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Two-point increase in ACT score worth $37,500
"SPRINGBORO — For Gary Kurtz, the reward was much greater than the risk. When his daughter, Marissa, 17, a senior at Springboro High School, scored a 29 on the ACT college entrance exam, she earned a one-year tuition scholarship to attend Lee University, a small Christian school in Cleveland, Tenn. Later, the Kurtz family learned if Marissa scored a 31 of possible 36, she'd earn a four-year scholarship, valued at $50,000. "A 31," Gary Kurtz said, "gets you a lot." So Marissa studied on her own, retook the test, figuring she'd score higher. Instead, she scored a 27. "I was disappointed," she said. It was time for a gamble. Gary Kurtz, a CPA, Realtor, certified financial planner and all-around number cruncher, enrolled Marissa in a six-week, Sylvan Learning course that cost $650. "We decided to roll the dice," Kurtz said. "If I was going to bet $650 for a chance to win $50,000, and Marissa was my horse, it was worth the wager." His horse ran like Secretariat. Marissa took the test for a third time, and scored a 31, earning a four-year scholarship. What was her reaction to the two-point increase worth an additional $37,500? "She jumped up and started crying," her father said."
- By Rick McCrabb Columnist – Middletown Journal Sunday, March 29, 2009
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