Admissions committees use the SAT I as a common yardstick against which to measure students from different schools with different curricula. Colleges have come to rely heavily on the SAT scores because of what the College Board, the people who make up the SAT, call grade inflation. A strong performance can only enhance and expand a student's college options.

2. Can a prep course really improve a student's test scores?

The SAT I is a predictable test that concentrates on a set of specific reasoning skills that can be learned. Our experience has shown that direct, supervised practice on actual, current tests usually improves scores by a minimum of 150 points, many times by 200+ points. According to a College Board study:
      
        ― Coached students are more likely to experience large score increases
        ― Courses that teach content rather than test taking strategies tend to
             result in greater score increases.

3. Do testing strategies  work?

Any course that claims to dramatically increase scores just by teaching strategies is not being completely honest. Although a thorough understanding of test strategies is necessary to perform up to your ability on the SAT, but there is no escaping the fact that you also need the math and reading skills to do well. Educational Excellence attacks both sides of the equation. For example, we refresh a student's algebra skills, while teaching him special techniques for acing problems on the SAT.