How to Find The Best In-Person ACT Prep Classes (And Some Alternatives)

With college coming up, you’re likely thinking about getting ready to take the ACT. And while you may already have learned some ACT-related concepts in school, there are still ACT strategies that can only be gained by enrolling in an ACT prep class.

Sometimes, though, the problem isn’t which ACT prep course to take — it’s where to find them. In this post, we’ll be sharing with you how to find the best ACT prep classes near you, as well as alternatives to on-site classes.

Finding the Best ACT Prep Classes

If you’re considering taking in-person ACT prep classes, here’s how to start looking for the best ones:

1. Search engines are your friend

What’s the first step in finding the best in-person ACT prep class near you? A quick hunt on search engines like Google or platforms with crowd-sourced reviews such as Yelp is a great place to start.

Conducting local searches from these apps enables you to instantly find top-rated ACT prep courses or sites, wherever you may be. These sites also give you quick access to forums and other areas where you can find solid social proof — reviews from actual students are going to be one of your main bases in deciding which ACT prep course to take and where.

On Google, you’ll want to start with the search “ACT prep classes [Your town name], [State]”, for example “ACT prep classes San Francisco, CA”. This should be a great starting point. If you’re in a rural area, try searching for the nearest big city within driving distance.

On Yelp, you can simply search “ACT prep classes” with your location enabled to bring up the classes nearest you. Often times, you will find tutor centers or firms that offer multiple services, so you may need to visit their website after that.

2. Know what to look for

While most ACT prep courses seem to offer almost the same packages, below are some key things to include in your checklist when looking for one near you:

• Price — ACT prep courses are instrumental in helping you attain your learning goals; however, the fact remains that these classes can be expensive, especially if you’re looking at tutoring or in-person classes. We recommend making a spreadsheet with your prospective prep courses and comparing their price points, along with the other package inclusions. Review your options with your parents or someone you trust.
• Guarantee — Take a look at the courses’ score guarantee. Many courses will offer this and it is always good to get a sense for how much they expect your score to improve. However, no score increase can be guaranteed without your participation and hard work, so many of these guarantees will come with stipulations. Make sure to read the terms of the guarantee before taking it at face value.
• Content — The content of the ACT prep course you’ll choose is very crucial. Any class or course should effectively cover the core study topics that appear in the highest frequency on the ACT. More content isn’t necessarily better, but you want to make sure they aren’t thin in any areas. Some classes will only be focused on a particular subject, so if that is the case, you’ll need to mix and match different resources to get full coverage. This can be a fine strategy if you’re only trying to improve your score in one area, but can be rather burdensome if you’re starting from scratch or need help with multiple subjects.
• Questions — Any prep class or course you consider should include full-length practice exams to ensure you’re getting real feedback on your strengths, weaknesses, and overall progress as you prepare. These questions should be similar to the real ACT questions – we recommend you ask for some sample questions so you can compare them against the official ACT practice test. The quality and relevance of the questions are just as important as the class content, if not more so if you’re already preparing for the ACT with another course.

The bottom line… whether you’re taking classes in person or online, vetting prospective ACT prep courses requires a certain degree of intensive research on your end. Check reviews and testimonials online from students who’ve actually taken that particular course. In addition, always know about the pros and cons of each course you’ve listed down — if the cons outweigh the pros, the course won’t likely be a good fit for your ACT prep goals.

Alternatives to On-Site ACT Prep Classes

If you’re the type who learns more effectively on their own, or you don’t live near an ACT test prep center, there are alternatives to in-classroom instruction that you may consider such as live online classes, tutoring, and online self-study programs or tools.

One of the best is Achievable’s ACT prep course. The app provides students with a 21st century way of learning — a more personalized path towards their goals. Combining full-length practice exams, review quizzes, personalized study guide, and an easy-to-read online textbook, Achievable ensures that every tool and module is tailored to students’ learning needs and capabilities.

Moreover, with Achievable’s built-in study planner, students like you won’t have to worry about losing focus while going through the courses. Our advanced personalization algorithm automatically targets areas that you need to focus on to improve your score. Pair this with the study plan you’ve created, and watch your performance improve!

Finding an ACT Prep Class Near You

Every student learns differently. Regardless whether you take in-person ACT prep courses or online ones, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of each to really determine the best route to take. Either way, you’ll need to incorporate diligence and good study habits to really make your ACT prep an enriching learning experience.

Tyler York

17 Jul 2022, 5 min read