We meet Lauren Gaggioli on the podcast today, and she is the founder and chief of Higher Scores Test Prep, which specializes in SAT/ACT tutoring.

From treading the boards to tutoring

Lauren’s background starts in an unlikely place – a theatre major graduating from NYU – where she realized soon that she would need to make money after graduation. So she packed up and headed to the West Coast. She opted not to work part time waiting tables as other wannabe actors and actresses do, but instead went into tutoring because it was always something she enjoyed doing. Specifically, she chose test prep and worked for a firm, but she felt the customer service side was lacking.

She knew she could do things better – and for less – and she left acting for good. That was seven years ago, and she’s now become an entrepreneur with Higher Scores Test Prep.

She likens the SAT and ACT to a logic puzzle. “Theres a lot going on beneath the surface, that if students can figure out how to pull that apart and learn the game, learn the rules they can make huge leaps far beyond what dealing with the academic side can do,” she explains.

How has prep changed?

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The landscape has changed from when parents were in college – it was less expensive and the competition was also not as intense.

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Preparation therefore has become ‘a thing.’ The higher your test scores, the more money you can get in scholarships and other merit aid. So, there is a real benefit in the return on investment.

And, it doesn’t just stop at a higher score. That score will impact how much you end up paying at your chosen schools, therefore driving where you end up going.

What to consider before investing in test prep

Commit to the process as a family – Know where your student is at when it comes to being motivated. If you have to drag your student along, no amount of money or preparation will raise their score.

Lay out a testing timeline – you can take as many tests as you want; there are 13 SAT test dates offered every year. However, don’t get silly – Lauren recommends taking no more than three of any one test, with two being optimum. And, she also counsels her students to take both ACT and SAT exams.

What a family decides to do all boils down to who the student is, as a test taker and as a person.

Never practice with a real test – it could end up on your transcript, and this is what test prep is for. Practice tests and working with a tutor allow you to gauge what gap exists between your practice score and your target score, and set help you goals to work toward.

Having a test prep tutor also helps students identify the set of logic and patterns in the exam. Lauren says she can acts as a sherpa for her clients, leading them up to their highest peak.

Test Prep from a financial perspective

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Take some test – perhaps the PSAT – relatively early to garner some number to project what score you would get on the next test.

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If you’re on track to get a score of 2000 on the SAT, but your target schools are looking for a minimum score of 2200, you’re not likely to get a lot of aid. So you have two options: change your target schools or take on test prep to raise your score.

The bottom line is understanding where your student measures up based on your list of schools.

Ultimately Lauren and I agree that this decision is a family affair, and should include a conversation among parents and student about what the student’s goals are and whether college is right for that student at this time.

My student’s not a good test taker…

There are some students with test anxiety or perhaps a learning disability that makes it more of a challenge.