ACT-SAT Prep Pays off For A Madison Student

A couple years ago, Max, a Daniel Hand High School student from Madison, CT, excitedly called recently.  $60,000!!! That was the four year scholarship he received to attend the private college that he thought he could not afford.  One more SAT success story from our Madison classes.

The following was taken from The White Coat Investor

In his post, he discusses ways to save money for college.  This part caught my eye because most colleges do not release such data.  The author points to the single point increase from 28-29, a savings of $9000 a year ($36,000 for 1 ACT point!).  That’s amazing.  But also look at the dramatic shift from 27 to the upper range.  Nearly $100,000 in merit awards for 5 points.

4. ACT/SAT Prep Helps!

ACT and SAT scores can have a big impact on the amount of scholarship money kids receive. An ACT score one point higher can translate to thousands of dollars in scholarships.

The University of Alabama has a grid that shows exactly how much students will receive in scholarships for their ACT scores.

ACT Score (+3.5 GPA)	Per Year Award	Four Year Award
27	$3,500	$14,000
28	$4,000	$16,000
29	$13,000	$52,000
30-31	$17,796	$71,906
32-36	$26,950	$107,800

Going from a score of 28 to 29 equates to $9,000 more for four years! I suppose it’s possible, but I have yet to talk to a student who didn’t improve their score after going through an ACT prep class. Most companies that do ACT prep will tell you that the average increase is four points. It’s worth the investment, do it!