Penny Wise, Score Foolish: The Hidden Costs of Cutting Corners on Test Prep, Part 1
In Issue #27 of The Score, I break down the flawed Cherry-Picking Approach, explain its shortcomings, and present a superior option for cost-effective test prep.
In the quest to reduce the often hefty expense of preparing for college admissions tests like the SAT and ACT, many families opt for seemingly cost-effective but ultimately counter-productive strategies. One prevalent strategy is what I’ve dubbed the "Cherry-Picking Approach." Though I can understand why this approach would seem plausible to the inexperienced, it’s fraught with misconceptions and inefficiencies that can hinder a student’s performance rather than improve it.
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What Is Cherry-Picking and Why Doesn’t It Work?
The basic premise of the cherry-picking approach sounds reasonable enough: students utilize an expert prep tutor only to explain specific questions they've missed and can't figure out on their own. In taking this approach, parents and students typically operate under the belief that the student generally understands the test and only needs help with a few isolated problems.
However, this is seldom the case. In reality, the student's fundamental understanding of the exam is often flawed, which means they aren't even aware of the most pertinent questions to ask during tutoring sessions.
Without a holistic understanding of the test, students remain unprepared for the nuances and traps that standardized tests frequently employ. For example, a student might struggle with certain SAT Command of Evidence questions not because they lack reading comprehension skills, but because they fail to detect the test's subtle ploys to misdirect their attention. Avoiding such traps isn’t so simple as having a tutor point them out. Students need to internalize counter-strategies and develop them into habit via targeted drills and practice questions.
The Inefficacy of Isolated Question Review
Attempting to simply address isolated questions from a practice test isn’t usually effective. To achieve consistent, significant score gains, students need not just explanations of individual questions but a complete paradigm shift in how they approach the test. Without this foundational knowledge, study time is often squandered and improvement stagnates, as the approach fails to address the core challenges presented by the test.
Moreover, by focusing only on cherry-picked questions and neglecting broader areas, students waste the limited supply of high-quality test prep resources, such as official practice tests. As a result, when the approach fails to produce the desired score improvements, students must either restart their prep from scratch—often with recycled materials and diminished morale—or abandon their goal of achieving significantly better scores.
A Cost-Effective Solution: Hybrid Prep
The cherry-picking approach to test prep misses the mark because it attempts to cut corners by sidestepping the important elements of comprehensive review and deeper engagement with underlying test strategies. It’s easy to understand why this method might seem cost-effective, but in reality it often proves inadequate, as it fails to address the student’s foundational misunderstandings about the design of the test itself.
To truly excel on the SAT or ACT without breaking the bank, a more structured and strategic approach is essential. My hybrid model combines the structured flexibility of online learning with the depth of personalized tutoring. It leverages technology to provide foundational content via online resources, while preserving expert tutoring time for complex problem-solving and strategy refinement.
This method not only makes efficient use of resources but also ensures that students build a robust understanding of the test, providing them with the critical context for making the most of live tutoring sessions and leading to greater confidence and higher scores.
Parents are integral to this process, since it provides them with regular feedback, enabling them to support their child’s learning plan and ensure they stay on track. Regular progress reports and assessments help maintain accountability and adapt strategies as needed.
If you're looking for a comprehensive and cost-effective approach to SAT/ACT preparation, consider moving beyond patchwork approaches such as cherry-picking. Embrace a method that truly addresses the depth and complexity of these exams. For more information on how this approach can save you money while also providing your child with a realistic chance of reaching those target scores, contact me.