By equipping students with fundamental tools to improve their study skills through free workshops, Student Smart: Get Ready for College better prepares the next generation of Angelenos for college.

Operated in partnership with the Princeton Review, students in 8th through 11th grade prepare for college entrance exams (PSAT, SAT, and ACT), and college applications through a series of motivational seminars, study skill workshops, and test-taking practice sessions at neighborhood libraries and Central Library. Workshop topics include: Developing Good Study Habits, Preparing for Examinations, Test Taking Strategies, Practice Test Sessions, Financial Aid, College Application Process, and Common College Admission Myths.

Students also have the opportunity to take full-length SAT and ACT practice tests administered in “real-time”, and scored by Princeton Review Staff. The following week, Princeton Review staff offers a free strategy and information session for each student and their parents during which they review the student’s scores and provide counsel on ways to improve. Students who attend the follow-up counseling session also receive a free copy of Princeton Review’s book Cracking the SAT.

Student Smart: Get Ready for College also offers two motivational seminars, in the fall and spring, aimed at eighth-grade students who attend low-performing schools. The goal of these seminars is to stress the importance of staying in school and acquaint the students with the rich resources of the Library to enable them to build a foundation for lifelong learning.

Student Smart: Get Ready for College at the Los Angeles Public Library is supported by the generosity of:

  • The Duttenhaver Fund at National Philanthropic Trust