In 2011, students who lived in household earning less than $40,000 per year earned 323 fewer points on the SAT than those students who lived in households earning $200,000+. Don't believe me? Here are the statistics. Those against paid test prep would blame the test prep companies, saying that they are elitist - that only the sons and daughters of the rich can afford to take pricey prep classes designed to help students ace the SAT. The stats certainly seem to uphold their claim, but does that mean that test prep companies don't care about low-income students?
Hardly.
College Spring, a non-profit organization based in California, aims to get rid of the negative commentary altogether with their SAT prep and college counseling services for low-income and first generation students. They provide 80 hours of SAT instruction, four proctored practice exams along with mentoring and tutoring for the students who need it most.
Many other companies offer free SAT test prep, too, and the College Board, the makers of the SAT, even has free resources for students who need it as well. What's a bit different about College Spring, though, is their commitment to college readiness, which walks hand-in-hand with SAT prep. It doesn't make too much sense to get a kid ready for the SAT and leave him or her to travel alone when the college application process begins.
Non-profits exist to help those kids who want a chance at acing the SAT, but don't have the resources to manage a pricey class. College Spring, although relatively new on the test prep scene, is doing their part to help the cause. Bravo!
New this week in Test Prep:
Comments