ACT & SAT Prep FAQ

The Digital SAT Test 

1) What do you need to know about the digital SAT test that is coming in 2024?

We have dispensed ACT and SAT advice for the past 20 years. We do whatever research or analysis is necessary to help you make the right decisions for your children. We also keep it simple:

College-bound students in the class of 2025 should prepare for a fall 2023 SAT test because it is their last chance to take the SAT test on paper.

We gave similar advice before the College Board changed the SAT test from the 2,400-point version to the current 1,600-point test: take the known test while you can. We had our best fall ever, with many students scoring high enough on the “old” SAT to ignore the new SAT.

Lafayette Academy is intimately familiar with the paper version of the SAT test. We KNOW how to prepare your sons or daughters and what to expect.

Starting in 2024, the digital SAT test will be the only SAT test option (unless the digital roll-out fails).  The digital SAT comes with some uncertainty, including the possibility that the first test administrations might be flawed. Still, students can take the paper SAT in the fall and the digital SAT in the spring of 2024.  It’s a NO BRAINER for most students to prepare for the known commodity while you can! If my daughters were in the class of 2025, this is exactly what they would do!

2) What about the digital PSAT? 

The Fall 2023 PSAT will be digital. Please contact us if your son or daughter is near the top of the class. We may recommend a different plan because you will want to prep for the PSAT’s digital version.

3) What about the ACT test?

The ACT folks are moving more slowly than the College Board, so students do not have to consider format when choosing an ACT test date.  We offer free practice tests for the ACT and SAT to help you choose the right test.

ACT-SAT-Prep-FAQ 

1)      Who are your instructors?

We have a wide variety of test prep instructors. Our best instructors teach our classes and handle most students who purchase private tutoring packages. Most of these instructors have a lot of SAT/ACT experience and they have received in-depth training at Lafayette Academy. Notably, we do NOT let instructors with previous ACT or SAT teaching experience “do their own thing.” Our curriculum has been tested, refined, and proven over and over again (because we always adapt to the most recent trends on the ACT and SAT).

2)      Do you have a guarantee?

We guarantee that every student will make significant progress if he or she actively participates in the program. Moreover, we will do whatever it takes to help our dedicated students achieve their full potential on the ACT or SAT. This includes monitoring everyone’s progress and proactively offering free supplemental support if we’re not satisfied with someone’s improvement. We live in the community and we genuinely like our students and want to see them do well. This is way more important than a specific score guarantee with lots of fine print. 

3)      What happens if my son or daughter misses a class?

During the academic year, we typically offer midweek makeup classes because we don’t want anyone to fall behind. These classes are not as differentiated as our normal sessions so we don’t encourage students to miss a lot of classes. During the summer, you need to find other dates or classes to make up missed classes.

4)      What happens if a student misses an assessment?

We often offer makeup the following week. Check with the front desk and we will work with you to find a time to make up the assessment.

5)      What curriculum do you use?

We have a unique, carefully crafted curriculum that has helped thousands of students achieve huge score improvements. We regularly update the curriculum in response to recent trends we observe on the ACT or SAT or in response to student performance. Our curriculum is adaptable to the needs of all students whether they are struggling or excelling. Most importantly, we organize our students based on their ability levels and differentiate the instruction.

6)     Which test should my son or daughter take?

Feel free to call us to discuss your son or daughter’s situation because there is no “one answer fits all” for this question. We encourage students to take a practice test for both the ACT and SAT, and then decide.

7)     What sort of follow-up do you offer after the official test has been taken?

After the official test, your son or daughter is welcome to come back to attend the free review workshops that we offer before most tests. These workshops are exclusively available to students who were enrolled in one of our test prep programs, AND we personalize the workshops as much as possible.  In some cases, we also recommend additional private tutoring.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse our services.
*ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse our services.

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