For Immediate Release
Contact: Jason Sholl
Assistant Director, Private Tutoring Services, Inc.
(561) 338-3811

ACT © TAKES CENTER STAGE FOR SOME TEST-TAKING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

-College-Bound Can Submit More Than SAT © Scores-

BOCA RATON, Fla., August 14, 2008-In the alphabet soup of acronyms that are part of today's competitive college admissions process, there's one that's often overlooked and can be used to advantage by high school test-taking students, says a leading southern Florida educator.

That's the ACT ©, which is administered by ACT ©, Inc. and was previously known as the American College Testing program. It is a standardized testing alternative to the SAT © (Scholastic Achievement Test).

Although the SAT © remains the dominant test, all four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the ACT ©. So, while the SAT © often takes center stage, high school students may also want to consider taking the ACT ©, advises Private Tutoring Services, Inc., of Boca Raton, Florida.

More Options

"The major differences between the ACT © and SAT © are there are fewer sections on the ACT ©, and each section is longer," says Private Tutoring Services' assistant director, Jason Sholl. "This is a great feature for students who have test-taking anxiety and tend to freeze up when time is short. Also, it never hurts to have more options in reporting scores."

The ACT ©, he says, tests more what students have learned in school, whereas the SAT © is more a test of general reasoning ability. Many educators feel that the ACT © tests more "textbook" material, whereas the SAT © tests more logic and reasoning.

While studying for the SAT © is often mostly a question of mastering strategy, it's possible to study the material on the ACT ©, he says. This makes the ACT © a good fit for students who do well in school but find standardized tests challenging.

The SAT © tests only math, reading and writing skills, while the ACT © also has a science section. Guessing is penalized on the SAT ©, but not on the ACT ©, Sholl reports. Also, students registering for the ACT © should be sure to sign up for the ACT © Writing Test. Even though it's an optional component, many colleges require it, Sholl notes.

Not for Everyone

The ACT © is not for everyone, though, he cautions. Many students, after trying both tests, decide that they are, in fact, more comfortable with the SAT ©. Neither test is the "easier one," and nationally students perform equally on both tests, he says. Nationwide, about a third of students who take both tests do better on the SAT ©, about a third do better on the ACT ©, and about a third do the same, he says.

Adding a second test into the college admissions mix puts more pressure on college-bound high schools students during the regular school year. That's why Sholl's firm advises interested students to start practicing for the ACT © in August-when school's out and educational pressures are not as heavy as during the regular school year-just as they should also start practicing for better SAT © scores during the summer.

The ACT © is given this year on September 13, October 25, and December 13. Since none of the test dates overlap with the SAT ©, students do not need to choose one test or the other, but should keep their options open by taking both. Registration deadlines are typically a month in advance.

A "Coachable" Test

The ACT ©, like the SAT ©, is a "coachable" test, in that practice and preparation make a difference, says Sholl, whose firm has helped hundreds of students gain college admission over the past two decades. Free official information on the ACT ©, including a complete practice test and scoring diagnostic, is available from the testmaker, as well as registration deadlines and testing locations, he notes.

Popular testing locations can fill up fast, he says, so students should plan ahead and register early. Parents and students should recognize that most experts agree it takes at least eight weeks of regular application to see the full increase to scores of which students are capable.

As with other standardized tests, there are a wide range of preparation options, from relatively inexpensive group courses to highly specialized private tutors who will customize programs tailored to specific students' strong and weak points and work around the students' schedules, Sholl says. When looking for a tutor, students and parents should ask for credentials and references, and, most importantly, make sure the personality is a good fit student, he says.

Private Tutoring Services, Inc.

Parents and students can obtain more details about the ACT © and other testing resources, materials and academic strategies at no cost by contacting jsholl@earthlink.net or by writing or calling Jason Sholl, Assistant Director, Private Tutoring Services, 1703 Avenida del Sol, Boca Raton, FL 33432, (561) 338-3811 More information is available at: www.privatetutoringservices.com

Private Tutoring Services, with headquarters in Boca Raton, has served students throughout Palm Beach County, including West Palm Beach, Wellington, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens, since 1989.

#