Recently, Smart Money posted an online story titled 10 Things Test Prep Services Won’t Say – which went on to list ten things that test prep programs fail at stating and/or exaggerate their claims on. I read this, and while I cannot guarantee some of these things are not true for our competitors, I can clarify and challenge some of these allegations against what we provide you with at WilsonDailyPrep.
The test may be over, but we’re sticking around. The author suggests that large test prep services continue to send students emails long after the student’s program has ended with them and that it is very difficult to get off their mailing lists. WDP does send out a weekly newsletter to our current and former parents, but provides an easy opt-out/unsubscribe option that we mindfully manage. We are very respectful of our client’s requests.
Well, we think it works. Smart Money states there is no reliable data that demonstrates test prep services actually work. I believe this is a difficult metric to gage, because much of a student’s success revolves and relies on their motivation, participation and analysis of the program. We have no way of controlling a student’s level of effort. Are they actually completing the program in the manner we intended or are they just “going through the motions?” It makes all the difference.
In my office and with my online program, I find the students who refuse to practice the strategies or study the concepts, typically do not show the improvement they could achieve if they put forth the effort. For example, with WilsonDailyPrep, so few students take advantage of the personal coach provided or the extra assignments given weekly – we beg, plea and call home, but it eventually relates to a student’s motivation. We can only do so much!
You can get our services for free. This is true, and we provide access to free services as well! WilsonDailyPrep is the main sponsor of Graph it Forward (GIFT), a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides FREE online SAT prep to motivated, low-income students. GIFT also provides free test prep books and graphing calculators – enabling many low-income students to have access to test prep services and the important educational tools necessary for success.
Or you can prep yourself. Sure, this is true as well. You can just prep yourself. Some students are very successful with this method, while others thrive in a more structured and motivating environment. As a own advocate, you need to select the method that works best for you and that will get you the highest test score. If you do the program the way we provide it, you will do better!
We aren’t the biggest influence on test scores. According to the article, “High school counselors and test administrators say the biggest influence on a student’s test score is their school course load, not the coaching they receive prior to the test. “ Yes, course load is very important! The motivated students take AP classes, push themselves to learn important content and spend time and effort doing test prep. It’s a collaborative effort to increase your tests scores.
Lastly, This is going to be stressful. The author suggests that trying to cram in test prep on top of all the other responsibilities and commitments in a student’s life can create loads of stress. The beauty of WilsonDailyPrep is that our program does fit into most students’ schedules – requiring only 6-minutes of practice a day! A little bit goes a long way…
In the end, if a student wants to succeed and has the grit and patience to practice and follow our program as intended, they will improve their test score tremendously. But it all boils down to the motivation of that student, not necessarily the test prep program.