Dear Summit Prep families,
We will keep this page updated with any changes. First and foremost, we hope all of you are safe. Let us know if we can help you in any way.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we will continue to serve you without interruption. In order to keep our students safe and to contribute to the world effort to decrease the spread of this disease, we are moving all sessions to Skype, starting on 3/18 and lasting until New Jersey’s state lock-down has been lifted. Additional important update: the May 2nd SAT and the April 4th ACT have been cancelled, and the AP tests have been moved online. Here is the updated AP exam schedule.
Those testing cancellations substantially change the testing landscape.
For SAT:
Instead of March, May, June, August, and October SATs before early application deadlines, now students only have the June, August, and October tests. And, if they want to have a chance of 
finishing before the summer so that they don’t have to prep all summer for the August and September tests, then they now only have one shot: June. Furthermore, for students who are taking SAT subject tests, instead of taking the tests in May and June, they now only have the June test date. The June test has now become twice as important for students aiming to finish before summer; and, because of the variability in scores on test day (because of variance in curves, content, and performance on any given day), there is a higher probability that students will continue to take the tests into August and October in order to reach their potential and score goal. (The SAT has said that they will try to schedule additional make-up test dates for March and May, but it has yet to be confirmed that they will do so.)
finishing before the summer so that they don’t have to prep all summer for the August and September tests, then they now only have one shot: June. Furthermore, for students who are taking SAT subject tests, instead of taking the tests in May and June, they now only have the June test date. The June test has now become twice as important for students aiming to finish before summer; and, because of the variability in scores on test day (because of variance in curves, content, and performance on any given day), there is a higher probability that students will continue to take the tests into August and October in order to reach their potential and score goal. (The SAT has said that they will try to schedule additional make-up test dates for March and May, but it has yet to be confirmed that they will do so.)
For ACT:
Instead of April, June, July, and September, now students only have the June, July, and September tests. Just like for the SAT, this makes the June test significantly more important (especially for those students aiming to finish with testing by the beginning of summer). We have less margin for error, so we need to work even harder to improve so that, even on a bad day, we’ll still do well. There is variance in curve, content, and performance on any given day; because of this variability in scores, it is to every student’s benefit to take the test multiple times, but fewer tests make each test more important.
But, students now have even more time to practice and gain an advantage than before.
In response, many families have already asked to capitalize on time off from sports and extracurricular activities, so we have expanded our tutoring hours to meet the needs of our students. Additionally, while schools are closed and students are attending remotely, your Summit Prep team is here to help if students need additional support.
Our students get the same results whether working with us in-person or on Skype. And, our two largest score increases this past year (two different students who both improved 16 points, from 19 to 35 on the ACT) were Skype students. We are experts at conducting sessions online via Skype, and we use additional tools to create an interactive workspace – click here to see what a Skype session with Summit Prep looks like! If a student tries Skype and feels that it will not work for him or her, then we will not charge for that session.
A few important things to note:
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- It’s very important to continue sessions in order to retain a student’s knowledge, skills, and momentum; just like everything else in life, we regress when we do not practice. You can read more about the larger score increases from consistent prep here (check out this article for more information). Here’s a 1-minute video that illustrates how to reach your potential on anything.
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- Now is the time to take advantage of additional sessions while they are available. It will be a great way for students to catch up or even get ahead in their prep. Students gain the largest advantage when they make progress while others are not, as Malcolm Gladwell proved is the case using the data from summer programs: Gain an Advantage. And, because both SATs and ACTs have been canceled, the remaining tests are now more important with less margin for error, so we need to make sure we are extra prepared for them.
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- Skype is user-friendly and easy to set up! If you need some assistance with creating and using a Skype account, click here for a step-by-step video.
Ensuring the health and well-being of our students, families, and staff remains our highest priority. Our Educational Consultants and Administrative team are always available to help if you have any additional questions or concerns.
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Stay healthy. Let us know if you need anything. And, as always, thank you for the trust you put in us to help your children.
Kindest regards,
Your Summit Prep Team
