FAQs - General

  • Your registration is only saved and confirmed once you’ve filled out the form above and paid for the course. If you filled out the form but didn’t pay the course fee, your information wasn't saved and you’ll need to fill out the form again.

    After you've filled out the registration form, click the blue cart icon in the bottom right corner of your screen to checkout.

    Immediately after paying you'll receive an automated email from us confirming your student’s registration. We’ll follow up again 10 days before the course starts to give you more information about accessing the diagnostic tests and the classroom location or link.

  • All of the class sessions cover different material, and students are expected to attend every session that is listed on the course calendar.

  • Most classes are held on weekends or after school for around 2 hours, 2-3 days a week, for 2-3 weeks. However, every school has a unique schedule, so be sure to check out your school-specific calendar for details. Also note that there are 2 full length practice exams included and optional (but highly recommended!) 1-on-1 tutoring opportunities that students can sign up for.

  • Students in our international classes average about a 100 point increase on the SAT or 3 points on the ACT. Many improve significantly more. More often than not, it comes down to the level of dedication applied both in and out of class. We don’t view these courses as a program to “download” information into a student’s brain. Instead, real improvement comes with repeated implementation of both concepts and strategy, which means resilient self-awareness and active reshaping of habits; students need to not only re-learn subjects they struggle with, they need to modify how they approach the test. The best results come when a student engages with the instructor to identify productive strategies and to learn from mistakes, building familiarity and confidence with each diagnostic.

  • The short answer is “probably not.” Since the first test that even theoretically affects university applications is the PSAT NMSQT in 11th grade, it generally makes a lot more sense to wait a year or two before diving into an intensive prep course. Furthermore, Grade 9 students are often missing foundational coursework (especially in math) that is a pre-requisite to understanding content on the SAT & ACT. There are exceptions, though, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.

  • We do, indeed! The PSAT is essentially just a shorter version of the SAT, so we actually recommend that PSAT students simply join an SAT course – the content and strategy covered in an SAT course will apply equally to the shorter test.

  • NO. You must register for official exams through the College Board (SAT) or the ACT organization (ACT). Please refer to each organization’s respective website, and in particular navigate to the pages for international students.

FAQs -

1-on-1 Tutoring

  • No. The 1-on-1 tutoring is recommended, but definitely not required. Simply select “No tutoring (group class only) from the drop down menu when registering.

  • Each student receives one strategy session with enrollment, during which the instructor will help you craft an individualized study and review plan, build a perfect SAT mindset, understand your diagnostic score report, or go over day-of test strategies.

    The strategy sessions usually work best when they're done after the first weekend of classes. During that first weekend of class, you can approach the instructor directly to find and schedule a time during the following week that's mutually agreeable. If you’d like to or need to do the strategy session earlier, however, just let us know and we can try to arrange it.

  • In some cases it may be possible to schedule some or all of your 1-on-1 tutoring sessions in person, but usually 1-on-1 tutoring sessions are done online.

    Just in case you're having any worries about online learning, the experience of a virtual meeting with just one student and one instructor is much better than what you might have experienced during Covid-19 virtual learning. We've actually found that our students who do online 1-on-1 sessions have equal or better outcomes than do our in-person students, and have reported enjoying the sessions just as much or more than do our in-person students.

  • The 1-on-1 tutoring sessions are best used after the group class is completed, so that you have a good basis from which to start. This way there's no redundancy in the material and you can really focus on the areas where you can gain the most points and on the concepts that were trickier for you. We’ll get in touch with you after the course is completed in order to schedule the 1-on-1 sessions.

    If you'd like to schedule your 1-on-1 tutoring hours sooner, if you are taking the real test within 2 weeks after the course finishes, or if you have another special case, that's okay too. Let us know your situation as soon as possible and we’ll help you figure it out.

  • Let us know 24 hours in advance and we’ll reschedule it for you for free. Easy peasy.

  • Yes. Getting the results you want is both personal and cumulative, which means it’s essential to build a working relationship with your tutor.

    Except for very rare cases of exceptional or emergency circumstances, you’ll see the same face during every session.

  • This doesn’t happen too often, but it is possible. Every student’s success is what matters the most, and a good match between student and tutor is crucial to each student’s success. Let us know your concerns and we’ll make it right, whether that means making adjustments to session flow or pedagogy, full or partial refunds, or placing you with a new tutor.

FAQs - Attendance

  • Yes, you can still attend.

    If your class is offered online, you can request that the session(s) that you’re going to miss be recorded and shared with you. The instructor can follow-up with you afterward to see if you have any questions about the material.

    Unfortunately, we don’t have an easy way to replace a missed in-person session. Check with your instructor to get the lesson plan, materials, and homework. The instructor can follow-up with you afterward to see if you have any questions about the material.

    If you’ve signed up for 1-on-1 tutoring, you can also use this time to go over any lessons that you missed.

  • You can still attend, but it may not be a great idea for you. Each class session contains a lot of content and strategy, and it’s tough to get a meaningful score improvement when you’ve missed a big portion of the class. It may be a better option to sign up for 1-on-1 tutoring.

  • Sure, this is usually fine. Just send us a message and we’ll try to work something out.

    It’s important, however, that you let us know before the test’s due date and not after the test’s due date.

  • Yes, but the tests are an important part of the class and having more simulated testing experiences is definitely preferable to having fewer. It’s often possible to take the diagnostic test earlier or later than scheduled, so let us know your situation and we’ll work something out. This way you can test at a time and place that is convenient for you and not miss out on the valuable experience and data that you’ll get from our diagnostic tests.

  • All of the class sessions cover different material, and students are expected to attend every session that is listed on the course calendar.

FAQs - Diagnostic Tests

  • You'll receive an email 10 days before the start of the class to access our online testing platform, Synap. If you don't see it, please search for "no-reply@synap.ac" in both your and your student’s inbox and spam folders. If you still cannot find it, please get in touch with us.

  • To get the most out of the testing experience, it is necessary that students identify a single 2.5 hour window of time to complete the test in one sitting. We require this style of testing because it most closely mimics the experience of taking the real SAT.

  • The remote diagnostic tests are designed to be done asynchronously, so students can take the test anywhere or anytime that is quiet and convenient. If possible, it's an advantage to have the experience of taking the test on a Saturday morning as that is when the actual test is scheduled; however, we'll usually provide test links ten days before the due date in order to allow students to take it at a time that is convenient for them.

  • No. Unless otherwise specified, you’ll be taking Higher Ground’s tests that are separate and different from the BlueBook tests.

  • Sure, this is usually fine. Just send us a message and we’ll try to work something out.

    It’s important, however, that you let us know before the test’s due date and not after the test’s due date.

  • Yes, but the tests are an important part of the class and having more simulated testing experiences is definitely preferable to having fewer. It’s often possible to take the diagnostic test earlier or later than scheduled, so let us know your situation and we’ll work something out. This way you can test at a time and place that is convenient for you and not miss out on the valuable experience and data that you’ll get from our diagnostic tests.

  • While completing a real version of the test is very valuable, it’s preferable to have more simulated testing experiences than to have fewer, and our diagnostic test should give you much more detailed and actionable information than what you received from your real SAT administration.

    For that reason, we recommend that you try to find a time to take our test in addition to the real test that you recently took. This way you won’t miss out on the valuable experience and granular data that goes along with it.

  • For initial diagnostic tests that occur before class sessions have started, results will typically be sent via email 1-2 days before the first class and discussed during the first day of class.

    For diagnostic tests that occur after class sessions have finished, results will be sent via email one week after the last possible date to take the exam.

    If you have a real test coming up soon and you'd like to know your diagnostic test results before you take the real test, simply send us a message and we'll do our best to help you out!

FAQs -

University Application Essays

  • Good question. Application essays aren’t like most school projects; they don’t receive letter grades, and there isn’t much credit given for mere completion. A great application essay is a performance piece – a work of art. An essay is complete when the student is proud of their masterpiece.

    That said, we look at the writing process in 3 stages: conceptualization, drafting, and polishing. We like to be involved early – a final coat of paint only goes so far if the foundation is crumbling – but we’re happy to help at any stage of the process, whether it’s offering final touches or building from the ground up.

    As such, time spent can range anywhere from a couple hours to several months of regular meetings (especially if we end up getting into supplemental essays as well).

  • In short? Early. It takes time to build a great essay! Your best work is produced by dedication through every stage: planning, writing, and editing. This isn’t a literary analysis for English class. You can’t write it overnight. Not to the best of your ability, anyway.

    Many students get started with application essays in the summer between Grade 11 and 12, which we think is ideal; with other school assignments at a minimum, it’s easy to sink some hours into the application process. If you’re not an early bird, however, don’t panic – it’s possible to bang out an essay in just a couple weeks if necessary. More stressful? Sure. But doable, too. We can structure a game plan to fit whatever timeline you’re on.

  • Yes. Crafting an application essay is both personal and cumulative, which means it’s essential to build a working relationship with your tutor. You need to infuse the essay with your personality, and the best advice will come from someone who’s taken the time to learn your story. We start the conversation with a free consultation, then pair each student with a personal tutor. From there, it’s a partnership – you’ll see the same face during every session.

  • Absolutely! Supplemental essays can be nearly as important as the big personal statement. Prompts like “why do you want to attend our school?” require a slightly different approach; universities ask different questions for different reasons. We’re well versed in the intent and execution behind a wide variety of supplemental prompts. Remember, just because they’re shorter doesn’t necessarily make them less valuable – every prompt is a critical opportunity to show off your unique personality!

  • To be completely honest, nobody knows for sure. Covid-19 pushed many schools to go “test-optional” or even “test-blind,” which almost certainly influences the shape of admissions. Nobody knows yet exactly how that will play out – but it’s a good bet that essays will be more important than ever. Without test scores available, universities are looking for other ways to identify exceptional students, and application essays are definitely part of that conversation.

  • No. Your application essay should be something you’re proud of – which means that first and foremost, it has to be yours. A brilliant essay is like music: deep, nuanced, and evocative. We can help you refine the melodies, tighten the harmonies, and streamline the fingerings. Ultimately, though, you have to play it.

  • Definitely. Your high school guidance counselor is a professional with years of education and experience who is invested in your success. Your guidance counselor is a wonderfully helpful resource that you should definitely not ignore.