30 Years of Test-Prep Experience

From the very beginning, the focus of Doorway to College Foundation has been on helping students get ready for the exciting — and often challenging — transition to higher education.

Minimizing Bias through Affordable College Preparation

In the early 1980s, the founder of Doorway to College Foundation, Dr. Douglas J. Paul, served as director of research for the Riverside Publishing Company (publisher of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development). In 1984, Dr. Paul turned his attention from large-scale state assessments to college-admissions testing.

Working directly with school districts, Dr. Paul explored a model designed to minimize the socio-economic bias inherent in all standardized testing. Applying his extensive experience in educational measurement and the testing industry, Dr. Paul formed ZAPS Learning Company, where he and his staff studied the ACT, PSAT, and SAT, item by item, and developed ZAPS strategy-intensive curricula. That early effort helped students from families of all income levels raise their test scores and improve their chances of college admission and scholarships. Most encouraging was that the ZAPS test-prep results proved to be equivalent to high-priced private tutoring.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Paul and his colleagues have brought high-quality, affordable college test prep to hundreds of thousands of students across the nation, teaching them how to maximize their opportunities for success on college admissions tests and improve their college opportunities. Today, as one of the programs of Doorway to College Foundation, ZAPS test preparation continues to evolve as the preferred alternative to expensive for-profit services.

Expanded Services for Increased Success

In addition to the other services listed in our mission statement, Doorway to College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, continues to help high school students achieve their best test scores on high-stakes college-entrance exams. Nearly 25,000 students each year now participate in the ZAPS test-prep program. Doorway to College Foundation also offers comprehensive guidance geared toward each aspect of the college admissions process. In the future, we will continue to evolve and develop new services and products to help students make a seamless transition into a college or university - and support the parents and educators involved in this process, too.

To learn more about Doorway to College Foundation’s college prep services and products, contact us at 877-927-8378 or answers@doorwaytocollege.com. We’re happy to help you — no matter how far along you are in your journey. Below is a roadmap that illustrates the services and resources we offer to students today.