I have two high school seniors headed to college next year. One kid has an appointment to the USNA (was nominated to USAFA but didn't apply). My (long) input relates to the other kid. We adopted her out of China in 1998. like many Chinese orphans, she'd had a rough go in a rural orphanage for the first 11mths of her life. Malnutrition early in life is a suspected cause of a diagnosed auditory processing disability for her. She is not a natural student, but over the years she's learned ways to compensate (she works harder).
While my "natural" kid was bagging 33-34 Act scores and going on recruiting visits to PAC12, Ivy, ACC, SWC, and NAVY my adopted daughter racked up a
16 !!on the ACT and carried a
2.9 GPA. We were getting her ready to accept going to a community college next year when my wife scheduled a trip up the road to Western Washington University (we live in Seattle). Western is a good school, my wife went there for undergrad (loved the place), and I don't think there is a better campus anywhere in the country.
My daughter decides Western is the ONLY place she wants to go to school. We talk to a counselor and learn that because she is technically a "first generation" to attend college, they give her a break on admissions. That said, even with lower entrance requirements she needed at least 3.2 GPA and a 23 on the ACT. The kid decides to buckle down and work to a goal of getting into Western. My wife starts in with "you can do it honey!!"; I'm thinking its good that she wants to take on the challenge, but we are gonna have a real tear-fest before this is over. So, while my other kid was getting tons of athletic and scholastic recognition, this girl puts her head down and runs her own race; no glory at its end like her sibling------just something she really wanted
I figured the grades thing could be done, like I said, she works hard--- she just needed to demand more from her teachers and find the guts to risk looking stupid in class by asking questions. She got her GPA up to a 3.18 for application submission. The ACT was a different matter; moving from a 16 to a 23 composite score means moving from the bottom 30% to the top 35% of those taking the test. Frankly, I didn't think she could do it, she is just not a "quick study". She worked hard on the ACT over her Jr year, then last August we were at a large dinner party; my daughter walks over gives me a hug, pulls me down to her 5'3" height, kisses me on the cheek and whispers that she scored a composite 25 on the Act. I had to leave the room for a moment, afraid that talking about what she'd done would have me balling in front of our guests.
The single most impactful thing she did was to find a service that allowed her to take a proctored and scored ACT .......EVERY WEEK! Almost every Saturday for 3 months before the "Real ACT" my daughter took a proctored and scored practice ACT test. Out of 10 such tests (at about $25 each) we paid an additional $60 for a tutors to review the test with her 5 or 6 times. No broad subject matter tutoring: it was more like "you missed questions #s 6-11, lets have a look at what they are testing for in that section and figure it out". Then next week she'd do it all again. The impact on my daughter was HUGE! It cured 80% of her test anxiety, and the rapid direct feedback she was getting on the tested material cemented the rules/material she was learning. Lastly, she got much better at understanding the test questions.
We found that most of the "ACT testing" offered on Craig list or Via Internet was part of a sales process intended to get you to buy generalized subject matter tutoring (meh). Asking around, among parents of classmates and team mates we were directed to small reputable company that made a business out of matching student athletes to colleges and scholarships. They were not the big internet scholarship brokers; a small local operation they worked with PSAs to find the right school, help build a Pkg and coach the kid in approaching/talking to NCAA coaches. Among their bag of services was help with ACT and SAT tests. They did 2 proctored ACT sessions every weekend. My daughter didn't need/buy the broader counseling services, she was just another butt in a chair for a practice exam they were doing anyway. The company we used was Varsity Sports Institute VSI (
www.go-vsi.com). Obviously you wouldn't use them, but a look at the site should give you an idea of what to look for in your locality. Not saying you should layout $ for the full boat of services of a company like VSI ---I am saying a company like VSI might be happy to let your son take weekly practice ACTs. I'll add that companies like VSI know which tutoring services actually deliver, (there is some real crap out there).
To finish the story; over thanksgiving she went out to get the mail and disappeared. We found her on the edge of her bed crying holding a BIG FAT early admission envelope from Western.
For what its worth my suggestion is to ATTACK the test, effort there will yield the highest score return. The BEST way to do that is to find a place/service that lets kids take regular weekly practice tests----there will be one or more where you live, you just have to find it.
BTW, someone said that managing time during the test was helpful. I agree. There is an ACT timer that graphically represents time remaining for each section of the test. It costs $48-$52( I think). They are totally legal and they do help. Just a glance tells the kid EXACTLY how much time remains in a section. Just search ACT timer on Amazon.
Besides offering my thanks to you for giving me the opportunity to tell the "Other Daughter's" story I'll add one more thing.
Looking back on what this kid did, I wish I'd spent more time along the way CELEBRATING the EFFORT. Its been real easy to rejoice in the win, but I should have been telling her along the way that I thought:
It took guts to challenge her self the way she did,
It took grace to let her sibling be the star without letting envy discourage her,
It took good judgment to find the tools she needed to succeed, and
It took effort and determination to get the job done.
Whether she got into Western Washington University or not, the traits she was exhibiting guarantee a happy successful life.
She knew what a 25 score meant, she knew she'd exceeded her own expectations. I wish I'd been the Dad who pointed out what a solid stud she was along the way. It might have made her step lighter on all those Saturday Mornings, and it would have made a 21 on the ACT less of a blow (had that happend)----Kinda talking to myself here.
Best of luck to your son
sorry for the long post