An important component of the college application process is the submission of a student’s college entrance exam scores, namely the SAT(Scholastic Aptitude Test) and/or the ACT(American College Test). These exams are meant to help admissions departments differentiate high school applicants’ readiness for college. To help support our sponsored high school students and best prepare them to sit for entrance exams, A Bridge for Kids (ABFK) has been able to fund a variety of resources such as an SAT/ACT Preparatory Program.
The SAT/ACT Preparatory Program, led by ABFK’s Executive Program Director, was created with the knowledge that low-income teens can not afford prep classes for these tests. The intent is to provide teens access to such classes, like those taken by their more affluent peers. Since these tests are competitive, this will help close a gap of disadvantage between families that are able to afford a preparatory program and those families that aren’t able to afford it. Having this opportunity available will also give low-income students a fair chance to receive scores they are capable of, accurately reflect their knowledge. and help them during the college admissions process.
Students may choose if they want to attend either an SAT or ACT 6-week tutoring session taught by Revolution Prep. Once chosen, a representative from Revolution Prep will help students sign up for the course. These courses are taken weekly and during a time that accommodates the student’s schedule. The classes are online and live which is beneficial for students because they can interact with the teacher and 6-8 other students in their same course sessions. Students attending are all very committed to these courses and attend each session as well as complete numerous homework assignments, take practice tests, and report their final scores on their exams.
Almost all the students, who have completed the class, have seen improvements in their scores, with some registering an increase of 250 points or more! With their improved scores, A Bridge for Kids scholars have been admitted to prestigious universities such as Yale, UCLA, Claremont Mckenna, Stanford, Brown, Princeton, Harvard and many more. Scholarships have also been readily offered to those with strong test scores.
In short, test prep classes are one of many ways ABFK helps “level the playing field” for the at-risk students it supports. If you would like more information on our SAT/ACT prep classes, please contact Randi Shanken at rshanken@abridgeforkids.org. If you would like to make a donation to support this program possible, please visit our website.