[BurningFrog]

> At the end of the day, tests like the ACT/SAT will always privilege people who can afford to spend more time on it. Lots of kids do better because their parents spend thousands on tutoring.

This i true, but the effect is small. The studies I've seen mentioned say 50-100 points.

[ericd]

Seriously, most of the gains you get from test prep are from taking a few practice tests to get comfortable with the format and the question types. I found a $20 test prep book more useful than the course I took (which mostly consisted of giving us a practice tests anyway). If I’d needed help with fundamental Algebra and Geometry, to the point of needing tutoring, a selective college would not have been the right place for me, frankly.

The problem is much more fundamental, we need to try to solve the severe economic stresses for underprivileged kids’ families if we want them to have a fair shot at higher education and the success it supposedly grants, not these little tactical band-aids. They need economic opportunities and safety nets.