About our Courses
Thank you for your interest in our SAT / ACT / PSAT prep courses. The below information is provided in order to assist you in determining which of our courses are right for you.
GENERAL COURSE SUMMARIES
We currently have two remaining Comprehensive Prep courses scheduled for the 2020-21 school year...a Winter/Spring course (which begins on January 3 and runs through to the June 2021 SAT and ACT exams) and a Fall/Winter course (which began on September 12 and runs through to the February 2021 ACT and March 2021 SAT exams). Even though the Fall/Winter course has begun, we record all class sessions, so newly-enrolled students have the option to catch up on what they missed. The Winter/Spring course only has one section scheduled, so we strongly recommend that interested families reserve their seats as early as possible. Note also that we encourage Winter/Spring students to take a preliminary ACT in April and a preliminary SAT in May, along the way to our target June exams. All of our Comprehensive Prep courses cover the same material and simultaneously prepare students for the SAT and ACT exams. You can view the schedules and reserve your space in the course on our Schedules/Registration page.
The tuition for all of our SAT/ACT preparation courses is $1295. Students will be required to have a scientific or graphing calculator and to purchase the most recent versions of two books: "The Official ACT Prep Guide" and "The Official SAT Study Guide".
There are currently two options for attending classes: (1) in person at The 305 Club (at 8770 SW 131 Street, near The Falls) AND (2) remotely through Zoom (which allows for distance learned from anywhere in the country). Students/parents can choose which of the 2 formats they feel most comfortable with. The in-person option is a very large space that will allow for students to comfortably sit at least 6 feet apart yet to still hear everything easily...in addition, the desks are disinfected between classes, the air conditioning provides a ventilation/filtration system and a filter that is changed every two weeks, UV lighting has been installed and, unless the COVID-19 situation drastically changes, students will be required to wear a mask at all times while in the building. The Zoom option will allow both local and out-of-town students who view the class remotely to still hear/see everything clearly and to participate and interact with the instructor just as if they were attending in person. If a student is unable to attend class on a particular date through either method of attendance, he/she can arrange to view a makeup video of the missed class for $10.
COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS
First, an important note: Unlike 30 years ago, most students now take the SAT and/or ACT 2 - 4 times (sometimes more), taking advantage of the widespread use of “super-scoring”. For example, if the student takes the SAT exam in June and scores a 660 in the verbal sections and a 400 in the math section, and then that same student takes the SAT again in October and scores a 620 in the verbal section and a 670 in the math section, most schools (and scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships) will combine the high verbal score (660) from June and the high math score (670) from October, leading to a 1330 score, which, beginning with the Class of 2021, is the scoring level necessary for the highest level of the Bright Futures scholarships.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 12th grade when they take our course, our Summer/Fall course is ideally designed. The course will prepare students for the October SAT and ACT exams, of which both should be admissible for all college deadlines, including early-admission deadlines. Some students may also choose to take the SAT in August and/or September and/or to take the ACT in September, but their training won't be completed until the October exam dates. Note that, for the Class of 2021, the Summer/Fall course is no longer an option, as it ended in October; however, for the Class of 2022 and beyond, this is our first-choice recommendation.
Our Winter/Fall course is still a great option for seniors who are still trying to reach score levels that will make them eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarship, since ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships. This course may also be applicable for seniors who are applying to colleges that will still accept test scores from the April, May and June exams.
Our Fall/Winter course is still a great option for seniors who are applying to colleges with application deadlines that allow for Spring test dates and for seniors who are still trying to reach score levels that will make them eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships (ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships). Ideally, since several class sessions of this course have already taken place, seniors who enroll in this course should be motivated enough to plan to view the videos of the classes they've missed so they can get the maximum benefit from the training.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 11th grade when they take our course, all of our courses are excellent choices. We recommend that 11th grade students should plan to sit for at least one SAT exam and at least one ACT exam in the first half of their junior year, and at least one SAT exam and at least one ACT exam in the second half of their junior year; if they are enrolling in the Winter/Spring course, we recommend that they take the SAT in May and June and the ACT in April and June. While neither the SAT nor the ACT is inherently more easy or more difficult than the other, some students will find, after they have taken both the SAT and ACT toward the end of their training, that they will be scoring significantly and consistently better on one test than on the other. For students enrolled in the Summer/Fall course or the Fall/Winter course, if they wish to further raise their scores after the course has been completed, students can continue training in the second half of their junior year toward both exams or toward the test on which they are strongest; they can then retake the test(s) in the spring. If students from any of the three courses still feel they would like to further improve their scores after their junior year has been completed, they will still have at the very least the first half of their senior year to do so.
We recommend our Winter/Spring course for any 11th graders who would like to begin their training from Day One and for whom the exam dates toward the end of the current school year are fine target dates. We recommend the Fall/Winter course to students for whom the June exams are unfeasible or for whom there is a particular necessity to complete their training by the February ACT and March SAT exams. Note that students who enroll after a course has begun still have the option to view makeup videos of the classes they have missed; call or email us if you wish to discuss this option.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 9th or 10th grade when they take our course and who wish to get an early start on their SAT and ACT preparation, all of our Comprehensive Preparation courses will provide full training. Freshmen and sophomores who are taking our course should plan to take the SAT and ACT exams immediately after the course has been completed, while the material is fresh. Read the discussion for upcoming juniors (in red, above) for further guidance regarding the course options.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Since our courses can reach their enrollment limits in advance of their starting dates, we recommend reserving your seats as soon as you decide you would like to enroll. We accept $50 non-refundable deposits in order to secure a space in any of our programs. Those deposits will be applied toward the course tuition and will lock in a seat for whichever course you are selecting.
To guarantee a seat by reserving your space now, you can remit payment (either a $50 deposit or the full tuition) in one of three ways:
(1) By making a direct-from-bank payment through Zelle. Using the Zelle app, simply send the payment to Higher Standards at the number 305-790-1239. Note that this phone number is only for Zelle payments...not for contacting Higher Standards.
(2) Through credit card or bank withdrawal via PayPal. On our Schedules/Registration page, simply open the drop-down window beneath the course schedule you are interested in and select your preferred option.
(3) By sending a check, cash or money order through the United States Postal Service to the following address:
Higher Standards
PO Box 161374
Miami, FL 33116-1374
Regardless of the method of payment, make sure to include a note with the payment (or in a separate e-mail to drjeff@higherstandards.biz) that provides both the student's and parents' names, the student's and parents' contact phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and a note indicating the course into which you are enrolling. At the time of enrollment, please also mail or e-mail copies of all previous SAT, PSAT, ACT and PreACT exams so that we have the most complete picture of the student’s scoring history...additionally, for our Summer/Fall and Fall/Winter programs, we will need this information in advance in order to place students into the best score-matched section of the course.
If you are an out-of-town student who will be attending through Zoom, make sure to also let us know your mailing address so that we can ship your course manual to you. Note that there is a $15 additional charge to cover the cost of shipping the manual and it may take 4 - 5 business days to arrive.
The balance of the course tuition will be due 2 - 3 weeks before the course begins (on July 3 for the Summer/Fall course, on August 30 for the Fall/Winter course, and on December 24 for the Winter/Spring course. If you are enrolling past the corresponding due date, please remit the full tuition at the time of enrollment.
If you have questions you need to first ask -- about the course, about payment, about the exams, or about anything else -- you can email Dr. Rothkopf at drjeff@higherstandards.biz or you can call Michele at 305-969-2012; either one of us will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
A few weeks before the course begins -- or within two days of receiving your course payment, if within two weeks of the start date -- you will receive a set of around 10 e-mails providing a lot of information (regarding course schedules, makeup videos, directions to the course location, extended time testing, test registration, payment and more). Since we communicate mainly via e-mail, make sure that your e-mail account is set to receive drjeff@higherstandards.biz as a friendly e-mail address.
Again, thank you so much for your interest in Higher Standards for your test prep. We look forward to working with your family!
Sincerely,
Dr. & Mrs. Jeff & Michele Rothkopf
GENERAL COURSE SUMMARIES
We currently have two remaining Comprehensive Prep courses scheduled for the 2020-21 school year...a Winter/Spring course (which begins on January 3 and runs through to the June 2021 SAT and ACT exams) and a Fall/Winter course (which began on September 12 and runs through to the February 2021 ACT and March 2021 SAT exams). Even though the Fall/Winter course has begun, we record all class sessions, so newly-enrolled students have the option to catch up on what they missed. The Winter/Spring course only has one section scheduled, so we strongly recommend that interested families reserve their seats as early as possible. Note also that we encourage Winter/Spring students to take a preliminary ACT in April and a preliminary SAT in May, along the way to our target June exams. All of our Comprehensive Prep courses cover the same material and simultaneously prepare students for the SAT and ACT exams. You can view the schedules and reserve your space in the course on our Schedules/Registration page.
The tuition for all of our SAT/ACT preparation courses is $1295. Students will be required to have a scientific or graphing calculator and to purchase the most recent versions of two books: "The Official ACT Prep Guide" and "The Official SAT Study Guide".
There are currently two options for attending classes: (1) in person at The 305 Club (at 8770 SW 131 Street, near The Falls) AND (2) remotely through Zoom (which allows for distance learned from anywhere in the country). Students/parents can choose which of the 2 formats they feel most comfortable with. The in-person option is a very large space that will allow for students to comfortably sit at least 6 feet apart yet to still hear everything easily...in addition, the desks are disinfected between classes, the air conditioning provides a ventilation/filtration system and a filter that is changed every two weeks, UV lighting has been installed and, unless the COVID-19 situation drastically changes, students will be required to wear a mask at all times while in the building. The Zoom option will allow both local and out-of-town students who view the class remotely to still hear/see everything clearly and to participate and interact with the instructor just as if they were attending in person. If a student is unable to attend class on a particular date through either method of attendance, he/she can arrange to view a makeup video of the missed class for $10.
COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS
First, an important note: Unlike 30 years ago, most students now take the SAT and/or ACT 2 - 4 times (sometimes more), taking advantage of the widespread use of “super-scoring”. For example, if the student takes the SAT exam in June and scores a 660 in the verbal sections and a 400 in the math section, and then that same student takes the SAT again in October and scores a 620 in the verbal section and a 670 in the math section, most schools (and scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships) will combine the high verbal score (660) from June and the high math score (670) from October, leading to a 1330 score, which, beginning with the Class of 2021, is the scoring level necessary for the highest level of the Bright Futures scholarships.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 12th grade when they take our course, our Summer/Fall course is ideally designed. The course will prepare students for the October SAT and ACT exams, of which both should be admissible for all college deadlines, including early-admission deadlines. Some students may also choose to take the SAT in August and/or September and/or to take the ACT in September, but their training won't be completed until the October exam dates. Note that, for the Class of 2021, the Summer/Fall course is no longer an option, as it ended in October; however, for the Class of 2022 and beyond, this is our first-choice recommendation.
Our Winter/Fall course is still a great option for seniors who are still trying to reach score levels that will make them eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarship, since ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships. This course may also be applicable for seniors who are applying to colleges that will still accept test scores from the April, May and June exams.
Our Fall/Winter course is still a great option for seniors who are applying to colleges with application deadlines that allow for Spring test dates and for seniors who are still trying to reach score levels that will make them eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships (ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships). Ideally, since several class sessions of this course have already taken place, seniors who enroll in this course should be motivated enough to plan to view the videos of the classes they've missed so they can get the maximum benefit from the training.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 11th grade when they take our course, all of our courses are excellent choices. We recommend that 11th grade students should plan to sit for at least one SAT exam and at least one ACT exam in the first half of their junior year, and at least one SAT exam and at least one ACT exam in the second half of their junior year; if they are enrolling in the Winter/Spring course, we recommend that they take the SAT in May and June and the ACT in April and June. While neither the SAT nor the ACT is inherently more easy or more difficult than the other, some students will find, after they have taken both the SAT and ACT toward the end of their training, that they will be scoring significantly and consistently better on one test than on the other. For students enrolled in the Summer/Fall course or the Fall/Winter course, if they wish to further raise their scores after the course has been completed, students can continue training in the second half of their junior year toward both exams or toward the test on which they are strongest; they can then retake the test(s) in the spring. If students from any of the three courses still feel they would like to further improve their scores after their junior year has been completed, they will still have at the very least the first half of their senior year to do so.
We recommend our Winter/Spring course for any 11th graders who would like to begin their training from Day One and for whom the exam dates toward the end of the current school year are fine target dates. We recommend the Fall/Winter course to students for whom the June exams are unfeasible or for whom there is a particular necessity to complete their training by the February ACT and March SAT exams. Note that students who enroll after a course has begun still have the option to view makeup videos of the classes they have missed; call or email us if you wish to discuss this option.
For students who will be in, or about to enter, 9th or 10th grade when they take our course and who wish to get an early start on their SAT and ACT preparation, all of our Comprehensive Preparation courses will provide full training. Freshmen and sophomores who are taking our course should plan to take the SAT and ACT exams immediately after the course has been completed, while the material is fresh. Read the discussion for upcoming juniors (in red, above) for further guidance regarding the course options.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Since our courses can reach their enrollment limits in advance of their starting dates, we recommend reserving your seats as soon as you decide you would like to enroll. We accept $50 non-refundable deposits in order to secure a space in any of our programs. Those deposits will be applied toward the course tuition and will lock in a seat for whichever course you are selecting.
To guarantee a seat by reserving your space now, you can remit payment (either a $50 deposit or the full tuition) in one of three ways:
(1) By making a direct-from-bank payment through Zelle. Using the Zelle app, simply send the payment to Higher Standards at the number 305-790-1239. Note that this phone number is only for Zelle payments...not for contacting Higher Standards.
(2) Through credit card or bank withdrawal via PayPal. On our Schedules/Registration page, simply open the drop-down window beneath the course schedule you are interested in and select your preferred option.
(3) By sending a check, cash or money order through the United States Postal Service to the following address:
Higher Standards
PO Box 161374
Miami, FL 33116-1374
Regardless of the method of payment, make sure to include a note with the payment (or in a separate e-mail to drjeff@higherstandards.biz) that provides both the student's and parents' names, the student's and parents' contact phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and a note indicating the course into which you are enrolling. At the time of enrollment, please also mail or e-mail copies of all previous SAT, PSAT, ACT and PreACT exams so that we have the most complete picture of the student’s scoring history...additionally, for our Summer/Fall and Fall/Winter programs, we will need this information in advance in order to place students into the best score-matched section of the course.
If you are an out-of-town student who will be attending through Zoom, make sure to also let us know your mailing address so that we can ship your course manual to you. Note that there is a $15 additional charge to cover the cost of shipping the manual and it may take 4 - 5 business days to arrive.
The balance of the course tuition will be due 2 - 3 weeks before the course begins (on July 3 for the Summer/Fall course, on August 30 for the Fall/Winter course, and on December 24 for the Winter/Spring course. If you are enrolling past the corresponding due date, please remit the full tuition at the time of enrollment.
If you have questions you need to first ask -- about the course, about payment, about the exams, or about anything else -- you can email Dr. Rothkopf at drjeff@higherstandards.biz or you can call Michele at 305-969-2012; either one of us will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
A few weeks before the course begins -- or within two days of receiving your course payment, if within two weeks of the start date -- you will receive a set of around 10 e-mails providing a lot of information (regarding course schedules, makeup videos, directions to the course location, extended time testing, test registration, payment and more). Since we communicate mainly via e-mail, make sure that your e-mail account is set to receive drjeff@higherstandards.biz as a friendly e-mail address.
Again, thank you so much for your interest in Higher Standards for your test prep. We look forward to working with your family!
Sincerely,
Dr. & Mrs. Jeff & Michele Rothkopf