1.
Why is SAT test preparation important?
 College
applicants come from a variety of educational backgrounds.
When comparing three students from three different schools,
it is nearly impossible for an admissions committee to know
which student had the most challenging coursework: the student
who attended a large private school, the student who went
to a small public school, or the student who was home-schooled.
All three students might have earned an 'A' in American History,
but which teacher and which curriculum were the most demanding?
An 'A' in one school might very well be a 'C' in another school.
The SAT helps the admissions committee differentiate between
students because an SAT score is the single component that
all college applicants have in common. It allows an admission
officer to compare a student in Anchorage, Alaska to a student
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While grades, activities, experience,
and essays are all important factors of an application, your
son's or daughter's SAT score is the defining element of admission.
Fortunately,
the SAT is a "coachable" exam. The concepts tested
on the SAT are well-defined, and PowerScore has pinpointed
these concepts in our curriculum. Practice is the key to improved
performance with any sport, musical instrument, or academic
talent - and the same is true for your child's SAT performance.
Our courses are designed to maximize a student's practice
time with the most essential material and the best "coaches"
in the business. To give your son or daughter the edge on
admissions, give them the tools to succeed
2.
The
SAT isn't the most interesting subject matter. How do you
keep the students engaged?
Our instructors
work hard to make the courses interesting. We use games, contests,
and trivia to add a little fun to the courses, plus we hire
enthusiastic and energetic instructors who enjoy working with
teenagers.
3.
Who are the PowerScore instructors?
PowerScore
instructors are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds and
range from practicing attorneys and corporate executives to
college students and school teachers. Although all PowerScore
instructors have scored in the 95th percentile, receiving
this score is simply a prerequisite to gaining an interview
here. We select instructors for their friendliness and enthusiasm,
their ability to communicate ideas, and their passion for
teaching. Simply put, we want teachers who love to teach the
SAT and who enjoy the process of helping students achieve
their college goals. Our competitors with lower instructor
standards often claim that teachers with high scores don't
necessarily make the best instructors. We couldn't agree more,
and that's why we don't hire many of the qualified applicants
we interview (we reject over 90% of all applicants). When
selecting instructors, we also look for people who can patiently,
effectively, and humorously explain the ideas of our course,
people who can interact well with others in a classroom setting,
and those who truly enjoy leading a group. Finding instructors
like this isn't easy, and that's why we offer one of the highest
starting salaries in the industry. In addition, we put our
instructors through a rigorous training program before they
ever set foot in a real class.
4.
How many students are in a PowerScore SAT class?
Our average
class size is 8 to 14 students, depending on the size of the
city and popularity of the test date. We try to cap all SAT
courses at 20 to 25 students.
5.
How old do you have to be to take a PowerScore class?
There
is no age restriction; our customers have ranged from middle
school students who are preparing for the Duke TIP program
to high school graduates who postponed their college education.
We do, however, expect all students to have completed basic
Algebra and Geometry.
 6.
Will PowerScore provide my child with any help during the
college application process?
As SAT
experts, we naturally provide help for our students in all
areas of the applications process. We continually counsel
students on such topics as writing admissions essays, securing
solid recommendations, and choosing schools for application
and attendance. We extend these services to all of our students
both past and present, and in fact many students take advantage
of our help after their SAT course ends. For students desiring
intensive help, we offer several comprehensive admissions
counseling programs.
7.
Which class should my son or daughter take? The Full-Length
Course or the Weekend Course?
We encourage
students to take the full-length course because it was designed
around the time it takes to teach all of the techniques that
are needed to excel on the SAT. At forty hours of class time,
the full-length course includes many more hours than the short
course, as well as more material, more homework, and more
access to help from PowerScore instructors. The full-length
course guarantees more exposure to SAT questions and instruction,
thereby guaranteeing a higher score increase. It also includes
an SAT Hotline, proctored practice tests, and extensive supplemental
material in the Online Student Center.
The Weekend
Course is a condensed version of our full-length session.
Obviously, we cannot cover as much information as in the full-length
course, nor go into as much depth with certain concepts. Still,
it is a great review course for a student who cannot commit
the time to a full session, provided the student is willing
to practice independently once the course is over. Students
who take the Weekend Course should have enough self-discipline
to take multiple practice tests both before and after the
course.
In the
final analysis, the decision comes down to your teenager's
schedule, motivation, and learning style. We believe both
courses are beneficial, but every child has different learning
needs and abilities. If your son or daughter can't spare the
time for the full-length course, then the Weekend Course is
a great option. On the other hand, if your teenager needs
more structure and adult-guided homework and practice, then
the full-length course will prove the most successful.
8.
Can my teenager really learn the entire SAT in a Weekend Class?
No, but
the Weekend Course is much more than a single weekend of work.
Students are required to complete pre-course preparation material
before class, and to complete homework and practice tests
in the weeks after the course. The weekend of live instruction
ties all the components together, but the entire “course”
spans several weeks of preparation. Can your child learn to
master the SAT by taking one of our Weekend Courses? Absolutely.
9.
Should my child purchase tutoring or take a class?
Tutoring
offers the most time-efficient way to prepare for the SAT.
By working with an instructor one-on-one, your child receives
individual attention to pinpoint specific strengths and weaknesses,
rather than covering a prescribed curriculum at a predetermined
pace in the classroom. Tutoring is extremely beneficial when
your child has only one or two areas of difficulty, such as
with geometry or probability. The tutor can create a course
of study that covers only geometry and probability, eliminating
the portions of the curriculum covering grammar, reading comprehension,
algebra, and the other tested subjects. Tutoring is also convenient
for students who have busy schedules and cannot attend on
the dates of a course, as most instructors have flexible schedules
and can meet in the evenings and on the weekends if necessary.
However, the full-length course is the most cost-efficient
way to cover all concepts tested on the SAT, and should be
selected by any student who wants to thoroughly review the
entire test. If needed, tutoring can be purchased after the
full-length course to aggressively pursue concepts that still
present difficulties.
10.
Is there a deadline to enroll?
There
is no official deadline to sign up for our courses, but classes
do close due to size limitations. We recommend enrolling at
least two to three weeks prior to the course in order to ensure
a seat is available. If you know that your child is going
to sign up for a class but you have not yet paid the deposit,
you can always give us a call and we will place a courtesy
hold on a space for your child. The hold will ensure that
a space in the class is still available when your deposit
arrives.
11.
Will I lose my entire payment if my son or daughter withdraws
from the course before it starts?
No. The
payment for our SAT course is fully refundable minus a $50
processing fee if you notify us in writing at least ten (10)
business days prior to the start of the course.
12.
Can my student transfer between PowerScore course locations?
Yes. If
your child needs to begin classes at one location and finish
at another location, he or she can transfer between courses.
All that we require is adequate notice of the transfer so
that we can have class materials for the student at the new
location. Students can also transfer from one course date
to another, provided we receive notice in writing at least
ten (10) business days prior to the start of the original
course.
13.
How does the Score Increase Guarantee work?
PowerScore
is so confident our courses work that we guarantee your child's
score will improve on the SAT. The requirements for the guarantee
are slightly different for the Full-length and Weekend Courses.
 Students
who enroll in the Weekend Course are guaranteed a 150 point
increase. Because we do not give practice tests in the weekend
class, this increase has to be from one official SAT taken
prior to the course to the official SAT taken after the course.
Students must attend the entire weekend course, complete all
eight practice tests in "The Official Study Guide for
the New SAT," and submit their official score reports
to PowerScore. If these conditions are all met and the student's
score did not increase by 150 points or more, the student
can repeat the Weekend Course for free at any location within
one year of the original enrollment. Please note that this
guarantee is not applicable to a student who has scored higher
than 2300 on the official SAT.
The Full-Length
SAT Course guarantees a 300 point score increase! We give
four proctored practice tests in the full-length course, so
we use the first one as the "before" score and either
the last one or the official SAT as the "after"
score (whichever is higher). To take advantage of the guarantee,
students must attend all 40 hours of class, complete all of
the homework (it ranges from 40 minutes to 80 minutes per
lesson), and submit their official SAT score report to PowerScore.
If these conditions are all met and the student's score did
not increase by 300 points or more, the student can repeat
the Full-Length Course for free at any location within one
year of the original enrollment. Please note that this guarantee
is not applicable to a student who scores higher than 2300
on the first practice test.
14.
What is the PowerScore class repeat policy?
If your
child would like to retake a PowerScore SAT class, but does
not qualify for the guarantee, we offer greatly-reduced rates
for our former students. Students who have completed a Weekend
Course can retake the class for $150. They can also receive
a $100 discount off the cost of the Full-Length SAT Course.
Full-length students who complete the 40 hour course can retake
the same class for $275, or take a Weekend Course for $250.
These fees include a new set of course books.
15.
Is financial aid available for PowerScore’s SAT courses?
We have
various payment plans so that you do not have the burden of
paying the full amount at one time. A $100 deposit is required
to save a space in the course; the balance is due the day
before class begins, and can be paid at any time, in any increment,
between your child's registration and the first day of class.
If you need more time to make payments, please call our office
to discuss other payment plans.
16.
What if my child misses a class in the full-length course?
PowerScore
understands that today's high school students lead very active
lives. Between athletics, clubs, hobbies, and academics, some
students miss an SAT class on occasion. Our recommendation
for home study depends on the type of class missed. If you
child misses a Practice Test, please give the test at home
in a quiet room and under timed conditions. You can find the
directions at the beginning of each test's answer sheets.
Should your child miss a Test Review, we ask that you review
the incorrect answers from the test with your son or daughter.
If there are any problems that the two of you do not understand
together, have your child contact the Homework Hotline. One
of our instructors will be happy to explain the correct answers.
Finally, if your student misses an actual Lesson, we ask that
the lesson is read and reviewed before the next class. Again,
if there are any questions about the concepts, problems sets,
or correct answers in the Lesson, use the Homework Hotline
to contact one of our instructors.
17.
Do I have to pay a materials fee in addition to the course
tuition?
No. Unlike
some other courses, there is no additional materials fee for
any of our courses. The course tuition that you pay includes
all materials, which are yours to keep once the course has
ended.
18.
Should we buy another study book to use before classes start?
In general,
you do not need to buy other books because our courses provide
comprehensive preparation for the SAT. In class your son or
daughter will learn the optimal techniques for attacking the
test, and each lesson contains homework assignments and course
supplements to hone their skills. Also, remember that students
will receive "The Official Study Guide for the New SAT"
free with their enrollment in any PowerScore SAT course.
19.
Does my child receive computer assistance as part of the PowerScore
SAT course?
Yes. All
students in the PowerScore SAT Courses have access to our
Online Student Center, where practice tests can be scored
and exclusive course supplements are accessed.
20.
How long do we have access to this site?
Student
access will automatically terminate two weeks after the SAT
administration. However, if you call our offices, we can reinstate
your son or daughter in the system for the following SAT administration.
So, for example, if they are taking a course that is in preparation
for the October SAT, their access will end two weeks after
the October test. You can call PowerScore at (800) 545-1750
to receive additional access until two weeks after the November
SAT. There is no free access after this point, but if they
are taking the SAT at a later date access can be granted for
a small administrative fee.
21.
Do you have classes for SAT Subject Tests?
No. PowerScore
recommends that your child take these tests immediately upon
the completion of his or her corresponding high school course,
as long as the course offered a challenging curriculum and
your child performed well in the class. For example, a student
should take the SAT Chemistry Test just before or just after
they finish their high school chemistry class, which is typically
at the end of the school year. Grade level and age are not
a factor.
22.
Can my child take your SAT courses to prepare for the PSAT?
Yes! With
the exception of the essay, all other concepts and question
types on the SAT are identical to those on the PSAT.
23.
Does PowerScore register my student for the SAT?
No. PowerScore
cannot register your son or daughter for the test because
the registration process requires confidential information;
he or she must register with the College Board. You can help
them register online at www.collegeboard.com,
or through the mail by picking up a registration packet at
their school's Guidance Office. Standby registration at the
test center is available to students who miss the deadline,
but admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis as long
as space permits.
We recommend
registering online. Your child's scores will be posted to
their online account just two weeks after the completion of
the test. You can also download their essay and the essay
prompt. Students who enroll by mail have to wait to receive
their scores by mail or pay the additional $11 for their scores
by phone.
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