Varsity Tutors Launches Free Live, Online SAT / ACT Test Prep Classes to Increase Access for All Students in the United States
The edtech startup aims to give away $50 million worth of college prep classes with its Test Prep 4 All initiative
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Varsity Tutors, the Live Learning Platform that connects students and professionals with more than 40,000 vetted experts, today launched the nation's first ever free live, online SAT and ACT test prep classes for all students in the United States – an initiative called Test Prep 4 All. Varsity Tutors' goal is to give away $50 million worth of classes (valued at $779) to tens of thousands of students to help increase the accessibility of high-quality college prep classes. Saint Louis Public Schools has already signed on as a lead partner to make the classes accessible to its students, and will provide transportation to a central streaming location and dinner before the classes begin in the evening. Governor Michael L. Parson's office of the State of Missouri is also backing the initiative to make these free prep classes more easily accessible to all Missouri high school students.
"The college admissions scandal in the spring has brought to the forefront that there are vast inequalities when it comes to the college admissions process," said Chuck Cohn, founder and CEO of Varsity Tutors. "There's a clear need to level the playing field and these live classes will help improve access to higher education for all students. The technology exists for us to build a large-scale, live class platform that makes test prep more accessible to millions of students. It's an idea that we hope will have a transformative impact on students' college admissions opportunities."
For the first time, students can take this free live, online class in real-time, no matter where they are in the country. The live, online classes follow curricula that are proven to help students improve their test performance and will be taught by Varsity Tutors' Chief Academic Officer Brian Galvin. The classes will consist of ten sessions, each 2.5 hours in length, and will be timed to sync with major test dates throughout the year for a total of 25 hours of live instruction. Both classes will entail live and interactive instruction, weekly homework, and two to three full-length practice tests. Galvin, who has more than 15 years of test prep expertise and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT, will adjust the curriculum to tailor each class to enrollees' needs. There will also be teaching assistants in the classes to allow students to ask questions and receive answers in real time.
"Increasing access to training and education opportunities is critical to our workforce development efforts," said Missouri State Governor, Mike Parson. "We look forward to partnering with Varsity Tutors to offer live, high-quality SAT and ACT prep classes at no cost to the more than 267,000 high school students across our state. This program is a great example of a Missouri-grown company working to give back to families and make a positive impact on the lives of Missouri students – our future workforce."
"A significant number of our students come from households with limited or no access to the Internet," said Saint Louis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams. "We appreciate this opportunity, which will help us in our efforts to equal the playing field when it comes to college admissions. By providing students with access to these free classes—including transportation to streaming locations—they will have the support they need to improve their test scores."
Varsity Tutors' website provides a plethora of other free resources for SAT and ACT prep, as well as free resources across different subjects, including thousands of practice problems. To learn more or enroll now, visit http://www.varsitytutors.com/free-sat-act-prep-course. The ACT class will begin on Tuesday, September 24 and end on Thursday, October 24. Sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-8:30 p.m. CT. The free SAT class will begin on Monday, September 30 and end on Wednesday, October 30. The class will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:30 p.m. CT.
About Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors is a Live Learning Platform that seamlessly connects experts and learners in any subject, anywhere, at any time. To date, students have accessed over four million hours of live instruction on the platform. Experts are available to meet in person or through the company's award-winning online and mobile platforms, which account for the majority of all sessions. The company has raised $107 million in funding from investors including TCV, Learn Capital and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Varsity Tutors was founded in 2007 at Washington University in St. Louis. For more information, visit https://www.varsitytutors.com.
SOURCE Varsity Tutors
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