Autumn has arrived and with it comes an exciting and sometimes trying time for high school seniors - college applications. October marked the beginning of the college application process, and thus, the official start of SAT season. With the first batch of tests written this past October, the College Board released the results from last year’s SAT.

According to the board’s annual report, those SAT scores were down slightly from the previous year.

The SAT is scored on a 1,600 point scale. The average score according to the report was just over 1,000 (494 average in critical reading and 508 in math). The optional writing section saw an average score of 482. These averages show a three to five point decrease in each subject compared with the previous year’s average scores.

While this dip is not substantial, a lower-than-expected score can definitely impact a college application, especially when applying to elite colleges. Grades remain the number one factor in college acceptance, but standardized tests are a close second. Competition is fierce, so every single point matters.

For these students, one-to-one test preparation can make all the difference. Results from a nationwide study showed that students who took private SAT prep classes saw an average increase of 60 points on their SATs compared to those who didn't participate in any sort of prep classes. This means they were more likely to get into more selective colleges.

To learn more about how Tutor Doctor franchisees are helping students tackle college admissions, download the handbook here.