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35th Year · 200,000+ Students

Improve Your ACT Score with Proven Strategies

Chad took the ACT 18 times in high school, raising his score from 19 to 32. What he learned in those attempts, he now teaches in one 3-hour workshop. More than 200,000 students have attended.

No boring lectures. No endless practice tests. Just the strategies from someone who's actually been there.

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Chad Cargill Teaching in a Classroom
19 → 32 Chad's own ACT score, across 18 attempts
The Story

The Coach Who's Been There

Chad comes from a simple home. His dad worked in a grocery warehouse for 30 years. No Cargill in his family history had ever graduated college. His dad told him: get a job and attend the local junior college.

But Chad had a different plan. He knew scholarships were his way to Oklahoma State University.

So he did something unusual: he took the ACT 18 times.

Each time, he learned something new. Each time, his score climbed. From 19 to 32.

"People think I'm crazy for doing what I did. But I tell them, I'm not normal. Because you know what normal is when you go to college, broke."

After high school, Chad went back to his alma mater and shared what he'd learned with other students. The results were powerful. His counselor asked him to return. Other schools heard about it. Eventually, Oklahoma State University invited him to host workshops on campus.

Chad worked five years as an engineer at Lucent Technologies while giving workshops evenings and weekends. Now he travels full-time across the country doing this.

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Chad Cargill Records an ACT Podcast
35th year

More than 200,000 students have attended.

Same workshop. Real results.

The Workshop

What You Actually Get

  • Proven Strategies from Real Experience

    Chad's entire workshop is built on what he learned taking the ACT 18 times. Not theory. Not what test prep companies think works. What actually works.

  • Entertainment + Education

    Students consistently say the 3 hours fly by. Why? Because Chad knows how to make test strategies memorable with humor, stories, and real-world examples that stick.

  • More Than Test Prep

    You'll learn ACT strategies, yes. But you'll also learn about scholarships, character building, and how to succeed in college. Students leave motivated, not just informed.

  • Affordable & Accessible

    $40 per student. Minimum 30 students within a 4-hour drive of Oklahoma City. Minimum 60 students beyond a 4-hour drive.
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Prep Book

Prep Book: Chad Cargill's ACT

Chad's the only person to write an ACT prep book after taking the test 18 times. This book includes everything he teaches in the workshop.

15th edition, updated for the Enhanced ACT. Science is optional. The Composite is English, Math, and Reading.

  • What's Inside

    • All key rules and strategies for English, Math, Reading, and Science
    • Examples, exercises, and model questions
    • Real practice tests with explanations
    • Chad's personal insights and strategies

  • Proven Results

    • Students using this book raise their composite ACT score an average of 2.4 points
    • Students scoring below 20 in reading raise an average of 5.9 points in reading alone
Chad Cargills ACT Prep Books

Cost & Ordering

  • $30 per book (including tax)
  • Available after workshops (Oklahoma schools can purchase in person)
  • Online ordering
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Ways To Learn

Workshop Options

In-Person Workshops

  • What's Included:

    • 3 hours of ACT strategies (not practice tests)
    • Strategies for English, Math, Reading, and Science
    • Scholarship guidance
    • Character-building lessons that stick
    • Notes packet with study tips to take home

  • Cost & Logistics:

    • Within a 4-hour drive of Oklahoma City: $40 per student, minimum 30
    • Beyond a 4-hour drive: $40 per student, minimum 60
    • Student workshop: 3 hours · Faculty workshop: 2 hours
    • Invoice: After the workshop

  • For Students & Parents:

    • Ask your school counselor about attending
    • Parents can attend free with a paid student (space permitting)
    • Some schools pay upfront; others invoice afterward

  • Can't Find a Workshop Near You?

    Find a nearby school hosting Chad's workshop. Call the school counselor and ask permission to attend.
    View Workshop Calendar

  • Need to Bring Chad to Your School?

    Book a 3-hour student workshop or a 2-hour faculty workshop at your school.
    Request a Workshop
Podcast

Past Episodes of Chad's Podcast

Listen to past episodes of Chad's podcast for ACT strategies, motivation, and stories from students who've succeeded.
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Chad Cargill Records an ACT Podcast
Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I go into debt to pay for college?

College costs are increasing at a rate of about 7% per year. Student loans are everywhere, and some people think they can escape them through bankruptcy. They can't. The government will garnish disability checks. The government will garnish social security checks.

Recently, a woman took her case against the government to the Supreme Court to prevent them from garnishing her disability check for a student loan payment. She argued she couldn't afford medicine if they took the money. The Supreme Court said: "Sorry, but you shouldn't have taken the loan."

Don't do it. Even if you have to attend community college. Even if it takes you 5 years to graduate instead of 4 because you're working. Even then, it's better than graduating with $60,000 of debt for a degree that pays $25,000 a year.

Do the math: how long will that take you to pay off?

I want to save for my kids' or grandkids' college. What's the best way?

Start with the Coverdell ESA (also called the Education IRA). You can save $2,000 per year per child in after-tax dollars, and it all grows tax-free if used for education.

The big advantage of Coverdell: you control the investment. Build your own portfolio of mutual funds.

Once you max out Coverdell, move to 529 plans. They're limited to state-selected funds, but they're still powerful.

College costs are increasing at a rate of about 7% per year. So calculate carefully.

How much will college cost, and how should I plan for it?

My wife and I are saving for our two children so they can attend one of the major four-year public universities without borrowing. If they choose to go out of state or private school, they cover the difference. If they earn scholarships, we match that in cash.

Here are the numbers:

Approximately $130,000–$150,000 for four years of college, including tuition, fees, dorm, meals and books.

How to save:

  • 2,000peryear(166.67/month) in a Coverdell ESA growing at 10% per year
  • = $53,000 for your 5-year-old (starting college at 18)
  • = Over $100,000 for your newborn

Look at those numbers. Starting 5 years earlier nearly doubles the balance.

The best time to have planted an oak tree was 30 years ago. The next best time is today.

I will be teaching an ACT prep class during the school year. What products can I use?

We have the prep book, Chad Cargill's ACT, which works for individual study and classroom settings. Studies have shown that students raise their composite ACT score an average of 2.4 points after using the book. Students with below 20 in reading raise an average of 5.9 points in reading alone.

The books are $30 each.

How do I find scholarships and financial aid?

Use every resource you can find:

  • Your school's counseling office (start here)
  • Your parents' employers
  • Companies and foundations (many have scholarship programs)
  • Free websites: www.fastweb.com and bigfuture.collegeboard.org

Don't stop at one source. Keep digging.

Why don't you give ACT workshops on Wednesday evenings?

I do not schedule workshops on Wednesday evenings.

Let's Talk

Connect With Chad

Ask about a workshop

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