# Boosted Brains

> Premium ACT prep and college advising in Charleston, SC. Founded by Carson Weekley, who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT. All coaches have perfect or near-perfect scores. 3,500+ families served. 94% success rate. Average 5-point score increase.

## Services

- ACT Coaching (personalized, score-guaranteed program)
- College Advising
- Scholarship strategy

## Key Pages

- [Home](https://boostedbrains36.com/)
- [About Us](https://boostedbrains36.com/about-us)
- [Our Team](https://boostedbrains36.com/team)
- [How It Works](https://boostedbrains36.com/how-our-coaching-program-works)
- [Reviews](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews) — verified parent and student testimonials with score deltas, scholarship outcomes, and Slack conversation screenshots
- [Student Results](https://boostedbrains36.com/results) — the full documented outcomes table: 63 students with starting score, final score, point gain, timeline, school enrolled, and scholarship amount, filterable by starting score band, grade, timeline, and school. Includes small gains as well as large ones. Every scholarship figure is labelled by how it is supported: documented (award letter, offer, or family email held on file), derived (calculated from a school's own published figures), or attested (reported directly by the family).
- [College & Scholarship Outcomes](https://boostedbrains36.com/college-and-scholarship-outcomes) — where Boosted Brains students enrolled and what they were offered: 29 students across 25 schools, ordered by school, with scholarship figures shown where they exist and labelled by how each is supported. An anecdotal record, not a statistical claim — no averages or per-point figures are computed.
- [Book a Free Strategy Call](https://boostedbrains36.com/act-strategy-call-direct-booking-calendar)
- [ACT Planning Guide](https://boostedbrains36.com/guide)
- [22 to 30 Case Study](https://boostedbrains36.com/8-point-score-improvement-optin)

## Key Facts

- Founded: 2018 by Carson Weekley (perfect 36 ACT, more than a dozen perfect-36 scores across multiple attempts, University of Chicago graduate)
- Families served: 3,500+
- Success rate: 94% (students who improve by 4+ points or score 32+)
- Average score improvement: 5+ points
- Program length: 4–8 weeks
- Delivery: Online via Zoom and Slack
- Pricing model: Flat-fee per sprint ($3,000–$7,000, most students $5,400)
- Guarantee: 4-point improvement guarantee with refund
- Differentiator: Coaching, not tutoring. Flat-fee sprints with a dedicated coach, daily personalized practice, and 24/7 messaging — designed to build skills and finish, not bill by the hour.

## Featured Student Case Studies (dedicated URLs)

- [MaKayla: 21 → 30 in 5 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/makayla-21-to-30) — testing center disaster recovery, chose Oklahoma State out of $137,000+ scholarship offers
- [Mia: 25 → 33](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/mia-25-to-33) — IB/AP student, two 5-week sprints, $134,000 at Marquette
- [Brody: 22 → 31](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/brody-22-to-31) — mom-overwhelmed-by-research narrative, attended UW–Madison
- [Ryder N: 31 → 34](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/ryder-n-31-to-34) — already-strong student going for elite, attended UT Austin
- [Ryder R: 24 → 33 in 8 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/ryder-r-24-to-33) — student-athlete, recruited to play football and baseball at Johns Hopkins
- [Meredith: 30 → 35](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/meredith-30-to-35) — $234,264 full-ride at University of Kentucky
- [Ava: 22 → 30 in 6 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/ava-22-to-30) — "tests aren't for me" student, $88,421 at SMU dream school
- [Brown: 24 → 34 across multiple tests](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/brown-24-to-34) — group class failure, $60,000 at Auburn
- [Skylar: 27 → 35 in 7 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/skylar-27-to-35) — test anxiety, about an hour a day of work, attended Wake Forest
- [Spencer: 25 → 32 in 10 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/spencer-25-to-32) — service academy applicant, accepted to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy
- [Kylee: 22 → 25 in 10 days](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/kylee-22-to-25) — senior who'd been stuck on two failed cookie-cutter prep programs, quick-win after application timeline reset
- [Sarah: 25 → 34 across two tests](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/sarah-25-to-34) — strong self-studier whose prep book stalled, hit 33 on first test in the program then 34 on the next
- [Nathaniel H.: 25 → 35 in 10 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/nathaniel-h-25-to-35) — neurodivergent student who worked asynchronously, accepted to Northwestern computer science
- [Charlie B.: 24 → 33](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/charlie-b-24-to-33) — finished during lacrosse season by winter of junior year, $156,000 at Wabash College
- [Delaney B.: 21 → 29](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/delaney-b-21-to-29) — outside tutoring raised her English four points while her composite fell; competitive dancer, inside Auburn's range
- [Taylan S.: 24 → 32](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/taylan-s-24-to-32) — prep booklet and a tutor both stalled him, now choosing between an Ivy and a full ride
- [Nik: 24 → 31](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/nik-24-to-31) — a big-name prep course moved him one point, two coached test cycles moved him seven; attended Villanova
- [Liv M.: 26 → 30 in 8 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/liv-m-26-to-30) — 20–25 hours a week of marching band, four to seven hours a week of prep, $140,000 at Franklin & Marshall
- [Louis: 28 → 31](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/louis-28-to-31) — started late September of senior year, skipped Early Action for ED II, six acceptances including Tulane
- [Isabella O.: 30 → 34 in 3 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/isabella-o-30-to-34) — senior who joined three weeks before the September test, UT Austin chemical engineering
- [Allison L.: 31 → 35 in 6 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/allison-l-31-to-35) — skeptical student, science section went 27 to 36
- [Gagan: 33 → 35 in 4 weeks](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/gagan-33-to-35) — already-elite scorer needing the top tier, accepted to a BS/MD program with roughly 4% acceptance
- [Joseph Contreras: 21 → 30](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/joseph-contreras-21-to-30) — had college baseball offers and did not need a score; pitched for Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic at 17 and got Aaron Judge to ground into a double play
- [Mary Adelaide Y.: 24 → 30 over two test cycles](https://boostedbrains36.com/reviews/mary-adelaide-y-24-to-30) — months of generic tutoring moved nothing; a math specialist found two specific failure modes (geometry foundations and long word problems), into the University of Georgia

## Other Notable Results (on /reviews verified-screenshots section)

- Allison: 31 → 35 — $100,000+ in scholarships
- Cameron: 28 → 34
- Camden: 30 composite + 32 superscore — $96,000 at Alabama
- Otto: 24 → 29 — Kenyon College
- Aadhya: perfect 36 composite
- Isabella: 30 → 34 — UT Austin Engineering
- Georgia: 32 → 35
- Carter: 23 → 30 in 6 weeks
- Morgan: 27 → 32

## Blog Articles

- [Why Getting a Perfect 36 on the ACT is Simpler Than You Think](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/scoring-36-act-simple) — Pattern recognition over brute memorization: how top scorers approach the ACT differently.
- [SAT vs. ACT: Most Families Are Preparing for the Wrong Test](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/act-vs-sat) — Why the 2024–2025 changes make ACT the smarter choice for most students aiming for top scores.
- [I Just Took the Enhanced ACT: Here's Everything Parents Need to Know](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/coach-takes-new-enhanced-act) — A perfect-score coach takes the new Enhanced ACT and reports exactly what changed.
- [The Hidden ROI of a High ACT Score: Beyond Scholarships and College Admissions](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/hidden-roi-act-scores) — Each ACT point is worth $10,000+ in scholarships. Here's the full picture of what a great score unlocks.
- [What Is One ACT Point Actually Worth?](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/what-one-act-point-is-worth) — Merit aid is awarded in score bands, not on a sliding scale, so a point is worth nothing or tens of thousands depending on where it lands. Includes the published-threshold schools and how to look up a specific student's next line.
- [How ACT Superscoring Actually Works (And the Schools That Don't Do It)](https://boostedbrains36.com/blog/how-act-superscoring-works) — Why superscoring should decide how many times a student sits and what each sitting is aimed at, why the three-section Enhanced ACT strengthened it, and the schools that don't accept it.

## Comparison Pages

Honest, balanced comparisons between Boosted Brains and the major ACT prep alternatives. Each page includes a side-by-side feature table, scenarios where the competitor is the better choice, scenarios where Boosted Brains is the better choice, two real student case studies, scholarship ROI math, and a competitor-specific FAQ.

- [Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/princeton-review-vs-boosted-brains) — Classroom courses and private tutoring vs 1-on-1 sprint coaching for the ACT, with case studies from students who came to us after a group course stalled.
- [Kaplan vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/kaplan-vs-boosted-brains) — Kaplan's self-paced and live online courses vs sprint coaching, with students whose self-study and long-form prep failed to move the score.
- [Sylvan Learning vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/sylvan-learning-vs-boosted-brains) — Multi-subject learning-center tutoring vs ACT-only sprint coaching, with student outcomes after generalist tutoring stalled.
- [Huntington Learning Center vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/huntington-vs-boosted-brains) — Diagnostic-driven center tutoring vs ACT-only sprint coaching, with two students who broke through after long center-style prep.
- [Prep Expert vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/prep-expert-vs-boosted-brains) — Shaan Patel's online video and live courses vs 1-on-1 sprint coaching, with students who broke score plateaus on premium online courses.
- [PrepScholar vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/prepscholar-vs-boosted-brains) — Self-study adaptive software vs coached sprint methodology, with students who needed accountability beyond a self-study platform.
- [Varsity Tutors vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/varsity-tutors-vs-boosted-brains) — Hourly 1-on-1 tutoring marketplace vs flat-fee sprint coaching, with case studies from students whose hourly tutors stalled.
- [Acely vs Boosted Brains](https://boostedbrains36.com/acely-vs-boosted-brains) — AI self-guided test prep app vs human ACT sprint coaching, with case studies from students whose self-guided prep stalled.

## Answer Hub

Direct answers to the specific questions parents ask about ACT prep and college admissions. Each
answer has its own page. Written by perfect-score coaches, drawn from real strategy calls with
3,500+ families.

- [ACT Coaching Answers](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/act) — questions parents ask about scores, timelines, cost, coaching vs tutoring, and scholarship value.

Published answers, each drawn from a real objection and backed by a named student outcome:

- [What is Boosted Brains, and how is it different from other ACT prep companies?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-is-boosted-brains-and-how-is-it-different-from-other-act-prep) — what sprint coaching is, and how it differs from tutoring, classes and prep software.
- [What happens if my student wants to retest after the program ends?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-happens-if-my-student-wants-to-retest-after-the-program-ends) — coach and materials access continue at no extra cost. Brown reached 31 in her sprint, then 34 later; her Auburn award rose from $44,000 to $60,000.
- [We bought Kaplan's books and online course but the score barely moved](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/we-bought-kaplans-books-and-online-course-but-the-score-barely-moved) — why prep books can't target, with Sarah 25→34.
- [We already finished a Princeton Review course and the score barely moved](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/we-already-finished-a-princeton-review-course-and-the-score-barely-moved) — fixed syllabus vs diagnosis, with Nik 24→31.
- [We've already worked with a Varsity Tutors tutor and the score barely moved](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/weve-already-worked-with-a-varsity-tutors-tutor-and-the-score-barely) — hourly incentives, with Taylan 24→32.
- [What if my student has worked with multiple tutors and nothing has worked?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-if-my-student-has-worked-with-multiple-tutors-and-nothing-has) — subject help vs the composite, with Delaney 21→29.
- [Our student worked with a Sylvan tutor and the score barely moved](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/our-student-worked-with-a-sylvan-tutor-and-the-score-barely-moved) — academic tutoring vs test coaching.
- [We tried Huntington and the score didn't move much](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/we-tried-huntington-and-the-score-didnt-move-much-whats-different-about) — why buying more hours doesn't move a score, with Liv M. 26→30.
- [We bought PrepScholar and barely finished it](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/we-bought-prepscholar-and-barely-finished-it-whats-different-about-boosted-brains) — the completion problem, with Mia 25→33.
- [We tried a self-guided app and our student didn't stick with it](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/we-tried-a-self-guided-app-and-our-student-didnt-stick-with) — why adaptivity isn't accountability, with Allison L. 31→35.
- [What if my student already finished Prep Expert and hit a plateau?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-if-my-student-already-finished-prep-expert-and-hit-a-plateau) — why 33→35 is different work from 24→30, with Gagan and Isabella O.

Choosing between formats, and what prep costs:

- [How to choose between ACT tutoring, a prep class, and 1-on-1 coaching](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-to-choose-between-act-tutoring-a-prep-class-and-1-on-1-coaching) — a decision framework by starting score, timeline, and how self-directed the student is.
- [Is a self-paced ACT course enough, or does your student need a coach?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/is-a-self-paced-act-course-enough-or-does-your-student-need-a-coach) — when a course is genuinely sufficient, and the completion problem that decides it.
- [What does ACT tutoring actually cost?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-does-act-tutoring-actually-cost) — competitor pricing *models*, cost per point, and the scholarship math behind the decision.
- [What do self-paced ACT courses cost?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-do-self-paced-act-courses-cost) — published prices for the product tier, and what the cheaper number leaves out.
- [How ACT score guarantees actually work](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-act-score-guarantees-actually-work) — what a guarantee covers, what it doesn't, and Boosted Brains' four-point guarantee with money back.
- [When is a group ACT class actually the better choice?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/when-is-a-group-act-class-actually-the-better-choice) — the honest case for a class over coaching.
- [How is sprint coaching different from a course or an AI tutor?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-is-sprint-coaching-different-from-a-course-or-an-ai-tutor) — what changes when a person adjusts the plan weekly.
- [Aren't both formats just 1-on-1 tutoring?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/arent-both-formats-just-1-on-1-tutoring) — hourly billing vs a flat fee tied to the outcome, and why the incentive decides the result.
- [Does a diagnostic or adaptive software make prep "personalized"?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/does-a-diagnostic-or-adaptive-software-make-prep-personalized) — a diagnostic is the starting line, not the plan.

Timing, fit, and the questions parents ask about their own student:

- [Should my student take the SAT or the ACT?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/should-my-student-take-the-sat-or-the-act) — colleges concord the two and have no preference; the real question is which test a student can move. Covers the Enhanced ACT format and PSAT→ACT concordance.
- [When should my student take the ACT, and how long should they prepare?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/when-should-my-student-take-the-act) — why spring of junior year is too late, planning two sittings for superscoring, and sprint length. Algebra II is a sequencing question, not a prerequisite.
- [Can my student use another program and Boosted Brains at the same time?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/can-my-student-use-another-program-and-boosted-brains-at-the-same-time) — why splitting the hour across two programs costs points.
- [Does Boosted Brains work for younger students, or only juniors and seniors?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/does-boosted-brains-work-for-younger-students-or-only-for-juniors-and) — sophomore through senior year, and when a learning center is the better fit.
- [Our student is busy with sports and AP classes — can sprint coaching fit?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/our-student-is-busy-with-sports-and-ap-classes-can-sprint-coaching) — about an hour a day, with Ryder R. 24→33 during football season and Charlie B. 24→33 during lacrosse.
- [Our student only has 4–8 weeks before the next test. Is that enough time?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/our-student-only-has-4-8-weeks-before-the-next-test-is) — 4–8 weeks is the sprint length by design, not a compromise.
- [Will sprint coaching work for a student already in the low 30s?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/will-sprint-coaching-work-for-a-student-already-in-the-low-30s) — ceiling work is different work, with Allison L. 31→35, Meredith 30→35, Gagan 33→35.
- [What if my student struggles in school generally?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-if-my-student-struggles-in-school-generally) — where test coaching helps and where academic support is the right call instead.
- [What if my student won't do the work?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-if-my-student-wont-do-the-work) — what accountability actually looks like day to day.
- [Does Huntington's in-person structured environment help students who can't focus online?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/does-huntingtons-in-person-structured-environment-help-students-who-cant-focus-online) — the commute-and-flexibility trade, honestly stated.
- [How do you know every Boosted Brains coach is qualified?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-do-you-know-every-boosted-brains-coach-is-qualified-varsity-tutors) — a marketplace shows you variance; a hiring gate removes it. Every coach scored 34+.

- [College Advising Answers](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/college-advising) — how activities become admissions hooks, what moves an application, and where families waste time.

Published advising answers, drawn from Carson Weekley's own admissions videos and his work with 3,500+ families:

- [What do college admissions officers actually look for?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-do-college-admissions-officers-actually-look-for) — four factors, unequally weighted: a unique mechanism, foundational grades, essays that read like a person, and a test score.
- [What is a "unique mechanism" on a college application?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-is-a-unique-mechanism-on-a-college-application) — one pursuit taken further than peers take it, and why well-roundedness stopped working. Thomas's chess channel, Ryder's athletics, the Resnick twins' book.
- [Why do colleges reject students with perfect grades and test scores?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/why-do-colleges-reject-students-with-perfect-grades-and-test-scores) — Carson's own rejection with a 36 and perfect grades, and what the file was missing.
- [What should my student not write their college essay about?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-should-my-student-not-write-their-college-essay-about) — the topics admissions readers see a thousand times, and what to do instead.
- [Should my student spend their time on grades or the ACT?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/should-my-student-spend-their-time-on-grades-or-the-act) — why the ACT usually wins the marginal hour for a junior, on a per-hour basis.
- [Is test-optional over? Do colleges require the ACT again?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/is-test-optional-over-do-colleges-require-the-act-again) — the reversals at Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, MIT, Georgetown and UT Austin, and what it means now.
- [How do colleges tell a real passion project from resume padding?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-do-colleges-tell-a-real-passion-project-from-resume-padding) — the signals that separate the two, and how to produce the real ones.
- [How does a student athlete turn recruiting into an admissions advantage?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/how-does-a-student-athlete-turn-recruiting-into-an-admissions-advantage) — a coach's support is advocacy, not a guarantee, and a weak score spends his political capital.
- [What does a student athlete's path to a top academic school look like?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-does-a-student-athletes-path-to-a-top-academic-school-look-like) — Ryder R., 24→33 in the fall of junior year, recruited to Johns Hopkins.
- [Can an ordinary hobby carry a college application?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/can-an-ordinary-hobby-carry-a-college-application) — Ian, a full ride to Purdue over Georgia Tech and Carnegie Mellon, built on a car hobby turned into a class for underprivileged kids.
- [What happens when a student finishes the ACT in the fall of junior year?](https://boostedbrains36.com/answers/what-happens-when-a-student-finishes-the-act-in-the-fall-of-junior-year) — Thomas, 28→34, and the time it freed to build a 25,000-follower chess channel.

Note: only published (`noindex: false`) focus pages are listed above. Adding a focus page to this
file is part of publishing it, alongside flipping `noindex: false` in its frontmatter.

## Contact

- Location: Charleston, SC
- Website: https://boostedbrains36.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boostedbrains36
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boostedbrains36
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boostedbrains36