Fast Forward To Today

Today, we’re not only the leading provider of personalized ACT/SAT test preparation in Minnesota, we also provide students and families with a complete set of services including academic tutoring, college application essay assistance, expertise in test prep and tutoring for students with LD/ADHD and graduate school admissions test prep including the LSAT, MCAT, GRE and GMAT exams.

To celebrate the success of all our students and the quiet, steady growth of our organization, we’ve chosen a new name – Flying Colors.

Why The Name Change, and Why Flying Colors?

We’re still the same great company and team, but we believe ‘Flying Colors’ better captures all that we do – and why we do it. We’re passionate about building confidence, unlocking individual potential, and delivering an engaging and collaborative experience.

Our team of 50+ expert tutors has helped thousands of students tackle complicated academic subjects and prepare for their college entrance exams with tailored programs that consistently deliver exceptional results.

We’re proud to say we’re the exclusive provider of test prep services for a long list of great Minnesota schools, and we’re the only organization in the Upper Midwest with test prep instruction designed specifically for students with LD/ADHD.

About Our President

Ron Michalak is the founder of Flying Colors. He earned a BA in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA in marketing and finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

After college, Ron enjoyed a 25-year career in finance, marketing, and business development as an executive with firms including Arthur Andersen, Coopers & Lybrand, BellSouth and IBM/Internet Security Systems. Ron got his start in test prep nearly two decades ago when, as a student at the Kellogg School, he provided classroom-style instruction to SAT and GMAT students.

What Is The ACT Superscore, Exactly?

Beginning in April 2021, if a student had taken more than one ACT test, the ACT reported the student’s “superscore” as part of their results.

A superscore is a score that combines the best section scores from two or more ACT tests that a student has completed. On the surface, it sounds great, as the example below illustrates:

Note the new composite score, created from the compilation of the best scores. Sweet, right? It’s higher than any of the individual composite scores. Not so fast.

The Problem? Over 80% of Colleges Don’t Accept The ACT Superscore

Of the nation’s 2400+ schools that use ACT and SAT scores, fewer than 450 schools will consider an ACT superscore. The majority of colleges and universities will only consider a student’s single best ACT score from any number of attempts the student has made.

When it comes to the ACT superscore, be sure to do your homework. You can click here to see a list of schools that utilize ACT superscores in their decision process. Because admissions offices can change their policies, we strongly encourage students and families to check with the admissions office of the schools to which the student may apply for the most accurate information.

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While both are accepted by an increasing number of business schools, they cater to slightly different skill sets and are viewed differently by admissions committees.

Let’s break down the key factors you should consider when making this crucial decision.

1. Business School Preferences

First and foremost, check the admissions criteria of the schools you’re targeting. While many business schools accept both the GMAT and GRE, some might prefer one over the other. Schools will often provide guidance on their websites, or you can contact the admissions office directly.

2. Career Goals

If you’re targeting a specific industry post-MBA, it might be worthwhile to see if there’s a prevailing preference among potential employers. Some recruiters in the finance and consulting sectors, for instance, have been known to ask that GMAT scores be included on applicants’ resumes.

3. Test Structures And Your Skill Set

Evaluate your strengths. If you’re stronger in critical thinking, the GMAT might be a better showcase of your skills. However, if you have a liberal arts background or are more comfortable with vocabulary-based questions, the GRE might give you a better avenue in which to excel.

4. Flexibility For Other Graduate Programs

If you’re considering multiple graduate programs beyond an MBA, such as a dual degree in public policy or international relations, the GRE offers broader acceptance across various programs.

5. Test-Taking Experience

If you have previously taken one of these tests for another application, consider your comfort level and previous performance. If you have already prepared for and taken the GRE, for example, it might be easier to improve on that rather than starting fresh with the GMAT.

Weigh The Options

Choosing the GRE or GMAT is an individual decision based on various factors, including your school choices, career aspirations, skill set, and personal preferences. Do your research, possibly take a practice test of each to gauge your comfort level and consult with mentors or advisors. Remember, the goal is to present your best self to the admissions committee.

What is Executive Function, Exactly?

Executive function is the brain’s ability to coordinate the thinking and behavior needed to start, sustain, monitor, and adjust one’s attitudes and behaviors required to achieve a goal. Struggles with executive function are very common for neurodivergent thinkers.

Different components of executive function include:

Difficulties with any of these brain functions can prevent a student from performing to the best of their ability.

Executive Function Disorders Are Not Often Not Recognized In Younger Kids

Parents may notice the symptoms of executive function disorders long before their child experiences any difficulties at school. It can show up as something as benign as struggling to manage simple tasks at home – long before they encounter frustration completing a 3-page essay for a class.

The ability to start or complete daily tasks is part of executive function and can explain why a request to ‘clean your bedroom’ can be so hard for these kids to complete. The task can feel vague or even daunting to them. Where should they start? The floor? The closet? Under the bed? The dresser drawers? The piles of crafts and toys and projects?

As they get older, they might struggle to start or complete their homework or fail to ask questions at school when they are stuck on an assignment. They might shut down in class, not put forth their best effort because they aren’t sure where to start, lose assignments or fail to submit them.

Does My Child Have Executive Function Challenges?

Many parents of students we work with describe teachers who tell them their child is bright but struggles with important tasks such as follow through and handing in homework in a timely manner. Others report that their student stays up far too late the night before an essay is due or forgets about their homework because they don’t have a sense of how long a task should take.

Students With Executive Function Disorders: How Can the Flying Colors Team Help?

Our team has extensive experience working with students with a wide range of learning disabilities, ADHD and executive function challenges. For each student with whom we work, we develop a tailored plan, with the goals of increasing student achievement, confidence, and independence in learning routines.

Here are some of the ways Flying Colors can help students with executive function disorders:

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Rachel Erickson, our director for students with learning differences and attention issues at [email protected].

In Minnesota, the ACT has traditionally been the test of choice. Enter the new digital SAT. Students have quickly learned it is a shorter test and that has begun to drive demand. And while it’s true that the new SAT is indeed shorter, it’s also harder.

You might be familiar with the SAT college entrance exam, but perhaps the term “Digital SAT” is new to you. To understand the difference between the old paper version of the SAT and its new digital format, check out our article, “Understanding The Paper SAT vs. The New Digital SAT”.

This quick comparison of the digital SAT vs ACT can help determine which will be best for your student.

Pros of the Digital SAT vs. ACT

1. Shorter Test = More Time To Answer.

Students who take the SAT have a better chance of avoiding test exhaustion with the shorter exam duration. They also have more time to answer each question, reducing the stress of time management.

2. Digital Format For Digital Natives.

Taking an exam on an electronic device such as a laptop, Chromebook, or iPad is now normal for many students, and will likely be more comfortable and familiar for students than a paper test.

·While the ACT also has a digital option, it is not available in all locations.

3. Adapts To Student Ability.

The adaptive test format means that SAT sections (reading/writing and math) are comprised of two stages:

A student who does well in the first stage will receive a more challenging second stage–a key part of achieving a higher score. For a student who struggles with the first stage, the SAT software will deliver an easier second stage, to better gauge actual ability level and help prevent the student from leaving the test feeling deflated.

Cons of the Digital SAT vs. ACT

More Time To Answer = More Complex Questions

Because students have more time to answer, SAT developers are known to include some unique and sometimes unfamiliar approaches to testing concepts. Some questions require students to reason through SAT questions vs. simply choosing straightforward answers, and test-takers may find the question formats different than what they’re used to in the school setting. This makes practice testing important, to build familiarity with the testing approach.

Scoring Impact Of Weighted Questions.

Questions on the ACT are weighted equally – the easiest question on the test is worth just as much as the most difficult question on the test – so it is possible to guess on the most challenging questions and still receive a strong score. That is not the case with the SAT. It is a more sophisticated test where some questions count for nothing; others are more heavily weighted. Careful answers are required throughout the SAT exam as errors on some questions can be quite costly.

Limited Availability.

At this time in Minnesota, seats for the SAT are limited, and students may have to wait to test. SAT popularity has increased with the digital rollout, and schools are not yet meeting current demand. Based on our conversations with schools around the Metro Area, it can be challenging to offer the new digital SAT since students need to show up to the testing site with fully charged testing devices that have the appropriate software already loaded. We’ll all have to stay tuned to see if availability improves.

The Digital SAT vs ACT: Still Not Sure?

Your student can take both a practice digital SAT and a practice ACT exam with us to see which is a better fit. Flying Colors offers practice exams every weekend of the year.

You can learn more and register here. Check it out and start answering the “which test to take” question with confidence.

In the recent case against Harvard, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that colleges can no longer use affirmative action in college admissions. The Court, however, did not say that colleges could not consider race at all. Instead, writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said:

“Nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.”

What Does This Affirmative Action Decision Mean For Applicants?

Colleges can — and will — continue to use the information they glean from admissions essays to help fulfill their missions to build equitable, inclusive, and diverse campus communities. For all students, the ruling increases the focus on the type of contributions beyond academics that students will bring to campus. For students of color, this may mean including information about their identity to ensure the college knows them fully, as essays may become the only legal means to do so. This makes their approach to the college essay that much more important.

Making It Personal

During their initial brainstorming process, students from minority populations often consider potential essay topics based on some aspect of their racial background or identity. This is still a valid, and acceptable approach, as long as the essay is focused not just on race alone, but on the impact their race has had in developing the student’s defining characteristics, or how race-based experiences have led the student to some aspect of personal growth.

The Essay’s Purpose

The main goal of the written information in a college application is twofold:

For students whose minority identity has required them to overcome challenges or helped them develop a passion for leadership or service, for example, the essay is a great opportunity for them to call those qualities out, to help the admissions team get to know them fully. It’s important for students to remember to weave those experiences into a personal narrative that describes how they will use those unique qualities to make a positive contribution to the college at large.

Next Steps?

Well before your student sits down to craft their essay, they’ll want to be sure they have concrete examples of what they have done or how they have grown as a result of their race-based experiences. Whether they’ve been motivated to mentor others, developed a passion for leadership, or been driven to achieve against all odds, the admissions team will be looking to learn how your student has brought his or her personal characteristics and values to life.

If you think your student may need help developing their topic and/or writing their admission essays, our team of coaches is here to help. To learn more, contact Sally Spector, our Director of College Essays, at [email protected].