Luke the Tutor - SAT & ACT Expert

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

Does your teen actually need a 30+ on the ACT?

The answer depends entirely on where they want to go to college and how much scholarship money they're trying to earn.

Start by making a list of your teen's top 3–5 schools. Then Google each school's name followed by "ACT average" to find the typical score range for admitted students. Ideally, you want your teen toward the higher end of that range to make their application as competitive as possible.

Next, research merit scholarships. Google the school's name followed by "merit scholarships" and look through their financial aid website to see what's available. If the requirements aren't clear, you can always contact the financial aid office and ask what ACT scores tend to make students competitive for different awards.

Once you've done that research, you can give your teen an ACT target that actually means something. Maybe they need a 27. Maybe they need a 30. Maybe getting from a 31 to a 33 could open another scholarship opportunity.

The goal isn't to chase a 30+ just because it sounds impressive. It's to get the score that gives your teen the admissions opportunities and scholarship money they're actually after.

Save this video and talk about it with your teen so you can figure out exactly what ACT score they should be working toward.

08/26/2026

How long does it take to raise an ACT score from a 24 to a 30?

After helping over 900 students with this test, I've found that around 3 months is a good target for a 6-point improvement.

With 3 months, I recommend studying for around an hour a day. But those hours need to be focused. Students should take practice tests, identify exactly why they're missing questions, and spend their study time fixing those weaknesses before taking another test.

If your teen only has 2 months, they'll likely need to increase the amount of time they're putting in. I recommend closer to 1.5 hours a day, or around 10 hours per week, if they're trying to make that same type of improvement in a shorter window.

But more hours alone won't get them from a 24 to a 30. The key is using those hours to eliminate the specific content, timing, and test-taking mistakes that are costing them points.

If your teen is aiming for a 30+ for competitive admissions or merit scholarships, comment "accelerator" below and I'll send you my free Summer ACT Accelerator with the same process I've used to score a 36 three years in a row and help over 900 students raise their scores.

08/25/2026

If your teen took their second ACT and their score stayed the same (or even dropped) don't panic. It's actually more common than you might think.

The first thing you need to figure out is WHY their score didn't improve. Did they have content gaps and not know how to answer certain questions? Did they simply not study enough between tests? Did they run out of time? Or did nerves and testing anxiety get in the way?

Once you've identified the problem, I recommend giving your teen a week or two away from ACT prep. Let them reset before jumping straight back into another round of studying.

Then, when they start again, their prep needs to directly address what went wrong. If it's content, focus on learning the rules and concepts they're missing. If it's timing, work on strategy and getting through questions more efficiently. If it's confidence, start with smaller assignments they can master and gradually build back up to full sections and tests.

Taking another ACT without changing anything usually won't produce a different result. The key is figuring out what went wrong, fixing it, and THEN taking the test again.

If you want help building that plan, comment "accelerator" below and I'll send you my free Summer ACT Accelerator with the same process I've used to score a 36 three years in a row and help over 900 students raise their scores.

08/24/2026

If ACT English is holding your teen's score back, there are three question types I'd look at first.

#1: Punctuation

Knowing basic punctuation isn't always enough for the ACT. Students need to understand the specific rules for commas, semicolons, colons, and other punctuation AND be able to break down the clauses in a sentence to know which rule applies.

#2: Word choice

These questions test a mix of vocabulary and understanding the author's meaning. One of the best long-term ways to improve is simply reading more. The more students read, the better they become at using context to understand unfamiliar words and determine what belongs in a sentence.

#3: Transition words

The trick here is to understand the relationship between the ideas before and after the transition. I recommend having your teen cover the answer choices and predict what type of transition should go there BEFORE looking at the options.

ACT English becomes much easier when students stop relying on what "sounds right" and start applying specific rules and strategies to each question type.

Follow for more advice on helping your teen maximize their ACT score.

08/22/2026

If your teen has ADHD or a 504 plan, ACT prep may need to look a little different.

The first step is making sure they have the proper testing accommodations. Work with their school counselor and ACT to make sure everything is set up before test day, including any approved timing or testing accommodations.

From there, I recommend keeping their studying as focused as possible. Instead of trying to tackle an entire section or even a huge topic like geometry at once, break it into smaller pieces. They might work on area first, then volume, then circles, then triangles.

The goal is to give them one clear thing to focus on at a time instead of overwhelming them with everything they need to improve.

Finally, build consistent study time into their schedule. Even 30–45 minutes a day can add up tremendously over a few months, especially when your teen knows exactly when they're studying and exactly what they're working on before they sit down.

ACT prep doesn't need to feel overwhelming. Give your teen a clear plan, break their weaknesses into manageable pieces, and consistently work through them one at a time.

Follow for more advice on helping your teen raise their ACT score and get this test behind them.

08/21/2026

If your teen has a 21 ACT and wants to get to a 26, here's how I would structure the next 12 weeks.

The ACT is a standardized test, which means the same core concepts show up again and again. If your teen keeps missing punctuation, algebra, geometry, transitions, or another common topic and never actually learns it, those same weaknesses will continue costing them points.

That's why I'd start with a diagnostic ACT and look at every question they miss. Instead of following a generic prep plan, I'd use those mistakes to identify the specific concepts that are holding their score back.

From there, I'd break the 12 weeks into roughly 3–4 weeks of English, 3–4 weeks of Math, 3–4 weeks of Reading, and 1–2 weeks of final review. I'd spend more time on their weakest sections and less time on the sections already close to their target.

During each section, the goal is simple: identify the concepts they're missing, learn them, practice them until they're comfortable, and then test again to find the next set of weaknesses.

That's how I'd approach turning a 21 into a 26—not by studying everything, but by systematically eliminating the mistakes that are costing them the most points.

If you want the specifics on how to build this plan for your teen, comment "accelerator" below and I'll send you my free ACT Accelerator guide with the same process I've used to help over 900 students raise their scores.

08/20/2026

Is your teen chasing the wrong ACT score?

A lot of families pick a target like a 28, 30, or 32 because it sounds like a good score. But the score your teen actually needs should be based on what they're trying to accomplish.

Start by looking at admissions.

Google the name of your teen's target college followed by "ACT average." You'll usually find the middle 50% range of scores for admitted students. Ideally, your teen should be aiming for the middle or upper end of that range to make their application more competitive.

Then think about scholarships.

A few additional ACT points can sometimes put a student into a completely different scholarship bracket. That's why it's worth researching the merit scholarships offered by each school instead of stopping at an arbitrary score that sounds good.

The goal isn't simply to get a "good" ACT score. It's to get the score that gives your teen the admissions and scholarship opportunities they're actually looking for.

Follow for more ACT and college admissions advice, and share this with your teen before setting their target score.

08/19/2026

Does your teen have a great GPA but an ACT score that doesn't seem to match?

After helping over 900 students with their scores, I've seen this happen all the time. Here are three reasons why:

Reason #1: The ACT tests familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways.

Your teen might understand a concept perfectly well in school, but struggle when the ACT makes the question more complex or asks them to apply that knowledge differently.

Reason #2: The ACT requires skills they don't practice much in school.

The specific grammar rules, reading strategies, timing, and other skills students need on the ACT can be very different from what they use on their normal school exams.

Reason #3: They haven't developed ACT pattern recognition.

Sometimes students actually know everything they need to answer a question, but they can't recognize what the ACT is testing. If they don't know which rule, formula, or strategy to apply, they can miss a question they absolutely had the knowledge to answer.

The good news is that students who perform well in school have already shown they can learn challenging material. They just need to learn how to apply those skills specifically to the ACT.

If you want help with that process, comment "accelerator" below and I'll send you my free ACT Accelerator guide with the same principles I've used to score a 36 three years in a row and help over 900 students raise their scores.

08/18/2026

How many times should your teen take the ACT?

For most students, 2–4 attempts is a good target. Here's how I recommend thinking about each one:

Attempt #1: Get a baseline.
Use the first ACT to see where your student stands, identify their weaknesses, and figure out how far they are from their target score.

Attempt #2: Go for the big improvement.
After the first test, your student should have a much more focused study plan built around the topics and skills they were missing.

If they hit their goal on this attempt, great. They're done!

Attempts #3–4: Fine-tune the score.
If they're still a few points away from a scholarship threshold or want to become more competitive for admissions, these attempts are about eliminating the remaining mistakes that are holding them back.

There's no prize for taking the ACT as few times as possible.

The goal is to get the score your student needs, get the test behind them, and move on to the rest of the college application process.

Follow for more ACT and college admissions advice.