ACT Test Dates 2024-2025
April 10, 2024Get Smarter Prep

ACT Test Dates for 2024-2025

Act.org just released their National Test Dates for 2024-2025, including the regular registration deadline, late registration deadline + late fees, and the photo upload and standby deadline. Do you know which test date(s) is right for you?

ACT Test Dates 2024-2025

Which Test Date is Right for You?

As we all know, planning for the ACT is the key to success. Choose a test date that is right for you. What does that mean? Look at your class schedule and determine where you can manage to add in test prep on top of your academic load. Students will want to prioritize about 8-10 weeks prior to the chosen test date. Typically, students meet with their tutor once a week for an hour and a half session. Keep in mind, you will have about 2-3 hours of ACT homework to finish each week before your next tutoring session.

Extracurriculars also play a factor in choosing a test date. Students won’t want to choose a September or October test date if they are in football or any type of fall sports. You’ll feel overwhelmed studying for the ACT while attending practices and games and keeping up with your classes. Plan out your year and decide which test date is most suitable for you.

We have multiple options to help you reach your goals including Private Tutoring, Semi-Private Tutoring or our ACT Prep Course. If you have no idea where to start with the process, we always recommend establishing a baseline score by taking a Free Practice Test at one of our locations.

If you need help figuring out which test date is best for you and how best to prepare for the test, please reach out to us.

 

Contact Us Today.

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Make the Most of Your Spring Break
March 11, 2024Get Smarter Prep

Make the Most of Your Spring Break: A Guide for High School Students

Spring break is finally here! While it’s a well-deserved time to relax and recharge, it can also be a strategic opportunity to get ahead of the curve, especially for high school students approaching college applications. This guide offers a mix of activities that combine both future-focused preparation and well-deserved rest and enjoyment.

Gearing Up for College:

  1. Craft your college list: Brainstorm colleges that align with your academic interests, desired location, and campus environment. Research their programs, costs, and unique offerings. Narrow down your choices to a manageable list for further exploration.
  2. Explore potential schools: If possible, schedule a campus visit to get a firsthand feel for the college environment. Talk to admissions officers, current students, and faculty to gain insights into the academic culture and student life. Even virtual tours can provide valuable information.
  3. Polish your high school resume: Update your resume to highlight your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and any relevant skills you’ve acquired. This will be a valuable resource later in the college application process.
  4. Chart your course: Develop a game plan for the remaining semesters in high school. Identify any challenging courses that require extra attention or opportunities to excel through internships or independent projects. This will help you stay focused and make the most of your time.
  5. Prepare for standardized tests: Spring break can be a good time to dedicate focused study time for the ACT or SAT. Utilize practice tests, study guides, and online resources to strengthen your skills and improve your test scores. If you haven’t started thinking about standardized tests, contact us to set up a game plan.

Beyond College Applications:

  1. Give back to your community: Volunteer your time and talents to a cause you care about. Volunteering not only enhances your resume but also allows you to make a positive impact and gain valuable experiences.
  2. Connect with loved ones: Make time for quality time with family and friends. Whether it’s a game night, watching movies, or simply enjoying a conversation, strengthen your personal connections and create lasting memories.
  3. Dive into a good book: Reading can be a source of relaxation, knowledge, and inspiration. Choose a book from your favorite genre or explore a new topic entirely.
  4. Recharge and rejuvenate: Don’t forget to prioritize rest and self-care. Get enough sleep, engage in healthy activities, and take breaks to de-stress. You’ll return to your studies feeling refreshed and focused.
  5. Embrace the fun: Spring break is also a time to have fun and create lasting memories. Plan activities you enjoy, whether it’s playing sports, exploring hobbies, or simply enjoying the outdoors.

Remember, your spring break should be meaningful and fulfilling. By incorporating a mix of these activities, you can use the time to prepare for your future, connect with your loved ones, and enjoy yourself before diving back into the school year.

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Preparation is the key to success
September 12, 2023Get Smarter Prep

Preparation is the Key to Success

Preparation is the Key to Success

Whether you’re taking your ACT, SAT, AP tests or your History final, when it comes to education and testing, preparation is the key to success.  Here are some ways to be prepared for any class or test:

1)      Get organized.

Have a dedicated binder or folder for each class you are taking. File each class’ notes followed by the assignments related to that material. By keeping your school work organized, you will be able to refer back to your class notes and materials to review the concepts. When you finish your assignment, put it in the appropriate binder to avoid forgetting to take it with you.

It’s also a good idea to keep a calendar at the front of your binder with all your assignment due dates written down. For long term assignments, set a reminder to go off on your phone 2 weeks, 1 week and 3 days before the assignment is due to avoid procrastinating on the project.

2)      Put pencil to paper.

While you’re in class, take notes. When you do your assignments, take notes and show your work. There’s no point in taking notes if you can’t understand them later.

3)      Prepare your materials.

When you do your homework, find an uncluttered work surface, and organize your materials before you begin. Have a pencil (or two) and an eraser handy. Make sure your calculator batteries are working. Get some scratch paper.

4)      Give yourself some time and some quiet.

I know you’re busy. Volunteer hours and extracurricular activities don’t leave as much time for homework as you might like. Write a homework appointment in your schedule, and don’t stand yourself up! By setting aside time for homework each day, you won’t overbook yourself. (Share your calendar with your parents, so they know not to schedule activities over your homework time).

When it’s time to do your assignments, turn off the TV. Silence your phone. Focusing on one thing at a time is a lost art in our multi-tasking, over-stimulated culture, but focusing on one task at a time and eliminating distractions makes you more efficient. Because we aren’t used to focusing on one thing for an extended period of time, this might be hard for you at first. Try this: set a timer for 15 minutes, and work diligently during that time. When the timer goes off, set another timer for 5 minutes, and take a break. Repeat. When focusing for 15 minutes gets easier, gradually increase the work time by five minute increments.

Since everyone has a different learning style, your best method of preparation might look a little different than this. You can learn what your learning style is and learn how to best apply that style to all your classes throughout high school (and on into college) with one of the many Study Skills Tests found online. Study skills like time management, organization, and homework planning will serve you throughout high school and college, and will even be great skills when you enter the work force. Study skills can also cover speed reading, reading comprehension, and writing skills.

For more information about Get Smarter Prep, contact one of our tutors. 

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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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2020 Blog
December 30, 2020Get Smarter Prep

Closing the Chapter on 2020

As we near the end of 2020 (finally), I’ve been thinking back on what this year has taught me. If not taught me, then reinforced what I already knew, but needed to work on. I’m sure this list will look different for everyone, but if I had to guess, there may be a few items on my list that you would find on yours as well. 2020 was a year of many hardships for the entire world, but I am grateful to look back and reflect on things that mean more to me now than 12 months ago.

  1. Be more patient.
  2. Learn something new.
  3. Revise. Plan. Revise. Plan. Revise.
  4. Be more respectful of others.
  5. Listen.
  6. Educate Yourself.
  7. Find joy in the smallest of things.
  8. It’s okay to take a minute for yourself.
  9. Keep working hard…it will pay off.
  10. Take time away from the news and social media every now and then.

 

What’s your top ten? Does your list look different? Challenge yourself to look back at this year and write down what you’ve learned so you can use what you’ve been taught to move forward. We are excited and hopeful for 2021. We hope you are too! If you’re thinking about taking an ACT in 2021, reach out to us and let us know how we can help you prepare.

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Focus
December 2, 2020Get Smarter Prep

Focus

This year has been rough for a thousand reasons! Let’s think about last January, which seems like a million years ago at this point. Students went back to school after Winter Break, some were already prepping for the February ACT, other students were active in sports and living their best life.

Fast forward to mid-March when the world paused. In-person school was done for the year, all extra-curriculars were canceled, Continuous Learning started at the end of March, beginning of April, and quarantine began.

Even when school started back up in September, it began three weeks later for most student. Some schools went hybrid, some went virtual, and a few, more rural schools, went in-person. So how can students get ahead and keep track of everything they are supposed to accomplishing this year?

Focus

Focus on the goal. Whether that means getting the ACT score you need for your reach school, excelling in virtual school, or taking the ACT for the first time. Set goals and start slowly moving towards the goals you’ve written down. Goals usually aren’t accomplished overnight. They take time.

If there is one thing we’ve all learned from COVID-19, it’s that we can’t plan more than a month ahead at a time, sometimes not even a week! That doesn’t mean your goals are squashed. There may be obstacles along the way, but if you’re passionate about those goals, they will slowly come into focus. Keep moving forward one step at a time.

We’ve had students who’ve studied for an ACT and the day before the test, their test site cancelled the test due to COVID-19. Those students put in 8-10 weeks of prep to be hugely disappointed hours before their test. However, they kept on going. They kept on preparing, they came into Office Hours, they studied and were diligent about taking the ACT. Every one of those students ended up taking an ACT months after they first started studying, but they did it. Their focus and drive led them to accomplish what they set out to do.

If you need help setting goals or need tangible steps to accomplish those goals, contact us! We are passionate about helping and empowering students achieve their best.

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