Let's face it: the education industry has gotten a little out-of-hand. From Baby Einstein videos to $300 per hour AP Chemistry tutors, there's no shortage of people trying to take advantage of parents' zealousness to give their kids a leg up in life.

At Catalyst, we believe SAT and ACT prep are at the very top of all this lunacy. Even when we were in high school, way back in the twentieth century, things were different. You took a practice test or two, maybe studied a few vocabulary words, and that was it. Nowadays, students preparing for the SAT well, we don't have to tell you.

Catalyst was born out of a need to shout, with Howard Beale-like fervor, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!" (We thought about that for our motto, but felt "The spark to an extraordinary score" had a catchier, less irate ring to it.)

The fact is, we can't do much to change the rules of engagement. The test prep bubble's just not ready to burst. However, we can change the way students experience the process of taking tests and applying to college.

The SAT and ACT are boring exams, but learning to ace them doesn't have to be. At Catalyst, we take the actual SAT and ACT every time they're given to gain insider knowledge of these exams, and we pass our expertise to students with patience, understanding, and a welcome sprinkling of humor and creativity. (We're proud to be the only education company in America with an actual New Yorker cartoonist.)