
What to Think About: College Applications
If you are like most people, the prospect of making a choice about where to spend the next four
Call or Text Today And Schedule Your Complimentary Consult: (773) 405-4775
Call or Text Today and Schedule Your Complimentary Consult: (773) 405-4775
#1 They do not choose the most efficient method to solve a question
#2 They misunderstand the question
#3 They waste time trying to memorize everything
Our Experience in Test Preparation: You will benefit from our extensive experience helping students maximize their scores on the ACT and SAT. For over 15 years, we have been developing individualized tutoring programs and proven test-prep strategies to unlock the elusive nature of these tests. Our tutors are experts at conducting remote and in-person tutoring sessions with a variety of online platforms that create a seamless and efficient learning experience. Students consistently increase their scores by at least 7 points on the ACT and at least 250 points on the SAT–the best track record in the Chicago area.
Our geometry approach makes any problem simple. Draw it, Label it, Solve it!
Learn how “RTFQ (Reading The Final Question)” always increases scores!
Every tutoring student gains access to the “Krupnick Advantage,” which includes:
1. After deciding on a program, students are assigned a tutor team, usually consisting of 2-3 subject specialists. A certain number of program hours are allotted for each subject depending on the students’ baseline scores, total program hours, and test dates.
2. All parents and students, regardless of their chosen program, are provided with a program specification document, outlining all details of their program: test dates, their tutor team, information on scheduling with tutors, relevant contact information, program policies and procedures, and program resources, including:
1. After deciding on a program, students are assigned a tutor team, usually consisting of 2-3 subject specialists. A certain number of program hours are allotted for each subject depending on the students’ baseline scores, total program hours, and test dates.
2. Parents and students are provided with a program specification document, outlining all details of their program: test dates, their tutor team, information on scheduling with tutors, relevant contact information, program policies and procedures, and program resources, including:
3. Detailed progress reports are available to students and parents, graphically summarizing students’ progression in each subject section over time. This allows for all programs to be uniquely responsive to students’ unique and changing needs throughout the process.
Maximum Results. Minimum Time.
Get a 30 minute consultation with one of our expertsA: The ACT/SAT doesn’t reflect what you’ve learned in school. It certainly is not an intelligence test. What it is is a test of how effectively and efficiently you can attend to details, ignore distractions, and transform unfamiliar words and concepts into ideas that make sense to you.
A: For a number of reasons. First, colleges–like most of the rest of the well-educated public–probably do not realize it’s not essentially a test of school-taught skills. Second, even if they do realize this, the ACT/SAT is important because it requires a different but equally important set of skills that you do need in college and later in life. In college, you will take courses that assign 400 pages of reading a week. It is physically impossible to read 400 pages a week per class and also sleep, get to know your roommates, lose your virginity, etc, and the training you get on the Reading section of the ACT/SAT teaches you how to distill massive amounts of prose into a few core ideas. In life, unlike in school, you will have people who don’t like you, who are out to get you, take advantage of you. That’s the central pillar of the capitalist system. It is useful, in this world, to be able to keep your composure (elan), stick to your core principles and strategies, and fight back. A third reason colleges care about the ACT/SAT is that it is the single objectively measurable standard that colleges have to compare one applicant with another. (If you’re not convinced on this last reason, please see question and answer C below).
A: Again, for a number of reasons. But let’s back up and lay some groundwork here. It is important to recognize that test optional policies are real, that they’re not going away, and that they don’t represent some kind of disingenuous stratagem on the part of colleges to lull you into ponying up $100 for an application you’ve got no chance of getting into. Colleges mean it when they say that you don’t have to submit an ACT or SAT. They also mean it when they say that they won’t explicitly hold it against you. There are two important caveats, however. First, while they do offer you latitude on whether to submit your scores, they do take the ACT/SAT seriously. Second, while they may not explicitly penalize you for not submitting, they cannot very well reward you unless you do.
Test optional was born not out of COVID but out of the diversity movement, which has been gathering steam for decades. COVID may have accelerated the process, but colleges like University of Chicago and NYU went test-optional well before the pandemic in an explicit effort to admit more equally qualified lower-income and first-generation minority students. These students, universities correctly surmise, are at a disadvantage in the ACT/SAT process because they’re less likely to have the resources to afford multiple test sittings, programs like ours, etc. If you are not a lower-income and minority student, colleges will extend considerably less latitude for you on these tests. And if they perceive you have the resources to prepare for these things, they recognize that the exams are still important differentiators that transcend geographical, cultural, and social differences. In other words, for the vast majority of working, middle, and upper-middle-class college applicants, the ACT/SAT are still important.
The second issue is that they cannot reward you unless you submit your scores. From our perspective, the function of success on the ACT/SAT is to give you as many options as possible. When you’re working with us, our goal is not merely to “keep up” with the other students at your school; we want to give you an advantage over the other kids whose profiles are, superficially at least, essentially the same as yours. Like terrific grades, a well-crafted essay, and flattering recommendations, a great score on the ACT or SAT will appreciably improve your odds of acceptance at universities across the world and maybe even help you get some scholarship money.
A: After the complimentary consultation with a team member at The Krupnick Approach, students take a full-length baseline exam: either the ACT, SAT, or both. After these are graded, we will design a recommended program around each student’s particular strengths, weaknesses, and score or school goals. We may request an additional consultation at this stage to discuss baseline results and agree upon a recommended program length. When a program package is selected, a tutor team will be assembled to cover all subject sections of the exam. We will send students and parents a Program Specification Document outlining all of the details of the program: total hours, baseline scores, official test dates, mock test dates, the assigned tutor team, recommended pacing for each section, scheduling instructions for each tutor, and the policies and procedures of the respective program. This document will also provide access to the student’s Drive folder, The Krupnick Approach ACT/SAT Database, virtual whiteboards, and student portal login instructions. Students will then schedule sessions with each tutor in accordance with the agreed-upon plan outlined in the specification document.
A: If families are unsure of which test is more suitable for a student’s strengths and goals , we will administer, score, and analyze an ACT and SAT baseline exam, on different days. We will then collect feedback from the student about their experience with each exam, and advise on the best approach moving forward. We discourage students from preparing for both exams.
A: Some tutors utilize an automated scheduling system, which will allow students to choose from all remaining available time slots for that individual tutor. Others schedule directly with students via email, text, or phone. When scheduling through our automated system, students will receive an email confirmation for each time reserved and a calendar event will automatically be created on the account they are signed in with. If the session is virtual, the link to join the Zoom meeting will be included in the calendar event and email confirmation, or the tutor will send you a unique join link before your scheduled session.
We highly encourage students to schedule their own sessions so that they appear on the student’s calendar. We find that students who take over the execution and management of their programs fare far better both in our program and in the inevitable chaos of college life and classworkwork. When using our automated system, parents can be added to the calendar events after the initial scheduling so that they know when students are scheduled to meet.
A: Students work out their schedules individually with each subject-specialist, depending on the student’s and the tutor’s schedule. Tutors do their best to be flexible and each tutor team will be selected with any scheduling restrictions in mind.
A: ACT and SAT students are expected to meet with tutors for 1.5 hour sessions, with exceptions made for students with accommodations or other extenuating circumstances.
A: Students should expect a 1:1 ratio of session time to homework. If a student meets with a tutor for 1.5 hours per week, he or she should expect to complete about 1.5 hours of homework per week. Failure to complete assigned homework can significantly impact a student’s ability to reach his or her score goals. Students are required to complete and submit all homework assignments on a ZipGrade answer sheet to ensure comprehensive data collection and analysis. This ensures that a student’s tutor team and The Krupnick Approach administrative team can track student progress and adjust priorities among and between subjects over time. Students can submit ZipGrade answer sheets via email to their respective tutors at any time. Tutors will scan these into our comprehensive grading system so that tutors and students can review overall performance and missed questions the next time they meet.
A: Mock tests are designed to evaluate student progress across the subject sections throughout the entire duration of the program. Most students will take a full-length mock test every 2-4 weeks, depending on the length of the program and the student’s goals. Regular mock testing ensures that students are able to integrate the lessons of all of the subject sections in one full exam, rather than merely as individual subject-level homework assignments. Mock test results are used to recalibrate the remainder of the program and reorient the student’s priorities in accordance with any progress made. The results of each mock test and each homework section will be accessible via the student’s unique portal, and The Krupnick Approach administrative and tutor teams keep a close eye on all results to ensure students are progressing at a reasonable pace.
Students may take their mock tests at home or in The Krupnick Approach’s downtown Chicago offices at 321 N. Clark. St. If students test at home, they need to print the entire exam and all answer sheets to mimic test day conditions as closely as possible. We recommend students take mock tests on a weekend morning, or at least not testing after a full day of school. Students should reach out to a member of The Krupnick Approach team to schedule mock tests in the office, and students will need to show a photo ID in the first floor lobby to access our 5th floor offices.
A: Students will be given full access to The Krupnick Approach’s ACT or SAT Database, which includes many dozen official, full-length practice tests, score and percentile information, individual subject-specific practice sections, strategy and systems study guides, third-party resources, and ZipGrade answer sheets for all homework. Students will have a dedicated Student Drive, accessible by the entire tutor team, for easy sharing of score reports, study guides, schedules, or other related program information. All students will be provided a personalized ZipGrade Student Portal, where they can view all past results for baseline exams and homework sections. This portal will show each individual question results and the associated concept tags for each question. These tags are diligently assigned by The Krupnick Approach’s subject specialists and allow students and tutors to consistently and dynamically address each student’s particular weaknesses as they progress over time. Some students will be given access to a virtual whiteboard for some subject sections, which they will be able to access independently for further review and independent study.
The Krupnick Approach tutors and administrative staff are available to assist students and parents throughout the test prep process via email, text, and phone call. We are happy to advise on applying for testing accommodations, when to register, how to prepare for test day, and all other aspects of the process that families should be thinking about. We provide wraparound services that can keep all interested parties on the same page and focused on the same goals.
A: Most students work with 2-3 subject specialists. Often, a single tutor will be assigned to cover more than one subject given the similarities in the sections themselves and the best strategies for approaching them. This will always depend upon the student’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
A: Students are expected to maintain a professional and punctual attitude towards their time with our subject-specialists. All sessions must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, and scheduled sessions must be canceled with at least 24 hours notice. Tutors will retain discretion to accommodate less than 24-hour notice, but reserve the right to charge the entirety of the reserved time to the student’s program totals.
If you are like most people, the prospect of making a choice about where to spend the next four
Whether you’re preparing for the ACT/SAT, graduate-level exams, or just looking to improve youracademic performance, having a solid study
Colleges and universities that “superscore” the ACT or SAT will consider each applicant’s highest individual subject score from all
SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which is not affiliated with The Krupnick Approach. *Restrictions apply.
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