The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • QR Code
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Coaching
  • Hire Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • The Money Coach Recommends™
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • QR Code
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
No Result
View All Result

The High Cost of Test Prep and the PSAT Exam

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
in Paying for College
Reading Time: 4 mins read
10
SHARES
162
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Here’s my daughter, Alexis, studying for the PSAT.

As with all 3 of my kids, I was her tutor, using my knowledge + study guides.

Private test prep?

Kaplan: up to $1,300, for unlimited hours online.

Princeton Review: up to $2,700, for 18 hrs.

So I saved money, and spent my time. I’m cool with that. 👍🏽

But Imagine millions of parents who didn’t go to college or lack the knowledge to be their kids’ writing or math tutors?

Or parents too busy w/ work & other obligations.

Or parents who can’t afford private test prep for the PSAT & SAT exams?

Yes, there are cheaper PSAT test prep options & free online stuff.

READ: 4 HIDDEN COLLEGE COSTS EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW

But even good students may need more.

My oldest daughter, a National Merit Scholar, scored top 1% on her PSAT. She graduated in 2018 from UT Austin.

My son tested well too & graduates in December from NC State.

Since it’s my 3rd time doing PSAT & SAT test prep with my kids, I’ve seen many changes.

✅ One upside: tests are now WAY less important!

✅ 1,800+ colleges are now Test-Optional & don’t require SAT or ACT scores, per FairTest (see their list of test-optional schools).

✅ In CA — where all public colleges are test-free — the # of test-takers ⬇️ by 62% from 2019 to 2022.

✅ Nationwide, SAT test taking is down 21%.

✅ All 8 Ivy League schools are now test optional.

Colleges know that grades, essays, activities, etc. all predict college success better than PSAT/SAT scores.

Data also show dropping SAT/ACT requirements:

✅ helps get more diverse students

✅ doesn’t reduce student body quality or lower standards

Now for the downside:

The level of competition for college admissions is insane.

I know the environment based on personal & professional experience, having written a two-book series, College Secrets.

As a parent, I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to give my kids every advantage.

And as a Black mom, to be honest, I’ve taught my children: you have to be twice as good to get half as much in this society.

I wish the system was different.

But tests like the PSAT, SAT and ACT really say more about a family’s income and resources — vs the merit and potential of the student. 💯💰

In short: rich kids can get paid tutors, college coaches, etc.

Other kids lack such advantages.

Follow Lynnette on Facebook.

Tags: PSATtest-optional
Previous Post

Lynnette Teaches You What You Need To Know To Have A Great Credit Rating

Next Post

Here’s How to Get Free Weekly Credit Reports

Related Posts

What to Do If You Can No Longer Afford to Pay for College Due to COVID-19

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

If you are struggling to pay for college due to COVID-19, all hope is not lost. There are steps you can take to still pay for college: 

college tuition

4 Hidden College Costs Every Parent and Student Should Know

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Like most parents of high school teenagers and college students, this is the time of year when my husband and I start focusing a lot more seriously on higher education expenses. Thankfully, when our oldest daughter went off to college, she initially won a ton of scholarships. She’ll turn 20...

college visits

3 Ways College Visits Help With Admissions, College Selection and Finances

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Every year, millions of students across America never get to go on college tours and college visits – and preview the schools to which they’re applying – mainly because it can be costly and time-consuming to make a college road trip. Nonetheless, college bound teenagers, transfer students and parents should...

College Scholarships for Adults

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Q: I am 44 year old veteran who would like to attend college where are the grants, scholarships, etc for older adults? I have had no luck in locating any. Everyone wanting to obtain a higher education is not a high school junior or senior! A: Thanks for reaching out...

Winning College Scholarships

Winning College Scholarships Video Course – Free Preview

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

If you or someone you know could use scholarships or grants to help pay for college, I have great news! I’ve just launched my first video course via Udemy, an online learning platform – and the debut course is called Winning College Scholarships: 10 Secrets to Earning $500,000 or More...

college textbook costs

Why It’s Never Too Early or Too Late to Win College Scholarships

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

College scholarships aren’t just awarded to high school seniors planning to enroll as freshmen in the college or university of their choice. Anyone, of almost any age, can win a scholarship or grant – netting the recipient free money for college. Here’s a snapshot of college scholarships and cash awards...

FAFSA Filing Tips to Get More College Financial Aid

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

FAFSA Filing season is here for high school seniors, college students and their parents. If you haven’t yet filled out the FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – you need to get going immediately in order to meet a host of deadlines and ensure that you don’t...

Load More
Leave Comment

Popular Posts

  • Car repair

    What to Do If You Can’t Afford a Car Repair Bill

    1370 shares
    Share 548 Tweet 343
  • What to Do if Your Spouse Stole Money From You

    1159 shares
    Share 464 Tweet 290
  • What to Do If You Can’t Afford to Leave Your Spouse

    1097 shares
    Share 439 Tweet 274
  • Here’s Why I Pay My Kids For Good Grades (And Maybe You Should Too)

    999 shares
    Share 399 Tweet 250
  • What Do All Those Strange Codes In My Credit Report Mean?

    809 shares
    Share 324 Tweet 202
  • Do This Now If Your Wages Were Not Reported

    736 shares
    Share 294 Tweet 184
  • How to Find Out if a Debt Collector is Licensed to Collect Your Debt

    713 shares
    Share 285 Tweet 178

All information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach, is not a certified financial planner, registered investment adviser, or attorney. If you need specialty financial, investment or legal advice, please consult the appropriate professional. Advertising Disclosure: This site may accept advertising, affiliate payments or other forms of compensation from companies mentioned in articles. This compensation may impact how and where products and companies appear on this site. AskTheMoneyCoach™ and Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach® are trademarks of TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC.

©2009-2023 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

RSS / Sitemap /Submit an Article / Privacy Policy / LynnetteKhalfaniCox.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Contact Lynnette
  • Get Coaching
  • Hire Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • The Money Coach Recommends™
  • Home
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • QR Code

©2009-2021 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist