then the different test taken once the course is finished. Companies can point to these as an “improvement” but the fact the student did not score well at the actual test was probably due to a lack of studying. Also, some high schools that contract with these schools are given special versions of the course and often don’t offer a guarantee. Hint: Know how your investment is protected.
College Prep Genius has taught tens of thousands of students how to ace standardized tests. Students have raised their SATs between 300-700 points, ACT between 4-11 points and the CLT between 11-26 points!
- Why do some students receive free classes from companies while most parents pay big bucks for the class?
Unreliable Testimonials: Here’s a ploy you really need to be aware of: Some companies pay a fee to receive sophomore PSAT scores from certain zip codes. They then find the students who have scored high, naturally, and then offer them free classes. If the student scores high, National Merit range, as a
junior, the company gets the credit, making them not a true testimonial. I would feel more confident about their program if they offered the lowest scoring students a chance to improve at no cost. So, rather than proving that the test-prep was of great benefit to the student, the overall statistics of the prep course are artificially inflated. . Hint: You might want to be curious about how the company awards free tuition.
College Prep Genius‘s testimonials have all been given to us by legitimate, volunteering families. We have also never paid for any of them. We have thousands of written ones and numerous life-changing videos.
- Do schools/organizations receive any kickbacks for promoting their company?
Distorted Reputation: There are expensive test prep companies that will give money, sometimes under the table (e.g., for sports/PTA) to schools for every student they recommend for their program. While this is the way affiliate programs often work, in my case, schools won’t let my effective and affordable program in because of the no-profit margin for them. There should be options.
College Prep Genius has always been an effective and affordable program so almost everyone could afford it. We are not out to gouge anyone but love seeing students, of all economic backgrounds, reach test success!
- Does the program work on the CLT?
Forgotten CLT Prep: The test taking the testing world by storm is absent in most test prep companies or taught incorrectly. This alternative to the SAT/ACT and has been around since 2015. The test is raising the standard of testing following western traditions and incorporating classic work from various time periods. During the 2020 test cancellations, colleges were accepting the CLT in lieu of the SAT/ACT since it was already proctored
remotely. Their enrollment increased by 5000% weekly. We have a specific CLT program created with an actual test given to us by them.
College Prep Genius is the official test prep of the CLT. They partnered in 2017. Many of our students have raised their CLT score as much as 26 points! Our homework practice test questions are also exclusively sanctioned from the CLT and used to reinforce strategies learned in the classroom.
- Does the company promote the junior year as the premier time to start considering college entrance exams?
Hysteria ensues: Parents are often told to have their students engage in test prep in the junior year. Unfortunately, in most cases, these students are already overwhelmed with school, homework, part-time job, sports, clubs, volunteering, friends, church, etc. There is less time to improve and self correct mistakes. Test prep companies take advantage of the stress and panic families are feeling and charge more money because they can get it.
College Prep Genius highly recommends that students start early, even middle school. This puts time on their side, and it helps the student lessen the test anxiety and gain test maturity. It takes time to solidify the information so it can be applied appropriately. You cannot get time back!
BOTTOM-LINE: The SAT/ACT/CLT exams are designed for carelessness since most students will rush to answer questions quickly with so little time to finish if they don’t know the shortcuts and strategies. This leads to low scores and more school debt since the higher the score, the more money they get!
No matter which test prep course you enroll in, and no matter how much it costs, it is like gym membership: If you don’t do the work then it just adds up to a pile of wasted money! It is however, reassuring to know this: The SAT, PSAT, CLT and ACT are tests of logic and critical-thinking and are tests that can be beaten. There is a wrong way to approach the preparation and there is the correct way. When you do it right, the rewards will follow, and your child will find it far easier to succeed. There are reputable programs that cut to the chase and teach the right information to help many students reach test success, regardless of their economic situation. To excel in sports, an athlete must practice to win a game. Standardized tests are really just like games. And when you learn to play the right way—you can win, big time!
