You probably have a lot of questions.
Most parents and students do—that makes you normal. Below are some typical questions and my typical answers. If you read through this and want to talk out your questions, book some time with me here via Zoom.
Most frequently asked questions
What options do you offer for your ACT Crash Courses?
I have one product: a live, in-person ACT Crash Course. The sign up now page has details on when and where these are available.
How does registration work?
You register, and I’ll email you a ticket with lots of directions. Your student follows the directions and shows up at the physical location at the agreed upon time, and I teach the ACT Crash Course. All ACT Crash Course materials are provided to the student when the student arrives at the physical location.
Can I call you and ask you questions about what you do?
No, but you can schedule some time to talk with me via Zoom. This FAQ will answer almost all the questions you have—and it will answer a lot of questions you didn’t know you had. For more than 98% of my clients, this will tell you everything you need to know.
When is your next ACT Crash Course?
Check out the dates in the sign up now page. When can I sign up? Registrations open about one month prior to ACT Crash Courses—the registration periods are available also in the Sign up now page. But I want to sign up now. Registrations open about one month prior to ACT Crash Courses. Did you just repeat yourself? Yes. Why? Because repetition is an effective teaching technique (you may see it again in this FAQ).
Does my student need an ACT tutor?
If your student has a high GPA (3.75 or higher after four or five semesters of high school), is a solid standardized test-taker (90+ percentile the past few standardized tests), is highly motivated, and is looking to get into a college or university with moderate-to-low ACT entrance requirements (24 or below), then probably not. It might be wise for you to have your student take the ACT first to see if your student needs a better score. Sometimes kids don’t need help. But that’s not my kid. I know—that’s why you’re reading this. If your student doesn’t have a high GPA, doesn’t do well on standardized tests, isn’t overly motivated, or is looking to get into a school with high ACT entrance requirements, then your student will likely need help—and I’m all for getting students help before they are frustrated with the ACT. Also, if your student is someone who takes coaching well and can independently practice what your student is taught, then I’m a huge fan of giving students as much time as possible to practice—so coming to my ACT Crash Course a few months prior to an ACT is a good thing.
I’ve signed up and I can’t find my ticket or login information. What does my student need to bring?
Your ticket or login information was emailed to the email address you used to register. A list of items to bring is on the ticket or in the email. If you cannot find your ticket or login information, check your email (especially your spam folder). If you still can’t find your ticket, send me an email, and I’ll be happy to help.
Do I need to buy a calculator for the ACT or for an ACT Crash Course?
No—have your student bring the calculator he or she uses in school. My student does not use a calculator in school. You should reconsider that (high school is hard enough—don’t make it harder—let the kid use a calculator).
What if all the seats fill up for an ACT Crash Course?
Then that ACT Crash Course is full. Do you have a waiting list? No—check the sign up now page for openings. But I want to be on a waiting list. I do not keep a waiting list. Check the sign up now page for openings. But the world will end if my student does not get into your ACT Crash Course. No, the world will end when God wants it to end—and the Bible says nothing about my ACT Crash Courses precipitating that event. Also, He’s going to make a new and better world—almost certainly without ACTs.
Do you tutor anything outside of the ACT Crash Courses (i.e., one-on-one, other subjects, etc.)?
No. Why? My free time goes to my family—and I have church and work commitments. I also use an unhealthy volume of dashes in sentences—but that’s another matter entirely. Can you recommend a tutor for ____________ subject? No, but studies show if you shoot me an email it will make you feel better about reading the same answer in an email as you’ve already read here. Was that sarcasm? You’re quick. Wait, has this FAQ been filled with sarcasm this whole time? Yup.
Can you travel to my town to teach the ACT Crash Course?
Yes! How do I get started? Send me an email with a proposed date, make sure you can take care of the items on the list below, and we’ll go from there. What is required for you to consider traveling? More money to cover travel and time away from my family—and I would need all the following six weeks in advance of an ACT Crash Course:
- Written permission from the site administrator to me allowing me to teach the ACT Crash Course
- A minimum of 20 new (read: paying) students (the rate will be based on the distance I travel—Hong Kong will be more than Knoxville)—but returning students are always welcome to attend for free as well
- A distraction-free room with tables comfortably and quietly seating 1.5 times the number of students plus myself (there’s a lot of materials involved in this ACT Crash Course, and everyone needs plenty of space)
- A screen to project on to
- A single point of contact to communicate with (note: this point of contact coordinates with the school administration, staff, parents, students, and anyone else that needs to know)
- An on-site walkdown completed with the single point of contact, and confirmation of all event details
Less frequently asked questions
Where do I start with college preparation/planning/selection?
Start by developing a list of potential schools with your high school student. By the end of the 10th grade, your list should be no longer than 10 schools. By the end of the 11th grade, your list should be no longer than five schools. Managing a list longer than five schools is difficult and places undue stress on you and your student and usually results in someone in the family having a new, part-time job managing an Excel spreadsheet. Keeping this list of potential schools small also enables you and your student to get to know the admissions staff at each school. Once you have a list, the goal is to eliminate a school each month until you’re only left with one. Wait, we should talk to the admissions staff? Yes, that’s how you go to college for free at smaller schools—by building relationships with admissions staff.
Why do we even take the ACT?
There is a high correlation between an ACT score and the level of success a freshman will have in college. What about the SAT? Same thing. Which one does my student need to take? That depends on the college(s) you and your student are looking at. Do you tutor for the SAT? Not anymore. Why not? It’s harder to prep for the SAT (read: it’s a hassle) than the ACT and pretty much every college will accept an ACT score. Should my student prepare for both? No. Why not? High school is hard enough without adding preparation for two different testing philosophies on top. Give the kid a break!
What’s a good ACT score?
The score your student needs to obtain on the ACT is dictated by the school your student wants to go to. Said another way, the school determines the score. Every student is different. Every school is different. Check out the financial aid pages of the schools on your student’s list and you’ll have an idea of the score your student needs.
When should my student start preparing for the ACT?
There’s almost no scenario where a high school freshman should be preparing for the ACT. Additionally, your student needs to have passed all of Algebra 1, passed all of Geometry, and passed at least half of Algebra II before starting ACT prep—otherwise your student will just be frustrated with the math. (And frustrating kids with test prep is a great way to create all kinds of anxiety.) Your student should probably start ACT prep either the second half of your student’s sophomore year or the first half of your student’s junior year. But my student is a senior and we haven’t started. Then you’re both going to get to work a little harder, but it is still doable.
How long do your ACT Crash Courses last?
A little over five hours of instruction (with some breaks built in for lunch and non-classroom learning) all on one day. Is lunch provided? No. Why not? It’s a hassle and I don’t like hassles—I do like dashes though (even when I should use semicolons, commas, or parentheses—and I’m a huge fan of the Oxford comma). There are a wide variety of restaurants in the area for lunch, so don’t fret. Do you start on time? Yes. What happens if my student is late? Your student should not be late. What does that mean? It means I start on time and your student will not be allowed to enter an ACT Crash Course after it has begun—just like the ACT. Can my student leave early? No. Why not? It’s a crash course, so every minute is important. What if my student is sick? Please do not send your student if your student is sick. Let me know via email, and we will reschedule.
Will there be any materials provided?
Yes. Each student receives a set of notes with ample space for writing additional notes and a book (The Official ACT Prep Guide) with several real ACTs. That sounds like an opportunity to practice what my student will learn in the ACT Crash Course. Bingo—homework will be issued and those who complete the homework improve more than those who do not. Galatians 6:7 is just as true in ACT preparation as it is in everything else. We already own a copy of the book that you give away in class, so my student should go ahead and read it and complete the practice tests, right? No. Please do not do that. The book is quite horrible, but it does have one tremendously redeeming quality I discuss in the ACT Crash Course. If you already own a copy, just bring it—don’t have your student read it or do any work in it before the ACT Crash Course. (I don’t want your student practicing bad strategies.)
Is the ACT Crash Course only for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors?
Yes. But I have a 7th grader who’s been asked to take the ACT. Great! You have a smart 7th grader, but my ACT Crash Course won’t help (and isn’t for) 7th graders. But my 7th grader is special! All children are special, but please do not sign up a 7th grader. What about high school freshmen? Freshmen have almost certainly not yet been taught the necessary content and would be at a significant disadvantage in my ACT Crash Course. Please do not sign them up. (If you do sign up a 7th grader or a freshman, I will not admit them to an ACT Crash Course.)
Can you take the ACT for my student?
No. Why is this question in the FAQ? Because it’s asked. Really? Yes. Often? Yes. Like I saw on TV with Aunt Becky? Yes. How much money have you been offered to do this? Five figures—and the answer is always no. I love Jesus, and I don’t think that would make him happy.
How can a one-day ACT Crash Course be successful?
I focus on strategies (how to correctly answer questions, what to do when you don’t know what to do, etc.) and not on content (an adverb is this, the Pythagorean Theorem is that, etc.). Content courses take weeks and weeks and cost thousands of dollars and are typically wildly frustrating for students (just ask them—this is what most school ACT prep courses focus on, and students and teachers hate them). Strategy courses take content a student knows and focus on techniques to answer questions quickly and correctly. The ACT is a consistent test, and that consistency helps to facilitate successful coaching. And for the content your student doesn’t know, I’ll have recommendations in the ACT Crash Course on how to close those knowledge gaps. But my student doesn’t know a lot of content and/or makes poor grades. Then scoring well on the ACT might be harder, but my average score increase is two to three points from a single one-day ACT Crash Course taken one week before an ACT. What if my student scored below a 15 composite score? Then college may not be a viable option for your student at this time. That was blunt. Maybe, but I’m OK being the person in your life who will tell you the truth. And again, I’m not about frustrating students by putting them in unwinnable situations.
What if my student needs to improve by six points?
Then you should consider setting aside at least three months of studying at least an hour a day for your student. What about seven or eight points? Closer to six months of studying an hour a day. Have you ever seen someone do this? Yes, many times, but it takes a tremendous amount of work (and a lot of prayer), and I would love to help your student make that happen. It seems like you talk about spiritual things a lot. Yep—and Jesus will come up in my ACT Crash Courses as well. I’m not evangelizing, but I’m not ignoring reality either.
My student already has a 30+ composite score. Will your ACT Crash Course help?
Yes, but the higher the starting score a student has, the more work it takes to improve (due to the limited amount of improvement available). Students scoring above a 30 sometimes benefit more from strategies on how to practice than test-taking strategies. Have you ever helped someone get a 36? Yes—many times—but be careful what you wish for—challenges exist along all parts of the Bell Curve.
How much does the ACT Crash Course cost?
The fee is $259. The fee includes a copy of The Official ACT Prep Guide. What if my student wants to take an ACT Crash Course again? Repeats are free (excluding the now discontinued pre-recorded ACT Crash Course) if your student brings the original notes and a hard copy of The Official ACT Prep Guide. Really? Yes. That’s cool. Yes, it is, but there are a limited number of Returning Student seats available for each ACT Crash Course. Can I sign my student up to take your ACT Crash Course twice in a 90-day period? No. Why? I teach the same things in each ACT Crash Course and your student will need time to practice before taking the ACT Crash Course again (and really—twice in 90 days—let the kid be a kid).
Do you offer scholarships/discounts?
No. What about refunds? No. What if …? No. However, once a student buys a ticket for an ACT Crash Course, future ACT Crash Courses are free (whether the student attends the ACT Crash Course that student paid for or not).
Does your ACT Crash Course work for both the paper/pencil and electronic versions of the ACT?
Yes, but you should never let your student take the electronic version of the ACT. Why not? It’s terrible, hard to prep for, prone to crashing, and generally annoying. What about the changes that started happening to the ACT in 2025? My ACT Crash Courses address those changes.
What if inclement weather (e.g., snow) is in the forecast?
In Chattanooga? Then it probably won’t snow and good luck finding milk or bread. However, there are hotels within easy walking distance of my locations, so it is highly unlikely that an ACT Crash Course would not be held as scheduled. I have held well over 100 ACT Crash Courses and only once have I ever cancelled an ACT Crash Course for weather. If I do need to cancel an ACT Crash Course, you will be contacted via the email address you used to register about a make-up date.
I don’t think my student(s) will enjoy your ACT Crash Course.
Talk to a student who has taken one. They are enjoyable, effective, and filled with sarcastic humor like you’ve been reading. But I don’t like sarcasm. OK, but your kid probably does.
Do you have a mailing list?
Yes, and you can sign up for it when you purchase a ticket—or below on the connect page.
Didn’t find the answer you’re looking for?
Read through this section again and then email me. Really? Yes—over 98% of the emails I get are answered above. If you want to talk anything through, that’s cool too—just schedule some time with me via Zoom.
