Episode Description

Bobby Nicholson shares his journey of starting ACTPrep.com, a tutoring company focused on ACT preparation. He talks about his background, dropping out of high school, getting his GED, and his experience in college. Bobby explains how he and his friend started a nonprofit for at-risk youth and eventually transitioned into tutoring, which became their monetizable offering. He discusses the growth of the company, their focus on the ACT, and their expansion into online tutoring. Bobby also shares insights on marketing strategies, pricing, and the importance of motivating students to do the work. The app developed by the company has allowed coaches to take on more students and provide personalized support. The app sends reminders and texts to students to keep them on track. The program is designed to create a team-based structure where students compete against each other to win gift cards. The first three weeks of the program are intensive and focus on helping students develop good study habits. The ACT test is considered a middle school level test, with most of the content being covered in middle school. Reading fiction is emphasized as an important factor in improving reading speed and comprehension. The choice of college and the potential return on investment should be carefully considered, as some schools offer better opportunities for higher-paying jobs. Nonprofits like QuestBridge provide full scholarships to financially disadvantaged students for Ivy League and competitive schools.