Featured Test Prep Student Sam Moore

Sam Moore, a junior at Upper Dublin High School in Fort Washington, PA, sustained an injury last February while skiing, a mishap that prevented him from joining ski club or golf team this year. However, he hasn’t let that unfortunate injury slow down his extracurricular life! He’s currently involved in Spanish Club, Key Club (a community service club), Environment Education Club, and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Sam also finds time to volunteer as a reading buddy to help elementary school students improve their reading proficiency—something he has enjoyed doing since the eighth grade. Despite his rigorous schedule, Sam has also devoted significant time and energy to test prep; improving his ACT score with the help of A+. Sam’s mom, Kelly, initially heard about A+ both through a friend’s recommendation and via a referral from College Pursuit—a local college counseling company. Sam took advantage of A+’s proctored practice versions of the ACT and SAT to get an idea of what to expect on the actual standardized tests. Sam was so impressed with his first encounters at A+ that he was eager to come back.â€Å"I had really good experiences taking the free proctored SAT and ACT practice tests this summer. Everybody was really nice. Because it felt like the right fit, we thought it would be helpful to continue with A+’s tutoring services before jumping right into the test.†While Sam has always excelled in, and thoroughly enjoyed, English and history, math was a more challenging subject. Sam was interested in not only improving his m ath score, but also looking to strengthen his proficiency in English—particularly prepping for the writing portion of the ACT. A+ helped create a program that worked well for Sam. From August through the fall, he alternated his tutoring sessions, meeting with Tom Spencer for math one week and Allison Levine for English the next week.â€Å"Meeting with Tom one week and Allison the other—once a week per subject—worked out really well for Sam. It wasn’t overwhelming. It was the perfect balance between the two subjects,† Kelly explains.Sam discovered that the time he spent with his tutors was vital to his progress. â€Å"I looked forward to our test prep sessions. They helped me with test-taking strategies—what I should be watching out for. I think that was really helpful because I didn’t know much about how to take standardized tests when I went into it. Thanks to A+, when I did take the ACT, I felt confident. They gave me the tools to be successful.†Sam took two ACT tests, one in October and another in December. Sam’s composite score increased to an impressive 32. With this exciting score, Sam has been touring more competitive colleges that look for higher scores. â€Å"We loved that A+ offers individualized one-on-one tutoring. Sam had two excellent tutors who helped him improve in two different subject areas. There was a mutual respect between Sam and his tutors. I loved that Sam received a progress report after each session,† Kelly says.What’s next for Sam? â€Å"My family and I have been busy visiting colleges!† Sam is considering several different colleges including Penn State (his dad’s alma mater), Villanova (his mom is an alumna), University of Richmond, the College of William and Mary, Lehigh, and Wake Forest University. He is interested in pursuing a degree in business.Congratulations, Sam! Your hard work has certainly paid off.