Don’t Overlook the Top Priority for Your 2019 Summer Test-Prep Students

Updated on June 27, 2023

The most important part of your summer test prep may seem obvious, but it’s essential: Make sure your students sign up for the summer SAT® or ACT®!

This year, there are two ACT® tests with summer registration deadlines, and only a single summer SAT® offering.

Test	Test Date (2019)	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline
SAT®	August 24	July 26	August 6 (mailed)
			August 13 (phone/online)
ACT®	July 13	June 14	June 24
	September 14	August 16	August 30

By getting students registered for summer (or early fall) tests, you create a tangible objective for students to work toward during their summer test-prep efforts. It creates an extra layer of accountability beyond merely preparing for a test happening “sometime in the fall.” Furthermore, completing paperwork, paying registration fees, and circling a date on their calendars creates a literal buy-in that you can lean on for motivation throughout the summer season.

Goal-Setting Creates Urgency

Every student dreams of doing well on the SAT® or ACT®. Not every student actually does well on the test. In fact, too few students do as well as they could have on the test. The difference is that while some students are dreaming of doing well, others are making and executing plans to achieve their goals through summer test-prep courses.

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”

— Napoleon Hill

First and foremost, summer test prep is different from test prep throughout the school year. You have to optimize your tutoring schedules to account for vacations, cancellations, and interruptions. You must prepare differently to ensure that your business remains profitable and effective. Even your tutoring style must adapt.

No one said it would be easy to keep students engaged despite an abundance of summertime distractions, but by starting with a goal (like a looming test day), you increase the odds of successful growth. Registering for a summer test should be the launching point for setting said goals.

SMART Goals Are Smart for a Reason

Since the ‘80s, businesses and educators have touted SMART goals as a pathway to motivation and positive results.

SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Relevant

• Time-bound

While there is no magic recipe for one-size-fits-all goal setting, SMART goal setting can be an effective model for setting the bar for summer test-prep students. What’s more, registering for a summer SAT® or ACT® test serves many of the requisite components of the SMART goal setting process.

Having a concrete test date to work toward:

• provides context for defining specific growth goals

• names the test as the tool to measure that growth

• enables you to define attainable results through assessments and tailored test prep

• helps students see how the SAT® and ACT® are relevant to their academic and life goals

• creates a concrete, time-bound deadline (test day) for goals to be achieved.

Of course merely registering for a test is not the same thing as thoughtfully setting a goal. Even so, it’s a great first step, as registration sets the foundation for creating realistic, SMART goals for your summer test-prep students.

Get Registered; Then Get to Work!

Last spring we asked a simple question: Is Your Test-Prep Business Capitalizing on the August SAT® and September ACT®?

This year, the question is: Well… is it?

Helping students register for summer tests and enroll in summer test-prep courses is only the beginning. At some point, you’ll have to deliver engaging and effective test prep to improve your students’ scores. That’s where Clear Choice Test Prep comes in!

Click below to learn how Clear Choice Test Prep’s 100% custom-branded curriculum and digital tools can get your students set goals, monitor progress, and improve test scores!