Preparing for the ACT: worth the money?

Graphic by Jessica Lee Sources: Matthew Pietrafetta, www.glenbrook225.org, Sandi Ferguson, www.barnesandnoble.com
Graphic by Jessica Lee
Sources: Matthew Pietrafetta, www.glenbrook225.org, Sandi Ferguson, www.barnesandnoble.com

Preparing for the ACT is common for many students, and some parents are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for ACT tutors and classes.

Every week, junior C.C. Chatas said she sees an ACT tutor for an hour. When her father, John Chatas, was in high school, he took the SAT once with no preparation. But when it was time for his daughter to take the ACT, he, his wife and C.C. decided she should have a private tutor

“What’s college going to cost?” said John Chatas. “$50,000 to $60,000 a year? It’s a crazy amount of money. What’s $1,000 or $2,000 up front to ensure your kid’s got the best shot in getting to the place they want to?”

Robert Schaeffer, a public education director of FairTest, an organization against standardized tests that impede equal education, said the competitiveness and need to prepare students with the most expensive studying method is an “arms race.”

“Tests don’t add anything of value,” said Schaeffer. “[Students] should get on with their lives and spend time on extracurriculars and academics.”

According to Schaeffer, colleges emphasize the importance of rigorous academic classes and extracurriculars more than standardized tests, which is why over 800 colleges are test optional.

According to Academic Approach founder Matthew Pietrafetta, Academic Apporach tailors its tutoring to each student’s needs, including acadmeic knowledge on each subject and strategies on how to take the test. A session can cost anywhere between $140 and $250, depending on the tutor’s years of experience and the length of the session.

“Nobody thinks the ACT is an extremely meaningful reflection of a student’s ability or their intelligence, but it does help get you into college and that could mean a better job in the future,” said Academic Approach tutor Chris Call. “In some cases, having a higher ACT score might make you eligible for scholarships, and those scholarships are worth quite a bit of money. So spending a few thousand dollars on a tutor to get $50,000 in scholarships is a pretty good investment.”

Glenbrook North offers a cheaper preparation method. ACT classes taught by ExcelEdge will start in January, ending with enough time for students to take the April test. During a span of eight weeks, these two-hour-long classes once a week costs $296 in total.

“Seeking out a private tutor might give that student the option to concentrate on certain areas, whereas ExcelEdge covers all areas, which is what most of our students are looking for,” college counselor David Boyle said.

At Tutoring Resources, president Sandi Ferguson said its goal is to teach students how to analyze each question to maximize the student’s score.

“With scholarships and tuition reductions becoming more competitive as college tuition rises, I track graduates to ensure that the money they are awarded is commensurate with the ACT preparation fees we have received,” Ferguson said.

The initial evaluation at Tutoring Resources costs $200, which includes a sample test and  guidelines for what to study based on the results. Every session after costs $75 for 45 minutes.

C.C. said she chose a tutor because personal tutoring is specialized to her needs and helps her learn strategies she would not have found by herself.

According to John Chatas, the tutoring is worth the money.

“You don’t want your kid to be left out,” said John Chatas. “You don’t want your kid to be left behind. So as [a parent], especially in a place like Northbrook, which is super competitive, you want to make sure your kid has some measure of competitiveness with their peers.”

Schaeffer still disagrees.

“It’s an unnecessary waste of time and money,” Schaeffer said.