The University of Arkansas College Access Initiative is expanding ACT prep offerings in Northwest Arkansas this fall. The Fall Academy of the College Access Initiative is a new outreach program to extend college readiness across the state and enhance diversity on the University of Arkansas campus.

College Access began offering five-week ACT prep classes in Northwest Arkansas last fall. In addition to offering five-week classes, this fall the offerings are being expanded to include a new three-week ACT prep class focused on high school students who are having difficulties finishing the exam.

In Fayetteville, the academy is being held before the Oct. 22 and Dec. 11 ACT tests. Classes will meet from 6:30-8 p.m. on Mondays at the University of Arkansas Global Campus in Rogers and on Tuesdays at the Multicultural Center in the University of Arkansas Union. A full list of class dates are listed below. Applications from current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in improving ACT performance are now being accepted.

The three-week course will focus on helping students improve their testing time management. The cost of the three-week course is $90 with a limit of 25 students.

The five-week course will cover all core subject areas of the test, including English, math, reading and science, and is open to students of all ability levels. The cost is $150 with a limit of 25 students per class. A limited number of partial fee-waivers will be available to students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Students may sign up for both classes as space allows.

Students and parents can register for either academy by sending an email to Bryan Hembree at hembree@uark.edu with the following information: class location, student name, high school, grade level, GPA, test scores and dates taken, guardian name, address, home phone, student mobile phone, student email, parent mobile phone and parent email.

“College Access Initiative is an affordable five-week ACT prep program,” said Hembree, who co-directs the program. “The class will focus on motivating strategies and a fresh approach to the ACT, and all four subject areas of the ACT – English, math, reading, science reasoning – will be covered. Sophomores and juniors of all levels will benefit from this unique approach to test prep.”

The class will begin with a parent-student orientation and a broad conversation about the college planning process. Parents will gain insight into the program and students will gain a roadmap for the five-week class, which includes strategies to help students:

• Conquer the balance between speed and accuracy
• Remove mental blocks that inhibit performance
• Gain familiarity and confidence with the test format
• Understand the role the test plays in the college planning process
• Move toward their true potential on the test

“Getting the message to high school students that taking the ACT is key to gaining college entrance is one of our priorities,” said Leslie Yingling, co-director. “The data shows that the more times students take the ACT, the greater their score is, which opens the door to numerous possibilities in terms of college selection and scholarship opportunity.”

The ACT Academy was organized by Hembree and Yingling, co-directors of College Access Initiative, a new educational opportunity program within the University of Arkansas Diversity Affairs. The College Access Initiative partners with schools, educators, organizations and communities to offer ACT prep and other outreach to improve college access among Arkansas students.

Hembree is the former director of the office of academic scholarships, and Yingling has directed Upward Bound and other  academic enrichment programs. Both have extensive experience taking and teaching the ACT.

During the 2009-10 academic year, Charles Robinson, vice provost for diversity, traveled around Arkansas, building relationships with key high schools. His goal was to determine how the university could provide better services. One result of these conversations is the College Access Initiative, which will consolidate existing ACT outreach efforts and extend new services across the state, allowing the University of Arkansas to take the lead in providing support to students looking to make the transition to college. Robinson is continuing those statewide visits this academic year along with Chancellor G. David Gearhart.

Test Prep Class Schedules
(Full details will be sent via email upon registration)

• University of Arkansas Global Campus (Rogers)
  Mondays – 6:30-8 p.m.
  Oct. 3, 10 and 17 (three-week course)
  Oct. 24, 31 and Nov. 7, 14, 28 (five-week course)
• University of Arkansas Campus (Fayetteville)
  Tuesdays – 6:30-8 p.m.
  Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, 18 (three-week course)
  Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 (five-week course)