Sylvan Learning to Provide Free Improvement Sessions and Practice SAT and ACT Tests

Partnering with High Schools to Implement "Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test" Program

(Baltimore, MD, January 15, 2009) – Families today are, on average, spending more than $1,000 on college preparatory books, materials and academic services for each student applying to college. Sylvan Learning is helping to soften the financial blow to parents through the launch of their ongoing national effort to partner with schools to provide SAT/ACT practice tests and free improvement sessions.

In conjunction with National Guidance Counselors Week from February 2-6, nationally, Sylvan Learning is teaming up with area high school guidance counselors and principals to implement “Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test” SAT/ACT practice test events that also serve as fundraisers for participating schools.

Participating schools will provide SAT/ACT practice exams for a nominal fee with proceeds going to the school’s designated improvement fund to help pay for dances, field trips and other school activities. Sylvan Learning with its College Prep professionals will then review and score the results and provide each student with an in-person improvement session to pinpoint areas of success in order to guide them as they prepare for the actual SAT or ACT test.

“As SAT and ACT scores continue to play an important role in an applicant’s ultimate college acceptance, students are still looking for a competitive edge by achieving the highest score possible” says Russell Greiff, vice president of Sylvan Learning College Prep. “Sylvan is offering this free, improvement service to help students and families better prepare for test day while helping high schools pay for needed student activities.” Sylvan Learning has been an educational leader in helping students increase their SAT/ACT scores for more than a decade. In fact, a majority of students in the Sylvan College Prep program increased their scores an average of 160 points or more for the SAT and up to 5 points for the ACT.

Sylvan’s “Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test” program aims to help students, schools and families understand how to better prepare amid dramatically increased competition in college applications. There is also no requirement for a student to be a Sylvan client in order to receive their personalized analysis.

“Today’s high school students are submitting, on average, seven to nine college applications, a marked increase from the two to four applications submitted just 10 years ago,” adds Greiff. “This fact, coupled with the reality that a person with a college degree earns over 70 percent more than someone without one, raises the stakes in the college prep environment. It is in a family’s best interest to be strategic in their planning and engage teenagers in fun, academic activities that promote a lifelong love of learning.”

For more information concerning Sylvan’s “Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test,” visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. Sylvan Learning is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009 and has more than 900 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan's proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan's trained and Sylvan-certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.SylvanLearning.com.