I just asked ChatGPT to analyze our internal thread on SAT score increases …
And it returned that of the students tutors reported on the thread, the MEAN increase was 176 points, and one student went from a 1200 to an astounding 1540!
What that means, of course, is that we’ve had a successful year here at Mindspire.
In the spirit of seeing just how much Taylor Swift or Kendrick dominated your algorithm, let’s look back at the year in test prep / higher ed and make some predictions where we’re going.
The pandemic gen has come full circle
My sister was telling me a story about her roommate and her writing to her school admins concerning high school graduation … over four years ago. This young woman is now nearing her college graduation in Civil Engineering and debating career paths.
This means that, above all, 2024 is the year that the “COVID generation” of students are hitting major milestones: if you were 14 in 2020, you turned 18 this year and embarked on college fully immersed in the “new normal.”
What does this mean for tutors? We have, by now, fully adapted to working both online and in person. We have experience with both the Digital SAT and the paper-and-pencil ACT. The only constant in life is change, but in terms of “vibes,” students have, by and large, adjusted, although scores haven’t yet bounced back. (Source: PISA comparison 2018 to 2024 in the USA)
Scores (of submitted students) went up even as overall averages lagged
Revisit one of our most popular posts, on the law of unintended consequences, to get into the weeds of why competitive colleges are ever more competitive even as average SAT and ACT scores (and the aforementioned PISA averages) haven’t bounced back fully.
What does this mean for current and future test prep students? Basically, the best schools are going to be even more competitive — if you can bring that 1200 up past 1500, put in the reps. Fewer students, especially male high school graduates, are attending college post-high school, so the population left that is college-bound has better GPAs (inflated grades accelerated in this decade) and more impressive résumés than ever.
What about ACT changes?
Plus ça change … the orgs that run the college admissions exams dribble out info on a need-to-know basis, and the dropping of science and eventual transition to online only testing has been bereft of the details we love to share.
However, you can review what we DO know in this post.
For now, keep on preppin’ if you’re signed up for ACT: the February 8th test has a TIR — and it will be the same material as it has been heretofore.
Next plans for Mindspire
Overall, we’ve been pleased with the results our students have attained this year. With your author joining the crew from Utah in May, we have big plans for expansion in the country’s fastest-growing state, while maintaining our operations in our HQ in North Carolina and the founder’s satellite office in Boulder, Colorado. We also were excited to partner with Travis Wittick of Academy Endeavors and highlight his work this Veterans’ Day.
This newsletter / blog has had a fantastic open rate of about 66%, and has almost 500 subscribers. We’re glad you’re here, and watch this space for even more actionable tips, test prep news updates, and the occasional pop culture deep dive in this space.
Happy New Year to all our students, parents, and partners. And congrats on the scores — it’s what motivates us every day in this business!