PSAT and SAT Boot Camps

Reach High Scholars Program offers courses to help students prepare for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (“PSAT”) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (“SAT”) college admission tests. The courses are conducted by Academic Approach (http://www.academicapproach.com/), a national company that provides test preparation in classrooms, on-line and through individual tutoring sessions. Their clients include public schools, charter schools and private day and boarding schools and they work with students from a wide range of economic backgrounds.

The courses are open to all students from Raymond and neighboring towns. The fees are very modest compared to comparable courses offered elsewhere and there are possible reduced prices based on household income.

No preparatory course is offered currently for the American College Tests (“ACT”).

The NH Mandatory SAT Test

The NH Department of Education uses the SAT as the statewide assessment for juniors to meet federal requirements. Hence, a mandatory SAT test is given to all NH high school juniors in the spring and the scores are submitted to colleges along with the scores on later test dates.

The State uses the scores on the mandatory test to compare NH high schools. Good results by RHS students will move the school up in the rankings, which can have positive impacts on the attitude of college admissions offices toward RHS applicants, the ability to hire and retain good teachers, local real estate values and the general morale in the school and community. The winter SAT Boot Camp of Reach High Scholars Program is one of the few on-site SAT prep courses leading into the NH mandatory test.

RHSP Awards

The Reach High Scholars Program will grant the following awards to RHSP members based on their scores on standard college admission tests:

An award of $100 will be paid to any student whose best scores on each section of the SAT test total at least 1,350 (even if obtained on different test dates). The Award also will be given to any student who has a score of at least 30 on the ACT.

An award of $200 (less any amount paid pursuant to the previous paragraph) will be paid to any student whose best scores on each section of the SAT test total at least 1,500 or who has an ACT score of at least 34.

The Randy Carlson Award of $100 will be paid to any student who increases his or her best-combined SAT score by more than 240 points above the score achieved on the first attempt. Randy (RHS ’10) had the equivalent of that amount of improvement by taking the test four times. The Award also will be given to any student who increases his or her ACT score by more than six points above the score achieved on the first attempt.

The Will Harmon Award of $100 will be paid to any student whose best scores on each section of the test total at least 1,540 (even if obtained on different test dates). Will (RHS ’15) had the equivalent of that score. The Award also will be given to any student who has a score of at least 35 on the ACT.

The Randy Carlson Award and the Will Harmon Award will be renamed for successive winners.

Review Books

• The Official SAT Study Guide, College Board
• The Official Study Guide for all Subject Tests, College Board
• Cracking the SAT, Princeton Review
• The Official ACT Prep Guide, ACT, Inc.

Timetable for Standardized Tests

Fall of Sophomore Year
• Prepare for and take PSAT

Fall of Junior Year
• Prepare for and take PSAT
• Start preparing for SAT

Winter-Spring of Junior Year
• Prepare for and take SAT twice in spring

Senior Year Fall
• Last chance to retake SAT