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NEWS / WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
ACADEMICS
New study question benefits of test prep
For many high school seniors, the letters A-C-T or S-A-T mean hours of studying, a lack of sleep and living in a constant state of anxiety.
To prepare for admissions tests, college prep companies such as Kaplan and Princeton Review offer courses designed to help students improve their college admission test scores.
Stephanie Miller, a senior from San Diego, said it was the norm for students at her high school to enroll in test prep courses. Miller took a two-hour course two nights a week in the weeks leading up to her test date.
"My score went up significantly so it really helped." Miller said. "It also applied to just taking tests in general."
But according to a 2009 report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, students benefit far less from college test prep than advertised. The research found that
students gain an average of 30 points on the SAT and less than one point on the ACT from prep courses.
Students might be drawn to these help courses by advertising, "Our SAT Ultimate Classroom students average a score improvement of 255 points" as the Princeton Review claimed.
Kristen Campbell, director of college prep programs at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, said these types of ads should be proven if they are printed. Campbell said that students should be careful to trust claims about score improvement.
"We would caution consumers to be careful about test prep players that make score gain claims as these claims are often unreliable or inflated," Campbell said.
In May, the Princeton Review voluntarily stopped making claims regarding their test prep courses and how many points students could improve on admission tests with the help of their services. The National Advertising Division of the Council
of Better Business Bureaus said removing the ads was "necessary and appropriate."
Lisa Pinamonti Kress, director of KU Admissions and Scholarships, said college test prep could give students an idea of the types of questions they'll be asked to answer.
"I think that if a student takes the exam the first time and they're not satisfied with their score it could be beneficial to them," Pinamonti Kress said. "I know some students have test anxiety so it could help them be better prepared."
Pinamonti Kress said that while test scores were important for admissions to the University, they were only one of the three requirements needed for admission. Scholarship recipients, though, typically have an ACT scoref above 27.
"The score is important when it comes to scholarships." Pinamonti Kress said. "We look at things like their GPA and their test score on the application."
THE FOLLOWING CLAIMS WERE INVESTIGATED AND HAVE SINCE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PRINCETON REVIEW ADVERTISEMENTS:
MCAT: Our students improve their MCAT score by an average of 10 points.In fact,the top quarter of our students average 12 points improvement.
GMAT: Out students improve their GMAT scores by an average of 90 points.
SAT: Our SAT Ultimate Classroom students average a score improvement of 255 points.
GRE: Our students improve their GRE scores an average of 206 points.
LSAT: Our Hyperlearning LSAT students average a score improvement of 12.8* points.
TO QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION AS FRESHMEN, STUDENTS MUST MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
Achieve an ACT score of 21 or above or an SAT combined score of 980 or above on math and critical reading (verbal) sections
Rank in the top one-third of their high school class
Earn at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the Kansas Board of Regents curriculum
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