SAT/ACT
Prep FAQs
FAQ #1: How should I schedule my student's sessions?
We recommend scheduling sessions once or twice a week, working backwards from your SAT or ACT test date. For example, if you are preparing for an ACT on October 24th, I'd recommend scheduling one session the week of October 18th, then one session the week of October 11th, then one session the week of October 4th, etc. The key is to allow enough time for students to complete required homework between each session. Don't know which test and/or test date to plan for? Schedule a free virtual introductory meeting
FAQ #2: Do I have to take both the SAT and ACT?
Thankfully, the answer is no! You only need to submit one of the two tests for college admissions. This means we can choose whichever test puts your student's "best foot forward" (presents your student at a higher percentile).
At "test optional" colleges, you technically are not required to submit an SAT or an ACT score. However, the most competitive applicants will still prep for & take the SAT or ACT. Once you've taken the exams, we can decide which colleges we
(1) should submit test scores to because they will strengthen a student's application for that college and
(2) should not submit test scores to because they will likely not strengthen a student's application.
FAQ #3: How do you choose between the SAT & ACT?
BEYOND is built to simplify the college admissions process as much as possible. Perhaps the easiest way to simplify college testing is to pick one test up front - the SAT or ACT - so that students aren't overwhelmed with the stress of prepping for both.
Greg has worked with over a thousand students during his 9 years coaching the SAT & ACT. In that time, he's learned how to quickly identify which test is likely best for a student. If you're unsure which test is best for your student, BEYOND offers an ACT/SAT Diagnostic session where Greg will recommend the SAT or ACT.
Please note that Greg's testing recommendations are predictions based on his experience & the information/data he's able to attain in the first tutoring session. With that information, Greg is generally able to make a confident recommendation either the SAT or ACT with high accuracy. However, given the multitude of factors that determine which test a student ultimately performs best upon, Greg cannot guarantee that the test he recommends after the first session is the best for them. Simplicity comes with trade-offs: by simplifying the testing process by choosing just one test up-front, we take the small risk that the other test may have been stronger if we'd have gone through the more complicated process of prepping for both exams.
FAQ #4: I want to prep for both the SAT and ACT to be 100% sure I know which test is best for me. Do you offer a dual SAT/ACT Prep Program?
Yes! While BEYOND offers a quick ACT/SAT Diagnostic session to simplify the testing process, some families like the certainty that comes from prepping for & trying both exams. If you'd like to prepare for both exams, please register for our GOLD Test Prep Program and Greg will adjust the use of sessions accordingly.
Please note that students who prep for both tests up-front typically end up taking the tests twice. The first round of combo SAT/ACT prep generally helps students confidently figure out the best test for them. Then, students tend to engage in a second round of prep targeting the specific test (SAT or ACT) that they know they're stronger at.
FAQ #5: I've heard I should take the SAT or ACT twice. Can I do that with your program?
Yes! In our efforts to simplify the testing process, all of our programs strive to provide the comprehensive support that maximizes the probability that students will reach their score improvement potential in one round of test prep.
However, many students, even if they see success on their first SAT or ACT attempt, will want to take the test again. Students tend to retake the SAT or ACT when (1) they scored higher on practice exams than they performed on the official exam, (2) they feel an improved test score will make them stronger for admission at their preferred campuses, or (3) they're just curious/optimistic that they might be able to pick up a few more points if they take the test second time.
FAQ #6: My student has test anxiety. How do you help with that?
Test anxiety is common among today's high school students. In his 9 years coaching the SAT & ACT, Greg has worked with many students in the quest to tame testing anxiety. Please be aware that test anxiety can come from a lot of different sources, not all of which can be addressed by a tutor.
At BEYOND, we strive to mitigate the degree of anxiety a student faces on their SAT or ACT by fostering an optimistic, encouraging atmosphere that boosts student confidence. The SAT & ACT are important, so most students believe the SAT/ACT have to be hard because they are important. Yes, the SAT & ACT can have some really hard questions, but the majority of the questions are approachable.
Greg's key strategy to mitigating test anxiety is to help students separate the test's importance from the test's difficulty. He coaches students with strategies that help them identify the simplicity & predictability of many exam questions, so they don't build the SAT or ACT up in their minds to be something bigger than it actually is.
FAQ #7: Have you ever worked with a student who has earned a perfect score?
It's a distinct privilege to get to work with students who achieve perfect scores. Often, students who achieve this goal are already tremendously brilliant. With the right coaching, these students grasp the exam quickly & deserve all the credit for their remarkable achievement.
In the past 4 years, Greg has supported 3 students who earned 36 ACT scores and 1 student who scored a 1590 SAT score (so close!). Perfection on the SAT or ACT is mixture of luck & preparation. While perfection is elusive, Greg supports many high achieving students, coaching over 50 students to 98th/99th percentile SAT or ACT scores.
Thankfully, we don't expect perfection from students on their SAT or ACTs. We expect them to give the test prep process their best, because their effort now is an investment in their possibilities in the future.
FAQ #8: Do you offer a guarantee?
At BEYOND, we believe firmly in the quality of our programs & the value that we provide families in the test prep process.
While BEYOND strives to give your student the very best teaching & support every day, we can't guarantee a specific improvement on the SAT or ACT exams. Unfortunately, some students struggle to retain information learned during the test prep process strongly enough to use that knowledge to recognize future question patterns on the SAT or ACT, a critical skill for the test prep process to be effective. In these instances, students can work exceptionally hard & still not see significant improvement. Since a student's ability to retain information & recognize patterns is a skill principally developed over their entire academic careers from K-12, we unfortunately cannot guarantee an improvement on the SAT or ACT.
While registering in a BEYOND program doesn't come with a score improvement guarantee, it does come with a commitment to do our best to help your student maximize his or her score improvement potential.
