College admission tests often operate as gatekeepers that deny equal educational opportunities to certain groups of students. In 1991, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. joined forces with the University of Minnesota to offer a free ACT/SAT review course for “at risk” students targeting minority and female high school students. The 2012 edition of this course has concluded, but a brief outline of the programs is below.
The main goal of the review is to provide information and opportunities that will enable students to increase their college admission test scores and college preparedness so that they will have a better chance of: 1) going to the college of their choice, 2) receiving merit scholarships to go to college, and 3) being successful once they are in college.
The review consists of six facets: a) content areas of admission tests, b) test-taking skills, c) practice - students take eight (8) tests that are scored and returned with diagnostic information, d) advising, e) personal factors such as time management, test anxiety, and study skills, f) college application process as well as aspects of being a successful college student. A summary of this year’s program is as follows:
| Week 1 | Welcome / College Admissions Workshop |
| Week 2 | Princeton Review Assessment |
| Week 3 | Vocabulary / Study Skills Workshop / Financial Aid |
| Week 4 | Mathematics Workshop |
| Week 5 | Science Reasoning Workshop |
| Week 6 | Data Representation / Motivation / Item Formats |
| Week 7 | Reading Workshop |
| Week 8 | English Workshop |
| Week 9 | Writing Workshop / Evaluation / Pizza Party |
| Week 10 | Mock ACT Test |
For further information regarding this program, please contact Mr. Gareth Phillips at the ACT/SAT program office (612) 626-1662 or Dr. Ernest Davenport at (612) 624-1040. You can pre-register by sending your name, address, telephone number, name of current school, and grade level to email address: actsat@umn.edu (preferred) or fax to Dr. Ernest Davenport, (612) 624-8241.
The ACT/SAT Review course is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Sponsors: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Alpha Kappa Alpha Soririty, Inc, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, and Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp.