Setting a Goal
March 8, 2022Get Smarter Prep

Setting A Goal

It’s one of the main questions we ask every single one of our students before we start any kind of ACT prep. What’s your goal? Why do you want that goal? Is it because you’re trying to get into a certain college or are you trying to obtain a scholarship? Either way, having a goal in mind makes it a lot easier to distinguish what to do and what not to do when students start preparing for the ACT.

When do I choose a goal?

As soon as possible. Keep in mind, that may look different for every student. However, for the majority of students the best time to start preparing is the end of sophomore year or beginning of Junior year. It also depends on your academics and which classes you’ve already taken in high school. The math portion of the ACT is heavy in Algebra, so if a student is taking Algebra II as a sophomore, then end of your sophomore year is a perfect time to start. If you are a Junior and taking Algebra II, then the end of your Junior year is more appropriate.

If you already have a college or university in mind and know what type of ACT score you need for admittance, then you might be a step ahead of everyone else. Or, if you need a certain ACT score for a scholarship, that is a fantastic reason to reach your goal!

The best way to start preparing early is to take a Free Practice Test to establish a baseline score. We offer those every Saturday morning at Get Smarter Prep. Once you have a baseline, we can determine how best to prepare for the ACT. Some students may need a full 15-hour Private Tutorial to reach the highest score possible. Other students are a good fit for one of our Standard or Advanced Courses. We won’t know how best to prepare until a baseline is established, so take advantage of our practice tests.

Why set a goal?

Setting a goal is one of the most assured ways of meeting a goal. A Harvard Business study revealed amazing statistics relating to goal setting and success. The study found that 14% who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals. Go ahead and write down your goals and then share them with your tutor, parents, and those who are supportive of your goals.

Is my goal realistic?

That depends. Are you willing to shift activities around to accommodate sessions, complete homework, and put in the effort? Our tutors have seen increases up to 12+ points for students who are dedicated to their goals. If a student only wants a 2-3 point increase, the same dedication applies to the student who wants a larger increase, it may just look a little different. It depends on the level of tutor, the length of test prep, and if students are willing to put in the work to meet or exceed their goals.

If you’re having a difficult time setting a goal or don’t know what a good goal should be, then contact us. We are happy to help students figure out what an appropriate goal is for them and work towards reaching that goal!

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ACT Accommodations
February 22, 2022Get Smarter Prep

ACT Testing Accommodations

At Get Smarter Prep, we understand some students may have testing accommodations to be used on the ACT. Our tutors are happy to allow those accommodations with proof of official ACT accommodations, IEP documentation or 504 plan.  We will honor those accommodations on the ACT Practice Test, Midterm, and Final as well as how our tutors instruct their students with official documentation.

We want what’s best for our students, which is why ask for documentation (official email from ACT) prior to testing or tutoring. If you don’t have an official email from ACT yet, we will make exceptions for current accommodations in high school such as an IEP or 504 plan. However, it is the students’ and/or parents’ responsibility to set up testing accommodations from ACT.

You can see the ACT Policy for Requesting Accommodations Here as well as the ACT Accommodations Eligibility Requirements Here.

Common Accommodations:

  • Extended time.
  • Computer use for essays.
  • Extra and extended breaks.
  • Reading accommodations (like an audio test format)
  • Use of a four-function calculator for math sections.
  • Multiple-day testing.
  • Small group setting.

ACT Private Tutoring is the best option for students with testing accommodations. Private Tutoring is designed for students who need more time to grasp ACT strategies, manage time within their allotted time frame and/or better understand how to maximize their accommodations. Students will take three proctored Practice Tests with Private Tutoring all with ACT accommodations.

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Get Smarter Prep Partners with Tamara Day
November 17, 2021Get Smarter Prep

Get Smarter Prep Partners with Tamara Day

Get Smarter Prep today announced a new partnership with Tamara Day. This partnership will help local students and parents meet and exceed their goals for college by learning proper techniques and methods to study better, retain knowledge, and prepare for their future.

“We are thrilled to work with the Day family and help the boys reach their educational goals,” says Caleb Pierce, President at Get Smarter Prep. “The college prep process can be confusing for most families, and we are glad that our amazing team can be a reliable resource to families.”

“My husband and I work full time, and with four kids, our evenings were total chaos between homework, practices, and events. Homework was by far the most stressful part.,” says Tamara Day, Host of HGTV’s Bargain Mansions and Owner of Growing Days. “Get Smarter Prep has lifted that weight off of our shoulders. We know our boys are getting the guidance they need, and our world is peaceful again!”

By working with Tamara, we hope to help even more students reach their potential by understanding the college prep process and clearly identify steps they need to take in high school to make college preparation not only understandable, but more importantly, attainable.

About Get Smarter Prep:

At Get Smarter Prep, our goal is to customize students learning experiences to help them score better, and the techniques and methods we teach will help students going forward into college. Our tutors help build up confidence, beat test anxiety, and identify strengths & areas students want to improve.

About Tamara Day:

Designer Tamara Day is a purveyor of the glam and cozy. This busy wife and mother of four styles for the spirited home, mixing glam, comfort, and family. Tamara’s sense of style and eye for what works has created an insatiable demand for her interior design expertise, furniture and décor. On HGTV’s Bargain Mansions, Tamara and her crew transform big, old houses that she finds at bargain prices. Tamara also owns Growing Days, her interior design, furniture, décor and lifestyle business.

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Start Preparing for the ACT Now
October 27, 2021Get Smarter Prep

When to START preparing for the ACT

When should I start preparing for the ACT? That’s a great question and it’s different for everyone for a multitude of reasons, but for this blog’s sake, we are going to generalize when students should start the process.

There are a number of ACT test dates throughout the year, and some are closer in dates than others and can feel like they are back-to-back. Take the June and July test. These test dates are only 5 weeks apart. The state of Kansas offers the ACT to every public-school Junior on March 1st, but the next national test date is April 2nd. So, when should students start preparing for the ACT?

Students should start preparing for the ACT 4-12 weeks prior to the test date. That doesn’t mean start mid-March for the April 2nd ACT. Three weeks of private tutoring is not a sufficient amount of time to reach your goals. Let’s say a student wants to jump from a 21 composite score to a 25-26 composite score. Three weeks of private tutoring won’t do it! Plus, that puts a lot of pressure on the student! Start preparing three months in advance so you won’t have to rush, you can pick up the strategies your tutor is implementing, and you can fully understand the timing aspect of the test.

ACT Test Dates - Prepare Now

Prepare!

If you no clue what you might get on an ACT, take a free practice test. We offer them every Saturday morning! It’s a great way to establish a baseline score and see what you might score on an actual ACT. Once you have a baseline score, our college experts can determine the amount of assistance you will need to meet your goals. For anything over a 4-5 point increase, a 12 week tutorial would be your best bet.

Our tutors understand that life happens and test dates sneak up on you. That’s why we do offer shorter tutorials such as 4,6 or 8 week tutorials. We see excellent results with shorter tutorials as well, but if you can prepare as much as possible, why wouldn’t you?

We also offer an ACT Prep Course. This course is designed for students who enjoy a small classroom setting (between 3-6 students) and feel comfortable learning with a other students scoring in a similar ACT range, specifically between a 19-26 composite score.

Bottom line: look at the ACT test dates that would be a good fit for you, decide on a date, take a look at the calendar and make sure you give yourself enough time to fit in a full tutorial (4-12 weeks depending on goals).

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August 25, 2021Get Smarter Prep

ACT Prep

It’s that time of the year again. School is starting, students are getting back into the swing of things, the weather is starting to cool down (okay maybe yet not in the Kansas City metro) and students are starting to think about the next step towards college. To be honest, that’s going to look different for freshman that it is for sophomores than it is for juniors and last, but not least, seniors. We’ve put together a road map to college as a visual to guide students through their high school career. Not sure where to start? Look at the roadmap.

Road Map to College

Freshman Year

A great place to begin is by building a resume as a freshman. Keep track of your classes, make notes of the courses you liked and didn’t like, put a star next to your favorite teacher. Your resume doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect and polished, but make sure you take notes. You’ll thank yourself in three years.

Sophomore Year

As a sophomore, your classes may start getting a bit more difficult and the thought of college a little closer. How best to prepare? Keep going. Keep taking classes that challenge you and keep getting good grades. Join a club, volunteer, try out for a sport. Keep in mind, you should be including all of these opportunities in your resume. If you’ve taken Algebra II as a sophomore, the end of the school year is a good time to start thinking about the ACT. You can take a practice ACT test at Get Smarter Prep to establish a baseline score. We offer Free Practice ACT tests every Saturday morning.

Junior Year – ACT Prep

Okay, we’re going to say it: Your Junior year of high school is important. It’s the time in your high school career when students start preparing for the ACT, put together college lists, and perhaps start visiting colleges. If you didn’t take Algebra II as a sophomore, then you will take it as a Junior, which is important because the math section of the ACT is heavy in Algebra. We have multiple options to start preparing for the ACT including courses with set curriculum, Semi-Private Tutoring and Private Tutoring.

Senior Year

Senior year and the countdown is on! If you still need to increase your ACT score, the first semester is the best time for ACT Prep so you can crush the ACT and get to your ACT goal. Hopefully as a senior, you have a college list prepared, you are working on your college essays, and are ready to start applying to some of those colleges. Then sit back and enjoy the rest of high school!

At Get Smarter Prep, we are here to help. We want every student who walks through our doors to succeed. Whether that means a 2-point ACT increase, 5-point ACT increase or help with college essays, our tutors are readily available to help students reach their goals.

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TFOU Winners
August 4, 2021Get Smarter Prep

Scholarship Winners

One of our favorite ways to give back to the Kansas City area is offering local students the chance to succeed no matter what school they attend or where they come from. In fact, it’s so important to us that we partnered with another local organization that does the same thing for high school students.

When we met two of the founders of The Future of Us, who invest in students by offering finances, time, guidance, leadership, support and encouragement for their academic goals, we knew immediately that we wanted to help and be a part of what they offered to students in their community.

Fast forward six months into our partnership and we have helped two amazing students, hand-picked by TFOS, to prep for the ACT. Each student has been given the same opportunity: take a free practice, establish a baseline score, evaluate how best to prepare for the ACT, and begin one-on-one private tutoring.

TFOU Winners

Our first scholarship recipient, Kenmaryon, was able to fit in a 9-hour Tutorial for the April 17th ACT and improved 3 points! We are excited for this opportunity to open new doors for Kenmaryon’s future college plans, which include applying to UMKC and University of Missouri.  We wish him the best of luck as he prepares for his senior year of high school!

“The experience was helpful, especially when the ACT feels like a random test near the end of high school. The prep helped me understand the ACT and develop strategies like it was presented. The one-on-one tutoring helped me get an answer quicker to any problem I had,” said Kenmaryon.

The second scholarship recipient is going into his Senior Year at from Belton High School and is active in track and in his free time enjoys photography. Michael had a 9-hour Tutorial for the July 17th ACT and improved his ACT score by 6 points! Michael is applying to University of Kansas as well as Missouri State University.

“I Love all of my tutors, everyone is very friendly and I’m way better at doing ACTs than before this. I’m so happy about my six-point increase, I’ve really improved thanks to you guys!  Thank you so much Jill, and everyone else that has helped with this ACT,” said Michael.

“Michael has been wonderful in class! After using our universal strategies, his scores were up four points by the midterm. He’s dedicated to get his score up, and he always has such a positive attitude in class. Michael’s been working so hard, and it’s really paying off for him!” said Ashley Brennan, Michael’s Tutor.

Our Tutors look forward to investing in more students sent to us by TFOU throughout the second half of the year.

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