For parents who've watched their high schooler take the test 3, 4, even 5 timesâwith scores that barely budge. You're doing everything right: practice tests, study time, maybe even group tutoring. But the scores stay stuck in the same frustrating range.
Here's what most parents don't know: Repetition without strategic diagnosis isn't improvement. It's guessing.
And time is running out.
If you're feeling stuck, frustrated, or worried you're running out of time â this is where clarity begins.
Not a generic sales pitch. A precision diagnostic call designed to identify exactly WHERE your student is strugglingâand whether you're even preparing for the right test.
This is the clarity call frustrated parents have been searching for.
When scores plateau after 3-4 attempts, it's rarely about effort or intelligence.
It's about one of three hidden factors:
78% of students score higher on one test vs. the other.
The SAT and ACT test completely different cognitive strengths:
Most families focus all their energy on ONE testâwithout ever discovering their student performs dramatically better on the OTHER test.
We've seen students stuck at 1190 SAT suddenly score 31 ACT (1410 equivalent). Same student. Same intelligence. Different test = 220-point swing.
Most "stuck" students already know the contentâbut struggle with timing and pacing.
A student who can solve math problems correctly with unlimited time may completely collapse under SAT time pressure (less than 75 seconds per question).
Generic practice tests don't fix timing issues. Strategic training on pacing, question recognition, and time management does.
Taking practice test after practice test without diagnosis = repeating the same mistakes.
Your student needs a baseline diagnostic that reveals:
Then create a 12-week strategic plan targeting those EXACT weaknessesânot generic "do more practice."
"My daughter had taken the SAT four times: 1150, 1180, 1170, 1180. We thought she just wasn't a 'test person.'
Cash4College's diagnostic revealed two things: (1) She scored 140 points higher on the ACT, and (2) Her struggle wasn't contentâit was reading pacing. She ran out of time every single test.
After 10 weeks of strategic ACT training focused on timing techniques, she scored 30 ACT (1370 equivalent). We wasted 8 months on the wrong test with the wrong approach.
Now she's at NYU; a place we never thought possible."
â Patricia W., Sugar Land, TX
"Our son excels at everything: straight A's, AP classes, robotics captain. But his SAT scores were average. We kept pushing him to 'try harder,' which just created tension.
The diagnostic showed us he's a 'GPA performer'âexcellent with study time and preparation, but struggles with high-pressure timed tests. Nadine recommended the ACT and taught him strategic pacing techniques.
He scored 34 ACT (1510 equivalent). Same intelligence. Better strategy. And our relationship is repaired because we stopped blaming his effort."
â Robert C., West University, Houston
Ravi K. â Verified Google Review
"Nadine was truly a wonderful college counselor! She helped my daughter in every step of her college journey and helped her become confident in her application. Nadine advises with kindness and compassion, always shedding a positive light on every situation. She is a treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to college applications and she is extremely dedicated to helping every student succeed. She gives up so much of her time to help each student and is available to answer questions very frequently. Nadine is truly a pleasure to work with, and I am so grateful that she helped my daughter with her college application. My daughter is at a school she loves and Nadine truly made that possible. I cannot recommend her enough!"
Giselle S. â Verified Google Review
"We have worked with Ms. Underbrink and cash4college for both of our children! To say that we are happy with her work or overjoyed with her work is an understatement. She was incredibly knowledgeable, thought completely out of the box and helped to get both of our children thousands upon thousands of dollars in scholarships. She helped with the process of getting into college starting as early as their freshman year of high school. Every aspect of getting into College, choosing a college, funding, scholarships, based on your child and their strengths and weaknesses, testing, you name it and she had the experience and knowledge to help us through it all. I cannot say enough good things about Ms. Underbrink and cash for college. You can't afford not to use her company!"
Result: Scores plateau. Frustration grows. Time runs out.
Result: Students stuck at 1190 for months suddenly hitting 1460+. Not because they got smarter. Because they got strategic.
17 Years Helping Families Navigate College Admissions & Test Strategy
"Too many brilliant students were being held backânot by their intelligence or work ethic, but by generic test prep approaches that didn't address their specific struggles."
After seeing hundreds of students plateau with traditional test prep methods, Nadine developed a precision diagnostic approach:
Personalized, strategic guidanceânot generic group programs.
Every student's diagnostic profile is unique. Every training plan is customized. Every strategy is based on YOUR student's specific strengths, weaknesses, and target schools.
You Probably Have Questions. Here Are Honest Answers.
A: Those approaches assume the problem is content knowledge or lack of practice. But most students who are stuck already KNOW the contentâthey're struggling with timing, pacing, test anxiety, or they're preparing for the WRONG test entirely.
We start with diagnostic precision: WHY are scores stuck? Is it the wrong test fit? Timing issues? Strategic gaps? Until you diagnose the root cause, you're guessing.
A: Not at all. If scores have plateaued after multiple attempts, that's a strong signal that strategic diagnosis is neededâbecause clearly, repetition alone isn't working.
We frequently see students who were stuck at 1200 SAT discover they score 32+ on the ACT (1430 equivalent). Or students who knew the content but struggled with timing jump 200+ points after strategic pacing training.
The question isn't "Is it too late?" The question is "How much more time will you waste without a strategic diagnosis?"
A: Our strategic training programs are typically 12-16 weeks from baseline diagnostic to target score achievement. Some students see significant improvement in 8-10 weeks.
The key difference: We're targeting your student's SPECIFIC weaknesses with precisionâwhich is why results come faster and more reliably than generic practice.
A: Not at all. Strategic test training benefits every student who has stagnant scores, a high GPA but lower test scores, wants merit scholarships, or is applying to competitive public universities (UT Austin, UVA, Michigan, etc.).
Test scores matter for merit scholarships at hundreds of universitiesânot just elite schools.
A: Here's what we've learned after 17 years: There's no such thing as "not being a test person." What actually exists: students taking the WRONG test, students who need timing strategies, students with test anxiety, and students using generic approaches for specific problems.
Every student has a highest potential score. The question is whether you have the right strategic approach to unlock it.
A: Yes! While we're Houston-based, we work with families nationwide through virtual consultations and strategic planning sessions.
The diagnostic call is conducted virtually, and we can create customized strategic training plans regardless of location.
Many competitive universities and merit scholarship programs have early action deadlines of October 15thâwhich means:
SAT and ACT test dates fill up fastâespecially October and November.
If you wait until summer before senior year to "get serious," you may not get preferred test dates. And you'll be scrambling to prepare in weeks instead of months.
Merit scholarships have score thresholdsâhigher than most parents realize:
If your student is stuck at 1200, you're missing hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential merit scholarships.
Waiting doesn't reduce pressure. It eliminates options.
Strategic test training takes 12-16 weeks. Scholarship deadlines are fixed. Test registration dates are limited.
The question isn't "Should we get strategic?"
The question is "Are we already too late?"
The diagnostic call answers that question.