Sylvan Learning Centers

[Azure]

Anyone have any experience with Sylvan Learning Centers?

My high school senior has an awful time taking tests. His ACT score was 15. And he is retaking it next month. I don't know how to help him. He has taken an ACT prep class once.

He wants to attend college to study music. He is a WONDERFUL guitarist. Not that I'm prejudiced or anything LOL Plays trombone in the high school band. Is learning piano. Currently he is dual enrolled at community college taking Rudiments of Music.

His grades are pretty good overall. But even in subjects he likes he does not test well. He lacks confidence for one thing. His older brother has been helping him do some prepping but I am not sure it is helping much. Yesterday he had to take a reading placement test at the CC and he tested at level 2 when he needs to be at a level 5 to advance even in the music program. The test should have taken 20 minutes but it took him an hour.

Anyway, I can get him into an online ACT prep course before his next ACT. The cost will be $199. I am also interested in getting him further coaching on reading & particularly math skills before he goes to college. I look at it as an investment in helping him to succeed.

But I don't want to waste money if it is not a good program. Anyone got any opinions or ideas for me? Thank you!

[ctg492]

I only had a younger son there years ago. He did not get anything from it. BUT he did not try, had no interest in learning only Mom did. My thought was if a person, child or adult wants to learn and is open to the extra help it would work. My vote would be it would be a good $199 spent if your son wants it.

[Zoebird]

I think it might also be helpful to determine which schools he is looking at and how they evaluate his grades and SAT scores vs essays and interviews and letters of recommendation.

For example, if his teachers know he doesn't test well, but know that he knows the information from the class, they can write in their letter of recommendation that "Paul doesn't do well with standardized testing, but has a great conceptual understanding of the relevant material. In oral and written examinations, he excels, but in other forms, he does poorly."

But if he does want to go to a school that values those scores, then he needs to take the initiative and learn how to take those kinds of tests. I'm not great at standardized tests (particularly when there are two or more right answers, and you have to pick which one is "most correct" and because my mind is flexible, I can argue for both of them, and get frustrated that I have to try and figure out how the test designer is valuing certain evidences such that one conclusion would be MORE CORRECT than another conclusion). BUT when i needed to get into university and law school, i took (kaplan) prep classes, learned the tricks, and scored very well. I only took the tests once, which was helpful for me.

So, it's really about the school he wants to go to, and whether or not he'll apply himself enough to learning to take the tests in order to get the score he would need to balance out his grades and get in.

[cdttmm]

Standardized test prep classes or tutoring can be of great help to students if they are motivated to learn the strategies and practice them. One of the biggest issues with online test prep is that the onus is entirely on the student. If he isn't willing to go online and work through the lessons (multiple times in some cases) and complete all the drills and practice tests it probably isn't going to make much of a difference. If he is re-taking the ACT in December he has only a few weeks to do this, so unless he has a whole lot of free time it's probably not going to make an appreciable difference. If he also needs coaching on math and reading skills, I would recommend spending money on a qualified tutor who can help him master these areas. The community college may offer some free or reduced price tutoring in these areas with qualified individuals, but be sure to investigate thoroughly as sometimes "qualified" means different things to different people!

*Full disclosure: I spent 16 years working in the standardized test prep industry for one of Sylvan's competitors. In general, I think that Sylvan Learning Centers are great resources.

[jennipurrr]

My husband did the Kaplan test prep for the LSAT. It was kinda pricey at the time but it was guaranteed to raise his score. They taught tricks to getting through the questions, a lot was not knowing the material, but knowing the test. He is also not a strong tester and it really boosted his confidence. He was able to raise his score from average to above average and with his average grades helped a lot in getting into a better school.

I would also start to think about options to achieve his goal. Realistically he may have to do two years at a community college and then transfer to a 4 year school so there would be no need for the test score. I have a relative who had an athletic scholarship, but just could not get her score up (13 on the ACT I think). She ended up first going to CC then on to a university. She had to work very hard at college but eventually graduated in the field she always wanted (physical education) and is now a coach.

[mtnlaurel]

Back in the day..... close to 25 yrs ago... Sylvan got my SAT scores up 140 pts.
I have actually used the test taking strategies I learned there throughout college and even in a professional certification test I recently took.
Sylvan wasn't something my folks forced on me - I sought it out. Thankfully, if I could prove something was productive my folks would pay for me to do it.

Sadly, I didn't always want to do productive things in my youth! ;P

[Azure]

Thanks everyone. I was checking around and found a service that supplies tutors that come to your home for $40/hour. The tutors all have teaching degrees. The director is coming Wednesday evening to talk to us and Tyler and then she will match him with a tutor. I think we may be able to fit in 5 sessions before the 10th. While it is not a whole lot of time I am hoping it will be enough to give DS some confidence.

I think he will do better with one on one tutoring than with an on-line program at this point.

After the ACTS I think we should keep using a tutor a couple of times a month to help him develop better study skills which he will need in college. If we like this program we'll use them otherwise maybe we'll switch to Sylvan.