Whether your student receives an acceptance or a rejection letter from his/her dream college will depend on whether you make the fatal mistake of buying into some common, but untrue, myths:

Myth #1: "Colleges don't really consider SAT or ACT scores the way they used to." Wrong! Along with your child's high school grade point average, his or her SAT or ACT score will be the single most important factor in determining whether a college says yes or no.

Myth #2: "It's better to get the SAT or ACT test over with during the fall of a student's junior year so he/she can stop worrying about it." Wrong again ! It's become in vogue for students to take the SAT or ACT during October or November of their junior year and live with whatever the score is supposedly because this reduces stress.

The goal is not to "get the test over with" or "get the test out of the way." The goal is to get the best score a student can possibly produce and to spend the time it takes to maximize score potential. Taking the SAT in October does not allow your student to take advantage of the valuable instruction he or she will likely receive at school for several months before the official May and June test dates. From January through May, many 11^th grade math and English schoolteachers spend part of their class periods reviewing for the SAT. Test prep companies, guidance counselors and advisors that promote taking the SAT in October or November of the junior year must think that students are unlikely to learn anything at school during the entire rest of their junior year that could possibly improve their SAT scores. This is simply not the case.

Because the SAT or ACT is probably the most important test your student will ever take, it is best to take it for the first time at the end of the junior year. Three hours on a Saturday morning will largely determine where your student spends four years of college.

Myth #3: "It's best to take a crash course at the last minute or my student will forget everything before the test." WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! "Crash" coaching programs often become "crash and burn"! Last-minute test prep programs produce last-minute results.  They do not offer the time needed to fully develop the skills and strategies that lead to competitive SAT or ACT scores. It takes time to learn and repeatedly practice specific math approaches and to develop a "test prep" vocabulary. You and your student can avoid the anxiety, stress and weaker results of last minute "cramming" if you commit to proven, comfortable long-term test prep training. By the time your student actually takes the SAT or ACT officially in May or June, he/she will be fully acclimated to the test and well acquainted with its question types.  While unprepared students may be nervous, your student will approach the SAT or ACT with calm confidence.

Myth #4: My student is already too busy and cannot handle the stress of adding a long-term test prep course.   So Very Wrong. Let me tell you what stress is: It's March of your junior year of high school and you're enrolled in three AP classes, and you're on the track team and the debate squad, and you volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club after school. You're already staying up until 1:00 in the morning every night just to do your homework. And now it occurs to you that you've done nothing to prepare for the SAT or ACT. That's stress. Now you're going to enroll in a crash course, try to find the time for it, and get some moderate score improvement -  you hope. You want to enroll in a 30 - 90 day course that wants half your time - which you don't have to give. You have a real problem: you're out of time. The "secret sauce" to successful test prep is time.

Myth #5: My student goes to a very prestigious local private (or public) school and is learning how to take the SAT or ACT there. THIS IS DELUSIONAL.  Private schools are known to discourage test prep because they take such big tuition checks from parents that they feel like they have to appear to do it all. While most math and English teachers do somewhat review skills prior to SAT and ACT tests in the spring, there are not classes at school that teach students the secrets, strategies, techniques and approaches for success on standardized tests.

What is the answer?

The Cambridge SAT Colloquium is a comfortable, paced program that runs throughout the academic year. Classes meet in our conveniently located Laguna Beach, California classroom. Colloquium 7^th grade students attend class once a week; 8^th -11^th grade students meet alternating weeks (several sessions are available for each grade level, and students may switch days/times as needed). Because the true secret to SAT score improvement is time, our students have had phenomenal score results, including three perfect SAT I scores! OUR 11^TH GRADE PROGRAM INCLUDES ACT CURRICULUM.

The Cambridge SAT Colloquium has been highly successful for the past 18 years in preparing students for the SAT - because we start early. Students are taught important SAT curriculum in English (vocabulary, reading, writing and grammar) and Math (arithmetic, algebra and geometry topics). We chart student progress with official PSAT and SAT practice tests. Students learn valuable tips, strategies and techniques for approaching all standardized test question types. HOW to approach multiple-choice assessment test questions is not a tactic taught at school! Colloquium participation often enhances school performance and grades.

The Cambridge SAT Colloquium combines the strategies taught by short-term SAT programs with the long-term vision and comprehensive curriculum (including several official College Board practice PSAT & SAT exams) necessary for achieving competitive SAT scores. Because you want the best program available for your student, consider the Cambridge SAT Colloquium. Colloquium students start ahead of the rest for assured success!

ÃBBecause of the unique, long-term nature of the Colloquium program and its phenomenal score results, the Cambridge SAT Colloquium has received extensive media coverage, including:

Colloquium founder and director Lisa Muehle is the author of two companion SAT test prep guides: "Strategies for Success on the SAT: Critical Reading and Writing" and "Strategies for Success on the SAT: Mathematics Section." She authored these guides when the SAT underwent major format and content changes in 2005; both books received the publisher's Editor's Choice award for excellence.

Selecting the Cambridge SAT Colloquium for the coming academic year will prove to be a wise use of your resources: your student's time and your money.  Cambridge is dedicated to training students to compete successfully for admission to well-regarded colleges and universities.  Every year admission to these universities becomes more competitive; a strong SAT score can be the deciding factor.

Whether it's in athletics, academics or the performing arts, it's better to start training early. Nothing produces better results than advance preparation. Students who start to learn important SAT concepts and strategies now and have ongoing practice taking the new SAT will be much better positioned than those who wait until the last minute to prepare. We strongly believe in our approach, which is backed up by equally strong results.

Your student is bound to benefit from attending

the Cambridge SAT & ACT Colloquium . 

If you are interested in receiving further information or an enrollment packet, please phone us at

(949) 443-2700 or (714) 997-5500