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Shaan Patel, an entrepreneur and aspiring medical doctor from Las Vegas, founded the test preparation company Prep Expert.
Saturday, May 9, 2020 | 2 a.m.
School has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean college prep should be, according to higher education advocate and Las Vegas native Shaan Patel.
Southern Nevada high school juniors and seniors who have had SAT/ACT college entrance exams pushed to the fall because of the pandemic may find it a hidden blessing, he said.
The Clark County School District has also canceled classes for the remainder of the school year, with students studying via distance education.
“Right now, I’m telling students to use this extra time at home to really buckle down and study,” he said. “It’s unprecedented that you’re not distracted by extracurricular activities, sports, friends, etc.”
Patel, who founded the SAT prep company Prep Expert in 2011, is giving away $100,000 in scholarships for SAT and ACT courses to help prepare up to 125 students for when exams are available again.
The prep courses specialize in SAT, ACT and GMAT preparation. Instead of teaching students content, the courses teach them strategies on how to “master the test,” Patel said.
Students can apply for the scholarships by visiting the Prep Expert website and writing a 200-word essay about how the pandemic has impacted their family financially and why they need the prep courses.
Essays must be submitted by the end of May. Winners will be announced June 15.
Although many colleges have chosen to waive the SAT/ACT requirement for 2021 admissions — including Harvard and Cornell — high scores might still be needed to obtain scholarships and financial assistance, which may be more important now than ever, Patel said.
“For people that are deciding not to take the SAT or ACT because colleges are going test-optional, I think they’re missing out on a lot of scholarships that still require it and base their decisions around it, so I want to get the prep out there for everyone,” he said.
Until the next available exam, students should create study schedules at home and plan their day like a school day, Patel said.
“If these students go to school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., I would do the same thing, which is study from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and take your lunch break from 11 to 12, or whenever that is,” he said.
Patel also recommends a study method called the “50/10” rule, which involves spending 50 minutes studying and 10 minutes to take a break and relax.
The most important thing students can do right now is study with SAT/ACT practice questions, he said.
“I would recommend 25 minutes of a practice section, and then 25 minutes to review the questions they got right and wrong,” he said. “I think that’s a powerful way to prep while using the 50/10 rule.”
In addition to scholarships for SAT/ACT prep courses, Patel is also offering free online classes at the Prep Expert website on study tips and advice on college admissions. The company also recently launched a COVID-19 test prep resource center on its website.
“It offers the latest with what’s going on with college admissions, the SAT and ACT, and we also offer at-home study guides for grades six through 12 on everything they can do to study more effectively at home,” Patel said.
