The Two Biggest Things Parents Can do to Help Their Kids with Test Prep

Father helping daughter with test prep decisions on laptop

Father helping daughter with test prep decisions at laptopThe following is a guest post by David Recine, a testing expert at Magoosh

Your kids grow up so fast, don’t they? Sometimes it feels like they were just in grade school or junior high. And now, suddenly, they’re on the precipice of adulthood, trying to get into a good school. You want to help out now… but helping someone enter adulthood is a lot harder than helping someone enter kindergarten, or even helping them learn to drive a car.

As parents, it’s good to understand your role in helping your son or daughter get into a good school. What can you do? What should you do? Let’s look at two big things you can do to help.

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50-50 Highlights: Test Optional Colleges

Erasing a mistake on a test representing test optional collegesStudents everywhere who struggle with standardized tests appreciate the increasing number of test optional colleges. However, it’s important to understand that there isn’t any one definition of “test optional.” Furthermore, just because a college states that it’s test optional for admissions doesn’t mean that tests aren’t required for scholarships or course placement. So be sure to check out the colleges for their specific requirements.

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How to Find Colleges that Give Tuition Coupons

woman entering coupon code representing colleges that give tuition couponsWhat, you say you’ve never seen a tuition coupon? Just because nobody has ever actually held one in her hands doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You know how you start getting coupons for movers and home stores when you change your address? Or after you visit a website online, you start getting discount offers from them in your Facebook feed? Well, it’s possible to get a coupon for $10,000 or $15,000 off your college tuition if you pick the right college.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges with Highest Test Scores

Block spelling SAT representing colleges with highest test scores

Blocks spelling SATWith all of the negative perceptions associated with college testing (ACT and SAT), why would I bother to use them to rank 50-50 schools? The most basic reason is that despite the efforts of groups like FairTest.org, the SAT/ACT are still a fact of life for most high school students.

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50-50 Highlights: A+ Colleges for B Students

Apple with A+ representing colleges for B students

apple with a+ representing colleges for B studentsIf you want to see everything available in the spreadsheet that I use to create the 50-50 list, check out the sample spreadsheet.

When we hear college rankings, we tend to think of a listing of the “best” colleges, especially since US News College Rankings helps us along with its rankings every fall. Yet, even US News recognizes that not everyone can get into the “best” colleges and these less qualified students are just as deserving of a quality education. So it has created its A+ Schools for B Students list.

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5 Simple Ways to Get Smart About the SAT, ACT, and Test Prep

testing score sheet representing what you need to know about college test prep

test answer sheet representing ways to learn about test prepIf you’re planning on applying to college, you need to get smart about the SAT, ACT, and test prep. Why? Because understanding college admissions testing allows you to make the right choices about which college admission tests to take, how to prepare for them, or if you should even take the tests at all. And remember that students with test scores in upper quartile of freshman test scores are likely to receive more generous merit aid

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FAQ: What is a good ACT score?

College student asking What is a good ACT score?

Postit note asking What is a good ACT score?The ACT test has four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, each scored on a scare of 1 to 36. The ACT also calculates a composite score which is an average of all four test. The single composite score is generally used when discussing ACT scores. However, the total of all four scores, 144, is used by organizations such as the NCAA.

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5 Steps to a Successful Junior Year

Success in stepsThe following is a guest post on junior year college planning by Jessica Socheski, a higher education writer.

Your junior year of high school is one of the most exciting seasons because this is when college preparation really kicks into high gear. Eleventh grade is the perfect time to explore career paths, visit colleges and complete your standardized tests (i.e. SAT and/or ACT). There are many opportunities and a lot of information that will be thrown at you in this year. But with a clear guide of what to do and what not to worry about, you’ll be able to successfully navigate your junior year.

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6 Keys to an Effective ACT Study Plan

Time to plan
This is a guest post by Mark Skoskiewicz, founder and managing tutor of MyGuru.com. Based on his extensive experience preparing students for the ACT, Mark offers the following advise for students self-studying for the ACT.

Let’s face it – the ACT is an important test. If you’ve decided to take (or enroll your child in) a good ACT prep class or hire a good ACT tutor, you’ll hopefully have a solid study plan developed for you that will work well enough.

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