The Easiest Way To Get Big Bucks For College

So why do schools award merit scholarships to students based on test scores? It helps the schools! Many colleges and universities want to be ranked high on the US News and World Report annual ranking of top schools. One of the ways that schools move up in the rankings is to be more selective in who they admit. High standardized test scores are a key measure of selectivity. So if a school can attract students with high SAT or ACT scores, then they can move up in the rankings and become more elite. Schools will literally pay students who are good test takers to attend their institution!

With the cost of a college education at a private school averaging over $35,000 a year (some schools cost over $60,000 a year), every dollar counts. Many students are coming out of school today saddled with large student loans that will take them over a decade (or more) to pay off. This financial burden often limits their ability to invest in their future and gain financial independence. How many 20-somethings do you know who are still living at home and trying to pay off their student loan debt and save for the future? It does not have to be this way.

A few years ago we worked with a student I will call Jeremy. He was a bright boy who was bored in high school and did not put much effort into his studies. His grades reflected his apathy, and he had a GPA in the B- range. He was a good test taker and his mother signed him up for SAT prep in the fall of his junior year. He took the SAT and scored in the high 600s on his math and verbal test sections. He was interested in studying architecture, and one of his top choice schools had a merit scholarship for students with SAT scores over 650. Jeremy was awarded a merit scholarship of $15,000 a year for 4 years – a $60,000 award!

Jeremy’s family did not qualify for need based financial aid, but with younger children at home, paying over $30,000 a year for Jeremy’s tuition was not in the budget. Jeremy’s family was thrilled to get a 50% reduction in tuition. As his mom said: “SAT prep was the best money we ever spent. An investment of a few thousand dollars yielded a huge return!”

This is a story we have heard many times from middle class families we have worked with over the years. Increasing a student’s standardized test scores is one of the easiest ways to boost their college admissions chances and merit scholarship potential.

It is not just good test takers who benefit from test prep. Our average student sees a 200 point increase in their scores across the 3 sections of the test. By learning test taking techniques, reviewing content areas, uncovering the tricks of the test, and becoming accustomed to the pacing and timing of the test, students can see big increases in their scores. A high school GPA takes 4 years to build, and it is harder to increase quickly. A significant bump in SAT test scores can be achieved by investing 20-30 hours over the course of a student’s junior year. Many parents and students will agree that this is some of the best time and money spent in the college application process.

Don’t be fooled by rumors that some school are “test optional.” While the school may say that standardized test scores are “optional” they may still use the results of standardized tests to award merit scholarships.

A small investment today can pay off big for years to come!

Coming up next week: When should my child start preparing for college entrance exams?

Miss Anne founded Boston Tutoring Center in 2003 to help students with standardized test prep, academic tutoring, and private school entrance exam test prep. BTC has worked with hundreds of students over the past 14 years in the Boston area, and via Skype across the United States, and in Asia, Europe and Central America. Send your questions about education to Miss Anne at: bostontutoringcenter@rcn.com

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