by Audra H. Anders for The Aha! Connection
So, how can I get your attention? Let me try this:
Current 8th graders have control NOW over which college they can attend. Yep, I said 8th graders…. let me say it again…. EIGHTH GRADERS.
What do I mean? Well, GPA (Grade Point Average) is EXTREMELY important to colleges, and grade inflation has been dramatically rising the last decade, with over 47% of students having an A average in 2017, and likely more than 50% today!
So, why am I singling out 8th graders? Well, GPA for college admissions technically starts counting in 9th grade. Therefore, not only do 8th graders need to understand this and be READY to go “all in” for studying in high school but also some 8th grade classes (certain Foreign Language and STEM classes) at Peachtree Charter Middle School count towards your high school GPA. Our 14-year-olds need to understand that what they are doing now will affect their college choices when they are 17 years old. 8th and 9th grade GPA could be considered more important than 12th grade GPA since kids are accepted into colleges long before their senior year transcripts are complete. Sorry to stress you out but it is true. I have two kids and have therefore been through this TWICE. Trust me on this.
Grades are important. Equally important is academic rigor (the number and quality of Advanced Placement and dual college enrollment courses taken) as high AP and dual enrollment grades are what can boost a GPA above a 4. Also equally important is a well-rounded resume to include sports, activities, scouts, philanthropy, entrepreneurial etc. and finally…standardized TEST SCORES on the ACT and/or SAT. Students who work to improve their scores can get into more competitive schools, save their families money via merit aid, or both!
Silvia told me that many colleges have not released detailed GPA ranges or SAT/ACT ranges for the Class of 2021 admits due to being overwhelmed by 40-100% more applications this year at many schools, but two issues are important for parents to look out for:
- The one year covid-test optional SAT/ACT policy for the Class of 2021 at Georgia’s public universities ended. The GA system announced last week that test requirements will resume as normal for the Class of 2022 and beyond, as expected. If your junior was unaware of this, this is very important and time-sensitive news!
- Parents need to watch out for grade inflation, since what passed for an incredible GPA in the 80s and 90s when today’s parents were in high school is very different than today, given the honors points, AP points, and just general grade inflation. For example, while UGA’s average admitted student had a 4.12 GPA, even the average *applicant* (not admitted student!) this year had a 3.91 GPA. Keeping that GPA crisp throughout high school is paramount!
This is where Brian and Silvia Eufinger of Edison Prep can help….standardized test scores.
If SAT scores need boosting…Silvia can help.
If ACT scores need improvement…. Brian can help.
They will not take the tests for students of course but they WILL help students score better on the tests! After watching Operation Varsity Blues, I had to ask if anyone has ever asked them to take the ACT or SAT for their kid. I was not surprised to learn the answer was yes nor was I surprised to learn that neither has ever taken a test for anyone!
Fun fact: Brian and Silvia both take the SAT and ACT yearly (even when Silvia was 8 months pregnant with twins!) and have earned five perfect scores. Click here for a partial list of colleges to which their students have been accepted.
This adorable couple, parents of 3-year-old twins, met while in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Both had successful careers in Atlanta but were tutoring “on the side.” In 2010, they started Edison Prep using borrowed office space from Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. My friend Iggy de Quesada is the father of one of their early students and helped them find permanent office space where they could expand to the perfect office location they still reside in today. They are tucked in behind Hammond Park on Glenridge Drive, in the shadow of the Concourse King and Queen buildings…very central to many areas of Atlanta. They are so interesting and fun that I could make this article a book but I’m going to try to cut to the chase and keep everything grammatically correct because as I’m writing about them, I’m worried about grammar on the ACT.
The name Edison Prep was chosen not only because the domain name was available but also because they loved the idea of a light bulb logo and “lighting up your scores.” Edison Prep offers private tutoring but their ideal model is to focus on group tutoring. The majority of their clientele participate in the group classes, and then choose private lessons if there are specific areas needing focus. With Brian teaching the ACT courses and Silvia teaching the SAT courses, they provide their students with a consistent teacher throughout the process. You can tell they are passionate about their students, LOVE to teach and are THRILLED with each student’s reported progress. In addition to being the only tutoring company in Atlanta whose tutors take the real SAT and ACT each year (or ever!), they are also proud to be the only company in Atlanta that revises its SAT and ACT books each year with new content reflecting ongoing shifts in the tests. They obsessively refine the content, the supporting materials—even the jokes and ad-hoc illustrative stories—with one goal in mind: have the biggest impact possible on the most number of students.
Fun fact: The highest jump they have had students make on each test:
- SAT: 420 increase in points on the new SAT
- ACT: from a 20 to a 34!
Brian and Silvia reiterated to me several times that scoring well on standardized tests does not have to be hard.
It just takes time and practice, and as Brian is fond of saying in their info sessions (see below), “if every student spent even 15% as many hours on SAT/ACT prep (on their own or with a tutor) as they spend on one sport for one season, the test makers would have to re-calibrate the entire test because too many people would be doing so well. It’s not a two-hour miracle, but far, far less than one sport could ever be, and can save families money via merit aid, get students into better schools, or both!” Parents can help by taking two minutes per week to check in and make sure kids are doing their Edison Prep homework!
Brian and Silvia’s advice:
- Go to a free info session (Parents AND Students should attend) – held 6-8 times per year
- Get good grades in challenging classes (include AP, honors and dual enrollment)
- Have a balanced amount of extra-curricular activities
- Take a MOCK SAT and/or ACT during the latter half of 10th grade (Free mocks are offered 47+ weekends a year!)
- Purchase a good calculator. They recommend the TI-84 Plus CE. Brian says: “Don’t take a butter knife to a gunfight. Get the right calculator!”
- Sophomore parents should read the popular “Sophomore Parent Plan” PDF to de-stress the process and get your student in the right mindset!
Fun facts:
- 2% of Edison Prep students do private tutoring only
- 28% of Edison Prep students do a hybrid of group and private (these kids get the best test scores)
- 70% of Edison Prep students do group only
Do you even know what super-scoring is? UGA does it…. Auburn does not. Hmmm, shall I tell you or just let it sink in that you are in way over your head?! I’ll cave…here’s Edison Prep’s answer plus a few more answers to their most frequently asked questions:
- ACT vs. SAT: Which test is right for me?
- Are both tests accepted at all schools?
- When should I take the test?
- Should I take the test again?
- Why does superscoring likely mean I should take the tests more than once?
For the past decade, Brian and Silvia have also built and maintained the “UGA Admissions Analysis and Strategy Page” with detailed analysis of longitudinal UGA admissions data and precise application strategy. Anyone considering applying to UGA should read it top to bottom!
Following are links to more information about the tutoring Brian and Silvia provide:
Edison Prep’s Mantra:
“Practice makes perfect. Your experience with concepts from practice tests will help you stay cool, calm and collected during the real thing. If you hit a bad patch of questions, don’t stress and just re-focus. Remember: students who miss over a dozen questions can still score in the top 2%.”
Edison Prep
404-333-8573
edison@edisonprep.com
5825 Glenridge Dr, Atlanta, GA 30328
Audra’s P.S.
From a personal standpoint, I cannot continue this article without pointing out that college is not everything and it isn’t for everyone. Both of my sons are college aged so I know a LOT of kids between 18-25 years old! More and more kids are taking gap years before and during college and discovering college is not for them. Military options are GREAT for some kids, trade school is becoming increasingly popular, and some kids are just ready to work at jobs they started in high school! Is college really worth the price tag? Many parents are asking this question….
Some kids love the DAWGS, bleed red and black, and have been sitting in football season tickets their entire lives but don’t really need to be in the big SEC college environment. Please start conversations with your kids early, investigate options and be quick to understand college is NOT for everyone and just because you graduated from UGA, AU, GT, BAMA, FSU, Clemson etc. does not mean it’s the right place for your kiddo. But if higher education is for your kid, I feel certain Brian and Sylvia can help them boost their test scores to get them into college!
