ACT UP

We are UpSwing Memphis, a crowdfunding team of Rhodes College students and Shelby County high school students with a mission of bettering the lives of young Memphians.  We couldn't be more excited about our first project, ACT UP, which provides financially strapped high school students with top-notch tutoring.  ACT UP is a free weekend-long ACT preparatory workshop at Rhodes College, led by three of Memphis's best ACT experts.  Any Shelby County high school student can apply, from which 60 will be selected to participate.  In addition to free preparatory classes, participants will receive free practice tests, study materials, access to one-on-one tutoring from Rhodes College students, and more! Plus, some may even qualify to be reimbursed for their next ACT application fee!  We are confident that our program will raise students' ACT scores, which will in turn broaden their college prospects and scholarship opportunities.  

A counselor from every Shelby County high school will be notified of this opportunity and encouraged to share it with their students.  After completing an application process, 60 students will be selected to participate based on their level of financial need and their eagerness to take advantage of this opportunity.  

The average ACT score in Memphis City Schools is just 16, and it drops every year.  That's four points behind the state average and five points behind the national. This is largely because many Shelby County students cannot afford tutoring for the ACT, let alone expensive application fees and other costs that accompany taking the test.