District 1 Commissioner Freddie Ashmon Jr. feels high school students need all the help they can get in the competitive college admissions market, so he’s organized a free SAT practice workshop for county students.

Ashmon is teaming with the Kaplan Test Prep group to offer free practice tests on Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Lithia Springs High School, 2520 East County Line Road, Lithia Springs.

“Students in grades 7-12 will have a chance to sample the PSAT, SAT and ACT tests and find their strengths and weaknesses,” Ashmon said. “They’ll also receive detailed feedback on their performances, including an analysis to help them at a series of follow-up workshops on Aug. 1 at Lithia Springs High.”

He said the practice sessions offer a test drive of proven strategies and include Kaplan’s “Paying for College 101,” a financial aid seminar for students and parents.

“With college applications at record levels, standardized test scores are more important than ever,” Ashmon said. “My aim is to boost the students’ confidence by giving them a practice run, helping them target their preparation for the real thing.”

He said the current job market is so congested that it’s a gamble for a graduating high school student to enter the workforce without formal higher education.

“It’s like putting them into a gun battle with a stick,” he said. “Standardized tests are a wonderful tool to help parents gauge their children’s academic level and allow them to tweek problem areas before it’s too late.”

Ashmon said pre-registration is recommended since seating is limited.

For more information or to register, students can call Ashmon at 770-920-7266, or go online to www.kaptest.com/college or call 1-800-KAP-TEST.

Ashmon and Big Daddy Humanitarian Foundation are sponsors of the event.