Who is Navigating Your College Admission Journey?

Every journey needs a navigator. If your college admission process does not have a navigator yet, consider Marisela Gomez of Collegewise.

Marisela and I partnered on a presentation earlier in the year at the Harrison Memorial Library in Carmel with great success. I was able to bring some test prep tips to the audience while she laid out some excellent college application and admission advice.

Marisela represents Collegewise, "America's largest and most well-regarded private college counseling service" according to their marketing materials. While Collegewise offers outstanding services for those seeking college admission, the real gem is Marisela.

Marisela Gomez is the Director of the South Bay Collegewise office. Prior to joining Collegewise, Marisela spent 12 years as an admissions officer and enrollment manager at her alma mater, Santa Clara University. Marisela has read over 20,000 applications, is fluent in English and Spanish and holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Santa Clara University.

Most importantly, she is passionate about helping kids get into the college(s) of their choice. She has a unique ability to work with both parents and students through the college application process. A diligent counselor, Marisela serves as a knowledgeable navigator through the journey to college admission.

If your journey needs a navigator, contact Marisela by email at mariselag@collegewise.com or call her at 831.578.1409.

And along the way, if you need test prep advice, contact CROSSWALK. The Monterey Peninsula's local resource for academic tutoring and test prep for the past 14 years, CROSSWALK offers face-to-face tutoring, Skype tutoring and group classes for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and all academic classes. Learn more at www.crosswalkeducation.com.

PSAT Prep for FREE

The PSAT is approaching quickly. In fact, there is likely less than a month to prepare for the PSAT since schools that administer the test will do so on October 14 or 28.  

That the test is on the horizon should not create any stress for test takers. As my students and readers of this blog can attest, stress should not be part of any test preparation. 

First and foremost, the PSAT is an opportunity to understand how a student performs on standardized tests. Scores can be used to qualify students for scholarships or national recognition, but are generally used as just a pulse check for the SAT. 

With this in mind, students should approach test day free of worry, concern or stress. 

Should a student want to get a sense of what is on the test, the College Board provides a couple of free resources. And since the PSAT has a new format, it may behoove students to take a gander at either of the following links before test day: 

• Practice Test: click here for full-length practice test. Download the test and get a feel for the directions, timing, question types, format, etc. 
• Practice Sets: click here for some practice sets and practice quizzes. You will have to sign in via Google or Khan Academy but that should stop you since the practice sets are very helpful. 

Above all, be sure to get plenty of rest leading up to the test. Cramming a bunch of test prep the night before, or even the weekend before, will actually hurt your score. 

Best of luck, PSAT test-takers. Should you need some support, don't be afraid to contact CROSSWALK, Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep and private tutoring. 

The 4 R's of Successful Test Takers

What are the most important R's for successful test takers?

If you said "reading, writing and arithmetic" then I am afraid you missed the mark.

While good test takers excel at reading, writing and arithmetic, the following R's represent the qualities of the best test takers:

Realistic:

Good test takers are realistic. They understand that test taking is a skill. Skills, like playing an instrument or mastering a new sport, require time and dedicated practice. Happy outcomes only come to those realistic enough to put in the time and effort.

Ready:

As stress is the primary cause of poor test scores, good test takers know that readiness is the cure for stress. Prior to test day, good test takers develop and practice a game plan for each question. Subsequently, they face test day focused, stress-free and ready for a challenge. 

Resolute:

Successful test takers are resolute, steadfast, dedicated and motivated. By diligently pursuing a purpose, like a specific score or entry into a particular college, resolute test takers understand that motivation and dedication yield positive results. 

Resilient:

Taking the SAT and/or the ACT is a humbling experience. Learning and improving upon a weakness requires resilience and the ability to recover from a setback. The best test takers learn from a mistake, adjust quickly and move forward with their eyes on the prize.



If you are preparing for the SAT or ACT, make sure you are realistic about the work, ready to take on the challenge, resolute in your pursuit of a good score and resilient enough to learn quickly from any missteps.

Should you need some support in your test prep, contact CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep and private tutoring. Also, learn how to demystify the SAT by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. 

Incredible SAT Prep Success Story

It wasn't long ago that I posted a recent success story at CROSSWALK. While that was certainly fun to tell, a better story unfolded this past month. 

This latest story starts with a student who performed below her expectations on the PSAT. A smart student with a good GPA, she scored in the 39th percentile on the PSAT meaning that she scored better than just 39% of the population while 61% of test takers scored better than her. 

Based on this score, the student felt really low in the water. From a GPA perspective, she was not an average student. However, her test scores indicated she was below average. 

This result can mentally derail any student. But not this one. 

Fast forward six months later, and this is what the mother emailed CROSSWALK: 

"She increased her score by 720 points including an 800 in Math!!! 700 in Writing and a 620 in Critical Reading. Thank you for setting us up with tutor Dan. He has changed her life by making her competitive for Ivy, the academies, and other highly ranked schools."

What was the secret? How did she turn it around? 

While I would like to believe this success was solely due to Dan's work as a tutor, the real success started with the student's desire to improve. Put bluntly, this student put in the time to get better. When you put in quality time to learn a new skill, the results speak for themselves. 

The student took it upon herself to maximize her time with the tutor. She spent many hours working on problem sets. She made test preparation a major priority in her life. She learned and practiced the strategies frequently. And now she relishes the results. 

Congratulations to the student. A 720-point increase is truly remarkable!

Do you want to increase your SAT or ACT score? Contact CROSSWALK today. We offer private tutoring for SAT and ACT preparation in person or via Skype. CROSSWALK is Monterey Peninsula's resource for tutoring and test prep. 

Prefer to learn on your own? Start your SAT prep by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. 

Another SAT Prep Success Story

Time to celebrate another success story at CROSSWALK!

Sure, bragging about our own success may make us appear less than humble. Nevertheless, we take great pride in helping our students and we all celebrate when a student achieves his or her goal.

The latest example is Morgan, a student who worked on SAT prep with one of CROSSWALK's finest tutors, Dan. 

Morgan had a goal to increase her SAT score to improve her chances at attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Opisbo. She and Dan started SAT prep sessions last May. After a break in the summer, Dan and Morgan met regularly throughout the fall. 

Morgan's diligence, coupled with Dan's guidance, yielded strong results. This is a direct quote from the mother in an email she sent to Dan:

"I'm super proud to tell you that all her hard work has paid off, as Morgan was accepted Early Decision at Cal Poly! This was her first choice college and all we've been working towards for the past couple years. Thank you for being such an integral part of her success."

But wait, there's more:

"She raised her last SAT by 300 points overall. We appreciate the hard work you put in with Morgan, she truly feels that you were a huge part in her raising her test scores overall. She felt confident in her ability to tackle the tests with an organized plan, and obviously she was prepared and ultimately successful."

Early Decision to the college of her choice? Awesome!

Congratulations, Morgan! On behalf of everyone at CROSSWALK, we wish you continued success.

If you want to be one of CROSSWALK's success story, contact us here to learn about SAT prep, ACT prep and other tutoring options.

Also, read "2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score" by Brooke Higgins to learn how to approach life and the SAT.

 

ACT & SAT Math: Show What You Know

Math word problems: do you love them or hate them? 

Chances are you hate them. Most students struggle with math problems that contain more words than numbers. Translating sentences into equations is not always the easiest thing to do.  

Despite the challenge, there is no way around word problems. Most of the math questions on the SAT and ACT deal with more words than numbers. Remember, the SAT and ACT are tests designed primarily to test your reading ability, not your math skills. 

So how do you tackle word problems? How do you sift through the cornucopia of words to drill down to the important math equation? 

The answer is quite simple: use your pencil to draw and show what you know. Often by drawing the information you know, you can create an easy shortcut to the correct answer. 

For example, let's say you are given the following question (taken directly from the College Board website): 

A special lottery is to be held to select the student who will live in the only deluxe room in a dormitory. There are 100 seniors, 150 juniors, and 200 sophomores who applied. Each senior's name is placed in the lottery 3 times; each junior's name, 2 times; and each sophomore's name, 1 time. What is the probability that a senior's name will be chosen?

A) 1/8

B) 2/9

C) 2/7

D) 3/8

E) 1/2

So many words here! But don't freak out. Take it slow and start with your pencil: 

Draw one block to represent 100 seniors, another block to represent 150 juniors and one more block to represent 200 sophomores. Now, you also know that the senior's names are placed in the lottery 3 times. So draw two more blocks next to the senior's block, each identical to the block representing 100 names. Draw two blocks for the juniors, each representing 150 names. Finally, sophomores don't need an extra block. 

Once you have your drawing, now comes the easy part. Probability, you might recall, is nothing more than a fraction. The numerator is the number of desired outcomes and the denominator is the number of total outcomes. By using your blocks, you can see that the total desired outcomes (senior's names) is 3 blocks of 100, or 300. The total outcomes is all of the blocks added together: (3 x 100) + (2 x 150) + 200 = 800. In other words, the probability is 300/800 or 3/8. The correct answer is D. 

Even though this is a hard question according to the College Board, it becomes quite easy when you draw things out. 

When you are faced with math problems that seem to have no solution, start drawing! Getting your pencil to paper will help you organize what you know and guide you towards finding out what you don't know. 

Learn more test prep tips by contacting CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's resource for test prep and tutoring. Also, read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins for SAT-specific tips. 

If ACT and SAT Scores Were GPAs

One of the first activities I like to do with my ACT and SAT students is to begin with the end in mind. In other words, before we do any test prep, we research the SAT and ACT scores for the schools the student is considering. Armed with the knowledge of what score a student needs, the real preparation begins.

Understanding what score you need on the ACT and SAT is the most important step in your preparation. Once you know the score you need, you can figure out how many questions you need to answer correctly and how many you can get wrong, skip or guess (note: even if you skip questions on the ACT, be sure to get an answer in the bubbles as there is no punishment for wrong answers).

This activity really demystifies things for students. Most students quickly learn that they don't need a perfect score on the test to get into the school of their choice. In fact, the score many students need is actually quite achievable.

Take Trevor for example. Trevor is interested in attending the University of Puget Sound. In our first session, we got onto the school's website and found out that most students that get accepted by the university score an 1800 or so on the SAT and a 27 on the ACT.

What boggled Trevor's mind is what the score would mean in terms of a GPA. An 1800 on the SAT expressed as a percentage would mean a 75% (1800/2400). Scoring a 27 on the ACT, when expressed as a percentage, means Trevor would also need a 75% (27/36) to get into the school of his choice.

In other words, Trevor needs to get a C on both tests. That's right, a C! Trevor is a normally a B+/A- student. When we went through the simple exercise of expressing his goal test score in terms of a percentage or in terms of a GPA, a big smile crossed his face.

"You don't need an A on this test," I told him. "You just need a C!"

This little nugget made the test preparation experience more enjoyable for Trevor. It was our first chance to get his attitude in the right mindset to let his aptitude shine.


No stress for Trevor. Just a clear direction and a focused approach to accomplish an achievable goal.

Try it for yourself: if the ACT or SAT were scored like your GPA, what would you need to get? A C average? B average? Something totally doable? I would like to think so.

Learn more SAT test preparation tips by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. Contact CROSSWALK here for personal test preparation on the Monterey Peninsula or for Skype sessions on your time and schedule.

How to Keep Up with CROSSWALK

October is already here? Unbelievable! The school year is already moving too fast. 

Good thing it is easy to keep up with CROSSWALK. No matter how fast the school year is going, we make it pretty simple to find out the latest and greatest in the world of tutoring and test prep on the Monterey Peninsula.

The easiest way to keep up with CROSSWALK is to follow our blog. Visit the CROSSWALK website homepage and on the right hand side of the screen you will see a "SUBSCRIBE" button. Input your email and all of our biweekly blog posts will be delivered directly to your inbox.

You can also keep up with CROSSWALK by liking our Facebook page. Blog posts, interesting educational articles and other content is posted there regularly. 

But wait, there's more! You can follow me personally on Twitter @brookewhiggins or post a review of CROSSWALK on our Yelp page. In fact, the first one to post a review on Yelp can qualify to win a free CROSSWALK t-shirt. How is that for incentive! 

And when in doubt, contact CROSSWALK via our contact page right here. 

Yes, things are moving fast but we can keep you up to speed when you subscribe to our blog, like us on Facebook or otherwise keep in touch. 

Remember, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for ACT/SAT Boot Camps, test prep and tutoring. 

Read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score right here. 

How Long Do You Prep for ACT and SAT?

The next ACT test is scheduled for September 13th. Undoubtedly, I will field a call from a parent or student looking for test prep help on September 10th. 

Same goes for the SAT. With the next test scheduled for October 11th, someone will frantically call me October 8th trying to schedule some test prep. 

Here is how the calls usually go: 

Parent: Can we schedule some tutoring before Saturday's test?

Me: We can definitely schedule some tutoring, but I doubt that it will do much good. 

Parent: What do you mean?

Me: Test-taking is a skill that takes time. It is hard to learn a new skill overnight.

Parent: Oh (awkward pause follows) 

The moral of the story is that learning to improve your SAT or ACT score is like learning a new skill. Standardized test-taking is not a skill frequently practiced in schools. Most tests in school require you to memorize content and spit it out the next day. But the SAT is not a content-based test. Even the ACT relies less on content memorization and more on problem-solving. 

And since you don't frequently practice the skills to manage contextual problem-solving in school, you must put in the requisite practice time in order to get better. 

All told, getting better at the ACT and SAT takes time. Lots of time. You can't do it in one week and you probably can't even do it in one month. 

The CROSSWALK students that move their scores the most work on it for months at a time. Ideally, you have all of junior year to hone your craft. Spending a year to learn a new skill should be a realistic goal. 

So avoid the frantic call days before the test. Put together a study plan that covers at least three months. Even better, plan on prepping for a whole year. 

This doesn't mean you need to meet with a tutor for a whole year. There are plenty of things you can do on your own. 

But the most important thing is to schedule the time. When time is on your side, you can vastly improve your score. 

Learn more SAT and ACT study tips by contacting Brooke Higgins and CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep and academic tutoring. Brooke Higgins is the founder and lead instructor at CROSSWALK as well as the author of 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score.  

Good & Bad News About SAT Smartphone Vocabulary Apps

Lamentably, flashcards are now passé.

Call me old-school, but in my day I spent a lot of time writing vocabulary words on one side of an index card and their definitions on the other side. I would tote around stacks of cards to class, the library and home. 

Nowadays, it is all about using your smartphone to study. And why not? Smartphones are portable, easy to use, and fun. A good smartphone app for learning SAT vocabulary can mean no more lugging around flashcards all over the place.

The good news is that there are many very useful SAT Vocabulary apps, some of which are free. The bad news is that few of them mirror the context vs. content approach crucial to the SAT. 

First the good news: with so many useful apps available for both iPhones and Androids, students have many portable vocabulary-building options. While I have explored several, including SAT Vocabulary by Du Nguyen and Virtual SAT Tutor by Ivy Standard, my favorite is SAT Vocabulary by Magoosh. 

Magoosh offers several test prep applications that all share the same clean layout and easy-to-use interface. The SAT Vocabulary app offers different levels of study: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Each level cycles through a series of words that you define by multiple choice. If you get a word wrong, or don't know it, the words will cycle back several times until you master the definition through repetition. Most importantly, you can track your progress. 

Despite the multitude of smartphone apps, there is bad news: none of the apps I researched provide vocabulary questions in context like those found on the SAT. The Sentence Completion questions on the SAT don't simply task students with defining a word or uncovering the definition via multiple choice. Instead, they are presented with a sentence that has a blank or two blanks. Based on the information in the sentence, students must figure out the missing vocabulary words(s). 

Since none of the apps I found offer this style of questioning, something is definitely missing. Even Magoosh, which ultimately provides the vocabulary words in a sentence, does not display this contextual information until after you answer the question. 

All in all, there is good news for SAT preparation on the go: many apps will help build vocabulary. The bad news is that few capture the context-based questions that students need to practice for the test. 

If you know of any helpful apps, particularly ones that leverage the context-based approach, by all means contact me and let me know or simply post a comment to this blog. 

For more SAT tips, read 2400 SCORES by Brooke Higgins available at Amazon. Contact Brooke Higgins and CROSSWALK to schedule your private tutoring or Boot Camp for SAT, ACT and more. 

The More Things Change...

Just when you thought you had prepared all you could for the SAT, they had to go ahead and change it up on you. 

But don't fret. The new changes to the SAT announced by the College Board won't be put into effect until the spring of 2016. 

And truth be told, many of the changes to the SAT are not too drastic. It seems that the College Board simply wants to align its assessment closer to the work done in both high schools and colleges. 

If you haven't read the overview of these SAT changes as originally announced in the New York Times, visit this article. For a more condensed version of the same information, here are the major changes coming in two years:

• Scoring: the penalty for wrong answers is no longer and the score will be scaled out of 1600 like it was prior to 2005
• Vocabulary: more emphasis will be placed on the vocabulary used in college courses as opposed to those uncommon albeit famous SAT words like "ascetic"
• Essay: what was obligatory will now be optional
• Math: content is streamlined to include linear equations, complex equations, functions, ratios, percents and proportions among others and no calculators will be allowed on the test
• Reading: passages will include excerpts from famous historic texts, like the Declaration of Independence 

Yes, change is in the air and those in the Class of 2017 and beyond will want to take note. 

Get ready for the SAT and ACT with help from CROSSWALK. Boot Camps, private tutoring and study help are all ways that CROSSWALK can lead you on your path to learning success. 

SAT Prep Success Stories

Walt Whitman is credited with saying, "It you done it, it ain't bragging." 

With that in mind, I share some of our recent success stories at CROSSWALK. Both of these stories deal with SAT prep and both deal with private students at CROSSWALK. 

Walt Whitman

The first story is about a senior in high school taking the SAT for the last time. After doing little preparation before the first time he took the test, this student scored well on the math and critical reading sections. However, he faltered on the writing and was disappointed in his score of 560. 

After just four laser sessions with specific practice on writing, he raised his score to a 700. This is what the father sent us in an email: 

"He did well on his writing section--he increased his score from a 560 to a 700. Combined his SAT is now in the 2200+ range. He is awaiting answers from colleges. Thanks. Your tutor did well." 

The second story is even more interesting. It is about a young woman who had already started in college but decided to transfer to another school. Tasked with taking the SAT again, she had a goal of increasing her score by 200 points. Making matters more difficult, she only had a couple of weeks to prepare for the exam so she crammed in four private sessions in just one week. 

Despite the challenges, the results were excellent. Her mother called us to share the following: 

"We are so happy. She increased her score by 250 points. You did a great job! Thanks so much. I wish we would have contacted you years ago!" 

So forgive the bragging, but someone has to toot CROSSWALK's horn. And after all, per Mr. Whitman, "if you done it, it ain't bragging." 

Brag about your score increase with private SAT and ACT prep, or an ACT or SAT Boot Camp from CROSSWALK. Contact us today to learn more. 


Download "2400 SCORES" from Amazon and learn 24 life skills to demystify the SAT and boost your score. 

If You Resolve to Get Better Grades, You Must Learn this Study Skill

What is your New Year's resolution? Stay healthy? Make new friends? Get better grades? 

While all three resolutions are common for many teens, only one of them is actually quite easy to do. 

Staying healthy is always a challenge. Maintaining a diet and exercise regimen requires great discipline. 

Making new friends, for some people, can be equally as tough. Breaking out of your comfort zone to go out and meet people is not something that comes naturally for everyone. 

Getting good grades, on the other hand, is a resolution that anyone can tackle. It's really easier than you think if you just think like a teacher.

Think like a teacher? How is that going to help you get better grades? 

First of all, thinking like a teacher means knowing your content so well that you can teach someone else the same content. Having to teach someone else requires that you know everything forward and backward. If you were to approach your next study session with the goal that you need to be able to teach the material, you would have to master the content. If you master the content, then the next test or assessment will be quite easy and your grade would improve. 

Second of all, thinking like a teacher also means putting yourself in your teacher's shoes. Most teachers give fairly rigid instructions for assignments. Not only should you follow those instructions, you should think about what kinds of things your teacher would want to see from you. By following directions and anticipating what the teacher wants, you have the chance to produce something that will impress your teacher. 

Thinking like a teacher is a self-effacing act that requires some diligence. But if you are able to do it successfully, your grades will improve.

Learn more study skills by contacting CROSSWALK. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for academic tutoring, test prep and ACT/SAT Boot Camps. 

Read 2400 SCORES by Brooke Higgins and learn how to apply life skills to your SAT prep. 

The Twelve Days of Test Prep

In a perfect world, you spend at least six months preparing for the SAT or ACT. After all, test-taking is a skill that can be learned, like playing the guitar. And any skill can be perfected over time.

Unfortunately, not everyone has time. Too often I field calls from families looking for test prep one or two weeks before the test. It's not an ideal situation, but there are several things one can do just weeks before the SAT or ACT. 

Above all, don't stress. With only two weeks to the test, stressing or cramming will actually hurt your score. 

Instead, and in light of the holiday season, try the Twelve Days of Test Prep: 

Note: these twelve days assume you already have access to a reputable study guide like this one here for the SAT or this one here for the ACT.

12 Days Before the Test: Take a full-length practice test. Time yourself and follow the the directions just like you would have to do on test day.

11 Days Before the Test: Score your test. Calculate your Raw Score for the test. Be sure to follow the guidelines in the test guide to do your calculation. Then, use the scale provided in the test guide to determine your Scaled Score. Also, see if you can determine any patterns in your answers, like you struggle with algebra questions or passage-based reading. Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses will be key on test day: score points quickly and accurately in areas of strength, skip or give yourself extra time in areas of weakness. 

10 Days Before the Test: Prepare a Game Plan. The first step in your Game Plan is figuring out the score you need to achieve. Compare your score from the previous day with the score of accepted students to the school(s) of your choice. Once you know how much you need to improve, you can figure out a Game Plan of how many more correct answers and how many fewer incorrect answers you need per section. For example, if you need to score 100 points more in the SAT math section, this could mean that you only need ten more correct answers and four less incorrect answers in the total math section of 54 problems. For both tests, your Game Plan really takes shape when you manage correct answers versus incorrect answers. The second step to developing a Game Plan is to leverage your knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses from the previous day's exercise. With these three data points (the score you need, which questions to answer quickly and which questions to avoid) you have the foundation of a solid Game Plan. 

9 Days Before the Test: Practice your Game Plan on one section. Use the study guide for another practice test. Score your section, analyze it and adjust your Game Plan as needed. Keep in mind: avoid stressing or cramming by doing only one section of the test: like just the math portion on the ACT or just the critical reading sections of SAT. Keep in simple. 

8 Days Before the Test: Same as the previous day, but with another section.

7 Days Before the Test: Same as the previous day, but with another section. By today, you should have completed all of the multiple choice sections of the SAT practice test.

6 Days Before the Test: Complete the ACT practice test and perform the same score analysis as other days. If you are prepping for the SAT, write and essay on this day and see if you can get your English teacher or a tutor to read it and score it. Learn how to increase your score on your essay. 

5 Days Before the Test: If you are taking the ACT with the writing, write and essay. As with the SAT essay, get this one scored and see how to improve upon the score. 

4 Days Before the Test: At this point, it is time to slow down on the studying and reduce any stress. You could try and memorize some vocab words, but go slowly and certainly don't exert yourself. The most important muscle to build at this point is your confidence.

3 Days Before the Test: Check in with your Game Plan. Review how many correct answers you need and how many incorrect ones still keep you in line for the score you want. Revisit the two practice tests to see if there are problems that you might want to avoid on test day. For example, if you struggled on

2 Days Before the Test: Remind yourself that you are ready and prepared for test day. Think about the test as a game or a puzzle that you will master with your Game Plan. Mentally prepare yourself with positive visions of you scoring points quickly and easily. Above all else, gets lots of rest and eat right. 

1 Day Before the Test: Get lots of rest and eat well. Make test day stress free by printing your admission ticket, getting your picture identification, pencil, calculator, snack/water all ready for tomorrow. Ideally you wake up on test day and seamlessly get to the test center with little stress and plenty of time to think more positive thoughts. 

While test day is not Christmas Day, hopefully the twelve steps above will get you ready and prepared for the big day. Sure, there is a lot more you could have done, but by following the above steps you will undoubtedly have a good plan on how to maximize your score. 

And here's hoping that Santa treats you nicely with a robust score! 

Learn more SAT study tips by reading 2400 SCORES available at Amazon. Contact CROSSWALK to learn more about the SAT/ACT prep as well as academic tutoring in all subjects. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for tutoring and test prep. 

The Study Skill that May Save Your Life

There is no question that in order to maximize your academic performance, you need to master your study skills. Note taking, organization and memorization are all skills necessary to prepare for exams, projects and the day-to-day grind of school.

While these study skills are certainly practical, there is only one study skill that could save your life: curiosity. 

Wait a second, how can curiosity save your life?  

Let's answer that by first pointing out that curiosity gets a bad rap. "Curiosity killed the cat" is a famous proverb that would seem to warn people against curiosity. Even Curious George, while adorable, gets into hot water every time he explores his curious side. So curiosity is dangerous, right? 

Wrong. Curiosity could very well save your life. 

Consider Dr. Sanjay Gupta's advice on how to keep one's mind sharp as one ages. He claims that staying sharp as you age means "to train your brain constantly to do new things." Dr. Gupta additionally cites diet and exercise as other major factors to stay sharp as you age but the point is clear: to avoid losing your brain's functions as you age, stay curious and engage your brain.

Larry King, the iconic radio and television host for over half a century, seems to support Gupta's point in a recent interview with Esquire magazine. King claims that the secret to his "success is brevity. Sincerity. And above all else, curiosity." 

King and Gupta might agree: curiosity isn't so much what kills the cat, it is what keeps it alive! 

In your studying, be sure to engage your curiosity. There is no doubt that many of your assignments will be boring and routine. So instead of dreading these assignments, train your brain to do things in a new way. Get curious with the assignment and dig a bit deeper than the teacher expects. Repeat the question "why" in your mind and see if you can uncover the answer on your own.

Your studying, and your life, may depend on your curiosity. 

Learn more about study skills and academic preparation from CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for academic tutoring and test prep.

Learn how to approach the SAT with some basic life skills by reading 2400 SCORES by Brooke Higgins now available on Amazon. 

Do-It-Yourself SAT and ACT Prep

While private tutoring and group classes can lead to improved scores on the SAT or ACT, not everyone has the time for a group class or the money for private tutoring. 

Luckily, test prep is not rocket science. As long as a student is motivated and dedicated, she or he can prepare for both the SAT and ACT on his or her own. Even better, it won't take inordinate time and/or money to get ready on your own. 

Here are six steps to ACT and SAT prep for all you Do-It-Yourselfers:

1) Buy a Reputable Test Prep Guide Book: I generally recommend the Official SAT Study Guide for SAT prep and the Real ACT Prep Guide because these books are produced by the test writers. Better to use a guide that matches the test as much as possible. 

2) Take a Practice Test: Take just one of the several practice tests found in your study guide (there are 10 in the SAT book and five in the ACT book). 

3) Score Your Practice Test: Based on the scoring systems detailed in the guide books, figure out your Raw score. Note that the SAT is scored differently than the ACT. Be sure to read the scoring guidelines detailed in your book to understand how to calculate your Raw Score. Each guide book will also give you an estimated conversion table so you can figure out your Scaled Score. The Scaled Score is a maximum of 800 on the SAT and a maximum of 36 on the ACT. Understanding the scoring for both tests is an important step towards understanding how to improve your score. After all, it is simply a numbers game. 

4) Analyze Your Results: Find out what areas present challenges to you and what areas were relatively easy. For example, maybe Math is a challenge while English was easy on the ACT. Or even more detailed, maybe the Algebra problems on the SAT were easy but the Geometry problems were hard. Knowing your areas of strengths will enable you to score points quickly and accurately on test day. Along those lines, understanding your weaknesses will allow you to study up on those areas that need some extra time. 

5) Devise a Game Plan to Maximize Your Score: Each student should have their own personal Game Plan for test day. For some students, this might include strategies for each question type. Other students will want to figure out which questions to guess on or skip altogether. Your Game Plan should entail ways to address your weaknesses. Ultimately, every Game Plan should address the scoring system (see Step #3) and ways to manage both strengths and weaknesses (see Step #4).

6) Practice: After you set up your Game Plan, take a practice test to evaluate the success of your Game Plan. Repeat all of the steps after each practice test and see if you are moving your score. If you are not seeing any improvement, analyze your results again and see where you can score more. 

Above all, remember that in order to get better at anything, it takes some work. You have to be willing to put in some time if you want to see results. You may not need a 12-week course and you may not have to spend thousands of dollars. But if you want to maximize your score, you need to put in some effort. Do nothing and nothing will happen. 

Find more useful study tips by reading 2400 SCORES by Brooke W. Higgins now available for your tablet at Amazon. Or contact CROSSWALK today. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for tutoring in all academic subjects, ACT/SAT Boot Camps and private ACT, SAT or PSAT preparation. 

How SAT & ACT Prep is Like Training for a Marathon

What do you do the night before a Biology exam? More than likely, you stay up late to cram a bunch of content into your brain. 

OK, so what does a marathon runner do the night before a big race? Do you think she stays up late to cram in a bunch of last minute training? 

Of course not. 

You can cram for a Biology exam because you only need to recall the content for a short period of time. 

You can't cram for a marathon because you would actually harm your body. 

Same goes for the SAT and ACT. Think of them as the marathons of tests. 

Consider that both the SAT and the ACT, are not content-based tests. They are more about context. To perform well on context-based tests, your brain needs to be rested, focused and clear in order to think critically and solve problems. Cramming the night before will only hurt your ability to perform at an optimum level. 

Furthermore, the SAT and the ACT are long tests. Sitting for the SAT and ACT requires 3-4 hours of intense focus. Focus for the SAT and ACT is developed over time. To be comfortable in a long test, you need to practice taking the test for long periods of time. 

Finally, remember that a marathon runner doesn't just show up on race day without undergoing some kind of training program. And the more a runner is dedicated to a training program, the more success will ensue. 

So train hard and long for both the SAT and ACT. When there is a week left for the test, like the marathon runner, taper your training. Reduce your studying, get lots of rest the week and do whatever your brain and body need to get into optimal performance mode for test day. 

Learn more by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins now available on Amazon. 

And contact CROSSWALK for information on private tutoring, test prep and SAT/ACT Boot Camps on the Monterey Peninsula. 

2400 SCORES

SAT Test Prep guides are everywhere. It seems that just about every book publisher has a guidebook bigger than most telephone books. Full of pages and pages of problems, these books can be overwhelming for many students. 

Wouldn't a more condensed approach be easier to digest? Or one that you can take with you wherever you go on your tablet? 

Good news: there is one such resource that exists. It's called 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT® and Boost Your Score. Best of all, I wrote it! 

I have worked on this e-book for over two years. The advice contained in this book is a compilation of my most recommended SAT prep approaches. 

The basic idea of the book is how to apply life lessons to SAT test preparation. Learn how to Begin with the End in Mind, why Attitude is Greater than Aptitude, how Context  is More Important than Content and much more. Understand why you Save Dessert for Last, why You Don't Need to Do Everything and other helpful strategies. If you read nothing else, but sure to master the Numbers Game! 

Full of stories from my decade of tutoring SAT, ACT and GMAT, this book is a valuable resource for anyone about to tackle  the SAT. While the book is intended for students, both parents and educators will find practical, useful and easily implementable SAT strategies one and before test day. 

Check it out on Amazon right here. It might be the best $3.99 you spend on test preparation! 

As always, feel free to contact CROSSWALK to learn how we can help you get ready for the SAT or ACT. CROSSWALK also offers tutoring in all academic subjects. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for test prep, Boot Camps and tutoring. 

SAT vs ACT: Which is Better?

A recent article in the New York Times lays out a great case of why more students are taking both the ACT and the SAT. Check it out here.

The SAT vs ACT debate is a frequent topic of conversation with my students and their families. Many families want to know: which test is better, the ACT or the SAT?

Nowadays, colleges will accept either score.

So the bottom line, I tell my students, is to figure out which test is better for that particular student. As the New York Times article describes, some students prefer the more straightforward and predictable layout of the ACT, while others like the gaming, scoring and shorter sections on the SAT.

Take both and see which one yields a better score. Once you figure that out, focus test prep for only one test. Assuming the college of choice will accept either score, a student would be wise to ignore one test and strictly focus on the preparation for the other. Guide books, private tutoring or other instruction can be an excellent way to boost test scores.

Also remember that some colleges don't even look at test scores (click here for a list of schools that do not emphasize SAT or ACT scores in their admission process).

Maximize your test prep by focusing on one test. Contact CROSSWALK to learn more about our private tutoring, Boot Camps and academic tutoring on the Monterey Peninsula.