About Our Courses
GENERAL COURSE SUMMARIES
Students taking our Comprehensive SAT/ACT/PSAT Preparation Course are taught both the academic content and the advanced test-taking strategies necessary to beat the test-makers at their own game. We will not pass you off to someone who was simply given a crash course in our methods; students enrolled in our course will work directly with Dr. Rothkopf, who wrote the curricula, usually attains perfect or near-perfect scores on the exams, and has been preparing students for the test for over four decades. Through their training, students learn how to master the skills needed for all sections of the SAT, ACT and PSAT exams. In recent years, our students have seen an average SAT score increase of over 200 points; the highest increase one of our students achieved (on the now-retired three-scores version of the test) was an astounding 900 points (which would translate to a 600-point increase on today's version of the SAT)!
All of our Comprehensive Prep courses cover the same material and simultaneously prepare students for the SAT, ACT and PSAT exams. Each course offers over 67 hours of in-depth preparation; additionally, students are welcome to remain after class to ask for clarification or further explanation on any lessons from that day's class -- this should help to prevent any students from feeling like they are falling behind. You can view the schedules and reserve your space for any of our courses on our Schedules/Registration page.
We are currently taking enrollment for our 2025-2026 October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course, which began on Sunday, October 26 in preparation for the April 2026 ACT exam and the May 2026 SAT exam...students are also encouraged to consider taking an additional exam along the way (such as the March SAT and February ACT), as well as to take one or both of those exams on future dates as well. Even though the class has recently begun, since we record every class, students can catch up on anything they've missed. The tuition for the course is $1495. All students will be required to have a scientific or graphing calculator and to purchase the most recent versions of two books: "The Official ACT Prep Guide" and "The Official Digital SAT Study Guide"; students will also need to bring a laptop, tablet or iPad to a few classes toward the end of the course.
There are two options for attending classes: (1) in person in the conference room at Comfort Suites (located at 3901 SW 117 Avenue, just off the Turnpike at the corner of Bird Road (SW 40 Street) and SW 117 Avenue) AND (2) remotely through Zoom. Students/parents can choose which of the two formats they feel most comfortable with (unless the in-person option reaches maximum enrollment). The Zoom option allows both local and out-of-town students who view the class remotely to still hear/see the instructor and the white board clearly and to participate & interact with the instructor just as if they were attending in person; the Zoom option is also available for students who normally attend in-person but who occasionally cannot attend at the in-person location. If a student is unable to attend class on a particular date through either method of attendance, the student can arrange to view a recording of the missed class on YouTube for an additional $10.
As mentioned above, since we record every class and upload it to the internet on a private page, students who enroll late can still catch up on what they've missed by viewing the recordings of the previous classes.
If you already know you want to register for our course, you can click here. If you'd like more guidance, please read on or contact us (see the bottom of this page).
COURSE / TEST RECOMMENDATIONS
First, three important notes:
(1) Unlike 30 years ago, most students now take the SAT and/or ACT 2 - 4 times (sometimes more), wisely taking advantage of the widespread use of “super-scoring”. For example, if the student takes the SAT exam in June and scores a 660 in the verbal sections and a 400 in the math sections, and then that same student takes the SAT again in October and scores a 520 in the verbal sections and a 670 in the math sections, most schools (and scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships) will combine the high verbal score (660) from June and the high math score (670) from October, leading to a 1330 score, which, beginning with the Class of 2026, is the scoring level necessary for the highest level of the Bright Futures scholarships.
(2) Whereas some students have been advised to take their first SAT and ACT exams without preparation, "just to see how you'll do," we do not recommend this. As it says on our FAQ page, before taking their first driving test, most students enroll in a driver's education course...they would never consider taking the test without training. You should never take an important exam inadequately prepared, and getting professional training prior to your first SAT and ACT allows more time to further enhance your test-taking skills should you later decide to retake the tests. If you have ever taken the PSAT or PreACT, or if you’ve taken a published previously-administered SAT or ACT exam, you already have a feel for the tests. "Getting a feel for the SAT and ACT exams" should instead be considered as one of the primary benefits of the PSAT and PreACT exams, respectively.
Given the above, our recommendations are as follows:
For students who are in 12th grade in the 2025-26 school year, if you are taking the course in order to achieve score levels that will make you eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships, our upcoming October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course will perfectly fill the bill, since ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships. If you plan to take our course solely for the purpose of admission to colleges, before enrolling in our course you should first check with the colleges to which you are applying to find out their deadlines. If some of the colleges will accept the April ACT and May SAT exams...or perhaps even the February ACT and March SAT exams...then the preparation our course will provide could prove to be crucial toward your achieving the scores necessary for admission and you should plan to take the ACT and SAT exams during the course two or three times; however, if you are not vying for the Bright Futures scholarship and if none of the colleges to which you will be applying will accept these spring test dates, you would be better off seeking a private tutor who can begin to work with you immediately in order to prepare you for the fall exam dates. To determine the best dates for taking the exams, please contact Dr. Rothkopf so he can make recommendations that best fit your needs and situation.
For students who are in 11th grade in the 2025-26 school year, this is the ideal time to begin your SAT/ACT training, so we suggest you reserve your space in our October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course as soon as possible, while there are still spaces available. All class sessions will meet on Sundays in order to minimize conflicts with school obligations. We always recommend that 11th grade students should plan to sit for at least two SAT exams and at least two ACT exams during their junior year, so we would encourage you to plan to take the ACT in April and the SAT in May (these are the two test dates our course is geared toward)...and to also plan to take either the February or June ACT and either the March or June SAT. While neither the SAT nor the ACT is inherently more easy or more difficult than the other, some students will find, after they have completed practice tests during the course and taken both the SAT and ACT toward the end of their training, that they will be scoring significantly and consistently better on one test than on the other. Thus, after the school year has been completed, if they wish to further raise their scores, students should focus on their stronger exam and register for test dates between July through December of their senior year.
For students who are in 9th or 10th grade in the 2025-26 school year and who wish to get an early start on their SAT and ACT preparation, all of our Comprehensive Preparation courses are fine options. Note that you should not feel pressure to have to take the SAT and ACT, nor our course, during your freshman and sophomore high school years...most students don't take those exams until 11th grade and usually begin their preparation as they enter their junior year. However, every year we have a couple of 9th graders and several 10th graders who wish to get an early start for a variety of reasons, and that will certainly put you ahead of the game! Note that freshmen and sophomores who take our course should definitely plan to take the SAT and ACT exams immediately after the course has been completed, while the material is fresh...do not take the course and then wait several months or longer to take the tests. Read the discussion for 11th graders (in red, above) for further guidance.
----> READY TO REGISTER? GREAT!! CLICK HERE! <----
If you have questions you'd like to ask -- about the course, about payment, about the exams, or about anything else -- you can email Dr. Rothkopf at [email protected] or you can call/text Michele at 305-969-2012; either one of us will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Since we only have a very limited number of seats for the in-person location, we strongly encourage you to reserve your space or contact us with your questions as soon as possible to make sure to secure your spot in our course.
Again, thank you so much for your interest in Higher Standards for your test prep. We look forward to working with your family!
Sincerely,
Dr. & Mrs. Jeff & Michele Rothkopf
Students taking our Comprehensive SAT/ACT/PSAT Preparation Course are taught both the academic content and the advanced test-taking strategies necessary to beat the test-makers at their own game. We will not pass you off to someone who was simply given a crash course in our methods; students enrolled in our course will work directly with Dr. Rothkopf, who wrote the curricula, usually attains perfect or near-perfect scores on the exams, and has been preparing students for the test for over four decades. Through their training, students learn how to master the skills needed for all sections of the SAT, ACT and PSAT exams. In recent years, our students have seen an average SAT score increase of over 200 points; the highest increase one of our students achieved (on the now-retired three-scores version of the test) was an astounding 900 points (which would translate to a 600-point increase on today's version of the SAT)!
All of our Comprehensive Prep courses cover the same material and simultaneously prepare students for the SAT, ACT and PSAT exams. Each course offers over 67 hours of in-depth preparation; additionally, students are welcome to remain after class to ask for clarification or further explanation on any lessons from that day's class -- this should help to prevent any students from feeling like they are falling behind. You can view the schedules and reserve your space for any of our courses on our Schedules/Registration page.
We are currently taking enrollment for our 2025-2026 October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course, which began on Sunday, October 26 in preparation for the April 2026 ACT exam and the May 2026 SAT exam...students are also encouraged to consider taking an additional exam along the way (such as the March SAT and February ACT), as well as to take one or both of those exams on future dates as well. Even though the class has recently begun, since we record every class, students can catch up on anything they've missed. The tuition for the course is $1495. All students will be required to have a scientific or graphing calculator and to purchase the most recent versions of two books: "The Official ACT Prep Guide" and "The Official Digital SAT Study Guide"; students will also need to bring a laptop, tablet or iPad to a few classes toward the end of the course.
There are two options for attending classes: (1) in person in the conference room at Comfort Suites (located at 3901 SW 117 Avenue, just off the Turnpike at the corner of Bird Road (SW 40 Street) and SW 117 Avenue) AND (2) remotely through Zoom. Students/parents can choose which of the two formats they feel most comfortable with (unless the in-person option reaches maximum enrollment). The Zoom option allows both local and out-of-town students who view the class remotely to still hear/see the instructor and the white board clearly and to participate & interact with the instructor just as if they were attending in person; the Zoom option is also available for students who normally attend in-person but who occasionally cannot attend at the in-person location. If a student is unable to attend class on a particular date through either method of attendance, the student can arrange to view a recording of the missed class on YouTube for an additional $10.
As mentioned above, since we record every class and upload it to the internet on a private page, students who enroll late can still catch up on what they've missed by viewing the recordings of the previous classes.
If you already know you want to register for our course, you can click here. If you'd like more guidance, please read on or contact us (see the bottom of this page).
COURSE / TEST RECOMMENDATIONS
First, three important notes:
(1) Unlike 30 years ago, most students now take the SAT and/or ACT 2 - 4 times (sometimes more), wisely taking advantage of the widespread use of “super-scoring”. For example, if the student takes the SAT exam in June and scores a 660 in the verbal sections and a 400 in the math sections, and then that same student takes the SAT again in October and scores a 520 in the verbal sections and a 670 in the math sections, most schools (and scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships) will combine the high verbal score (660) from June and the high math score (670) from October, leading to a 1330 score, which, beginning with the Class of 2026, is the scoring level necessary for the highest level of the Bright Futures scholarships.
(2) Whereas some students have been advised to take their first SAT and ACT exams without preparation, "just to see how you'll do," we do not recommend this. As it says on our FAQ page, before taking their first driving test, most students enroll in a driver's education course...they would never consider taking the test without training. You should never take an important exam inadequately prepared, and getting professional training prior to your first SAT and ACT allows more time to further enhance your test-taking skills should you later decide to retake the tests. If you have ever taken the PSAT or PreACT, or if you’ve taken a published previously-administered SAT or ACT exam, you already have a feel for the tests. "Getting a feel for the SAT and ACT exams" should instead be considered as one of the primary benefits of the PSAT and PreACT exams, respectively.
Given the above, our recommendations are as follows:
For students who are in 12th grade in the 2025-26 school year, if you are taking the course in order to achieve score levels that will make you eligible for scholarships such as the Florida Bright Futures scholarships, our upcoming October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course will perfectly fill the bill, since ALL tests taken through to the end of June of one's senior year are applicable toward Bright Futures scholarships. If you plan to take our course solely for the purpose of admission to colleges, before enrolling in our course you should first check with the colleges to which you are applying to find out their deadlines. If some of the colleges will accept the April ACT and May SAT exams...or perhaps even the February ACT and March SAT exams...then the preparation our course will provide could prove to be crucial toward your achieving the scores necessary for admission and you should plan to take the ACT and SAT exams during the course two or three times; however, if you are not vying for the Bright Futures scholarship and if none of the colleges to which you will be applying will accept these spring test dates, you would be better off seeking a private tutor who can begin to work with you immediately in order to prepare you for the fall exam dates. To determine the best dates for taking the exams, please contact Dr. Rothkopf so he can make recommendations that best fit your needs and situation.
For students who are in 11th grade in the 2025-26 school year, this is the ideal time to begin your SAT/ACT training, so we suggest you reserve your space in our October-to-May Comprehensive Prep Course as soon as possible, while there are still spaces available. All class sessions will meet on Sundays in order to minimize conflicts with school obligations. We always recommend that 11th grade students should plan to sit for at least two SAT exams and at least two ACT exams during their junior year, so we would encourage you to plan to take the ACT in April and the SAT in May (these are the two test dates our course is geared toward)...and to also plan to take either the February or June ACT and either the March or June SAT. While neither the SAT nor the ACT is inherently more easy or more difficult than the other, some students will find, after they have completed practice tests during the course and taken both the SAT and ACT toward the end of their training, that they will be scoring significantly and consistently better on one test than on the other. Thus, after the school year has been completed, if they wish to further raise their scores, students should focus on their stronger exam and register for test dates between July through December of their senior year.
For students who are in 9th or 10th grade in the 2025-26 school year and who wish to get an early start on their SAT and ACT preparation, all of our Comprehensive Preparation courses are fine options. Note that you should not feel pressure to have to take the SAT and ACT, nor our course, during your freshman and sophomore high school years...most students don't take those exams until 11th grade and usually begin their preparation as they enter their junior year. However, every year we have a couple of 9th graders and several 10th graders who wish to get an early start for a variety of reasons, and that will certainly put you ahead of the game! Note that freshmen and sophomores who take our course should definitely plan to take the SAT and ACT exams immediately after the course has been completed, while the material is fresh...do not take the course and then wait several months or longer to take the tests. Read the discussion for 11th graders (in red, above) for further guidance.
----> READY TO REGISTER? GREAT!! CLICK HERE! <----
If you have questions you'd like to ask -- about the course, about payment, about the exams, or about anything else -- you can email Dr. Rothkopf at [email protected] or you can call/text Michele at 305-969-2012; either one of us will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Since we only have a very limited number of seats for the in-person location, we strongly encourage you to reserve your space or contact us with your questions as soon as possible to make sure to secure your spot in our course.
Again, thank you so much for your interest in Higher Standards for your test prep. We look forward to working with your family!
Sincerely,
Dr. & Mrs. Jeff & Michele Rothkopf