A study by the College Board found that students from families with an annual income over $200,000 scored an average of 388 points higher on the SAT than students from families with an annual income under $20,000. A similar wealth gap can be found on the ACT. These discrepancies cannot be fully explained away by better schools or a greater focus on education, one must factor in test prep. Simply, test prep increases scores, and test prep is expensive. As a test prep tutor for over 20 years, I’ve seen the difference it can make, and it’s big.

At Biometric Edge, we’re looking to level the playing field. We have low-cost options for students who can’t afford to pay $500 per hour for a fancy tutor. In addition, Biometric Edge will be free to educational non-profits and schools with a majority of students below the poverty line.

We can’t totally erase the economic bias inherent in the testing process, but we can make a difference.