By Mary Holtorf

Pacelli Catholic Schools Principal

This school year, Pacelli High School implemented a new ACT prep class for our juniors and seniors. The class is taught by Brittany Krzyzanowski, our academic counselor. Already, in just four months we have seen amazing benefits. The students increased their ACT test scores by an average of 2.16 as a result of the first four months of this class.

At Pacelli, we prepare our students for life-long learning beginning in pre-school, and culminating with a great ACT score and the preparation to succeed in college and other post secondary educational opportunities. In addition to our new ACT Prep Program, another outstanding program to help students earn higher ACT scores is the New England Prep Program. This program consists of two 20-minute video classes every week. One class concentrates on math; the other concentrates on English. Pacelli now joins Minnehaha Academy as the only two high schools in Minnesota that have instituted this program in their curriculum. This highly renowned nationwide program provides each student with more than 20 hours of concentrated ACT prep instruction every year from ninth through 12th grade.

Forbes magazine states that one of the biggest lies in college admission is that the ACT scores don’t matter. This is not true. In fact, it’s the opposite. Colleges are now giving greater attention to students’ ACT scores because of our society’s grade inflation throughout the last 15-20 years which leads to some high schools having 50 or more valedictorians. Today, ACT scores are now used to determine both the student’s acceptance to a colleges and the amount of financial support the college will consider for the student. Scholarship money can increase greatly for even a one or two point increase.

We are excited to offer both of these ACT prep programs to our students. We know they will make a very positive difference in the lives and with the opportunities that will be available to our students. Watch as they continue to grow and spread the good news about Pacelli Catholic Schools.