Students face much more competition just to get into college:
At schools considered the “public Ivies” or flagship-caliber,
acceptance rates have been falling in a big way for years in
every region of the country. In 1990, the University of
Pennsylvania accepted 41 percent of applicants; today, it
accepts around 10.
Why? The U.S. has a larger population of
18- to 24-year-olds than it did before, and even lower-middle.
class jobs may require a bachelor’s degree now, so the
pressure is coming from several fronts. College Test Preparation has to be the new norm or your at a handicap.
Higher Competition.
Students also face more competition for scholarships: It stands
to reason that more students wing for roughly the same
number of spots would make it even harder to win money in
the form of merit-based and even need-based scholarships. It’s
no secret that college tuition has increased many times over
during the past few decades while financial aid has not kept
pace. Improved test scores may well mean winning a bigger
slice of the available pie now and bearing a lighter debt burden
later.
Why go into anything “Just Winging It?”
Why Do Student performance improves on any test after preparation and practice: Both allow test-
takers to lower their stress, build confidence, manage time pressure better, and generally
improve their scores. The research on that issue is already in. So ask yourself: Facing one
of the most important tests of their entire school careers, why would we even consider
letting our students “wing it”? Would you wing the interview for the job of your dreams?
College entrance exams can be at least that important to the lives of their dreams. Right
this minute, are you thinking that you didn’t prepare for your ACT or SAT? Well, see above; it’s a different world than where you come from.
Being Naturally Smart Does not Signify you can’t be better.
Strong high school students may still have knowledge or skills gaps: The U.S. educational system is
decentralized, unlike those in many other countries in the world, so curricula and performance
standards can vary widely. Some high schools may be innovating to the extent that their students
do not learn or practice certain skills enough, skills that are tested on the ACT or SAT. So preparing
for college exams can uncover and remedy those gaps before students trip over them in their
freshman or sophomore years in college.
Students tend to benefit greatly from targeted, one-on-one instruction in weak areas: Experienced,
individualized test preparation like that provided by MASTERS Plus can yield several benefits. First,
it diagnoses and systematically practices those weak areas to maximize test performance. Second,
it coaches students in critical test-taking strategies that also boost performance. Third, it forces
them to actually do the consistent work necessary to improve. Fourth, it encourages them to meet
the challenge and so gives them confidence on the actual test day. Tutors, of course, cannot wave
magic wands and change an 18 into a 36 in the space of a few months, but marked improvement
is possible when students work hard and apply what their tutors teach them.
Would you like support and feedback for your student(s) as they strive to meet high
expectations? Call (404)882-4018 today to enroll in our expert, individualized tutoring program.
Get Started with a free consultation schedule here > https://www.calendly.com/mptutors/15min
