For Test Prep, Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Ahh, spring. Warmer temperatures and longer days get us all ready for summer. With spring in the air, the heat is also rising in the classroom. 

As spring days get longer and warmer outside so does the stress level for students. Sports commitments, performing arts, part time jobs, exams, social activities and more limit the free time for the average student.

So in the middle of all the spring activities, and with the ACT and SAT looming, how can one find any time for test  prep? 

One answer lies with the birds. Quite literally.

When birds feel spring and summer approach, they flock together to migrate north. So too can students. 

With the April/May/June ACTs and SATs fast approaching, students can flock and work together. By forming a study group, students can learn together and learn from each other. 

Here are three reasons why you might consider forming your own flock, or your own study group. 

1) Shared Resources: among the flock, students can share books, online resources or other materials. While many resources are free or reasonably priced, some resources are not cheap. Share the cost of test prep resources with your flock and gain access to resources that you might not normally have. 

2) Stay Motivated: by forming a study group and meeting regularly, your flock can stay motivated. Weekly meetings are a great way to keep everyone on task and moving towards a similar goal. 

3) Learn from Each Other: many times, the best way to learn is from a peer. If you are skilled in math but falter in reading, find someone that excels in reading and learn from them. You can also teach them some math skills and thus everyone learns. 

A flock, or a study group, might be the answer to test prep at this time of year. Birds use each other to help navigate a migratory journey and you can too. Form your own flock and you can make your test prep journey a bit easier. 

Contact CROSSWALK to find resources for your flock. CROSSWALK offers private tutoring, small group tutoring, ACT/SAT Boot Camps and academic tutoring in a variety of subjects. Contact CROSSWALK today to learn more. 

Get a Head Start on Prep for the New SAT

While the changes planned for the new PSAT and SAT were announced some time ago (and posted on this blog last year), there are now more resources available to understand and practice this new format. 

First and foremost, the changes will take place on the PSAT starting in the fall of 2015. As of Spring 2016, the SAT will incorporate the new changes.

What are the new changes? Visit our blog post from last year for an overview. Kaplan also has an outstanding overview of the changes right here.

So how should you prepare for the change? Well, if you are a current sophomore about to head into your junior year, you should get started right away. It is never too early to get practicing. The College Board posted practice questions and practice tests on their website. Download a practice test right here. They have also posted a way to compare the exam formats right here. 

The changes are around the corner and will be here before you know it. Better to get a head start now while you can!

For questions about the PSAT, SAT or ACT, contact CROSSWALK. CROSSWALK is the Monterey County's local resource for test prep and private tutoring. Skype sessions are also available for those out of town. Find out more by visiting CROSSWALK. 

Test Prep, Golf & First Tee of Monterey County

On yesterday's glorious Sunday afternoon, I had the honor and privilege to work with the youth of First Tee of Monterey County. While I was somewhat familiar with the organization, I had no idea how much they offered area youth in terms of both golf and life skills.

My work yesterday was on the life skills side. I spent an hour yesterday with a group of about 20 high school students and we went through my presentation, 10 Things to Do to Prepare for the SAT and ACT. 

The students were no doubt itching to get on the golf course, but they were kind enough to sit through and digest valuable test prep tips from me. 

We developed a couple of golf analogies with respect to test prep. For example, we talked about how getting better at both golf and standardized test preparation requires a dedicated plan. We also addressed how important it is to practice perfectly for both golf and test prep. In other words, when you practice, you should practice the exact skills needed for a match or on test day. 

In all, it was an enjoyable afternoon. I hope the kids felt that our session was as valuable and beneficial as it was for me. Many thanks to Golf and Life Skills Coach Scott Qualle of First Tee of Monterey County for setting this up. 

To learn more about CROSSWALK and test prep options, contact us here. For concrete ways to approach both SAT and life, download and read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. 

How Stress Can Help SAT & ACT Performance

All my students know that my first message with respect to test prep is to avoid stress. Stress can lead to negativity. Negativity can deflate confidence. Deflated confidence can reduce performance. 

In fact, I claim that stress is the number one enemy of test performance. 

While I stand by my claim, there may actually be a benefit to stress as long as you know how to use it effectively.

Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman first wrote about pressure and stress on standardized tests for the New York Times in 2013 and expanded upon their original article in the book Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. 

In both pieces, they argue that stress may not necessarily be a bad thing if you know how to harness it. 

Bronson and Merryman cite a study in which students were split into two groups and given a practice GRE. The control group was given the test normally while the test group was given a test with instructions that included a line that "people that feel anxious may actually perform better." 

Turns out the test group that was given the encouragement about anxiety helping performance actually performed better. Results were replicated months later when students turned in their real GRE scores: those that felt stress would help them had scores 65 points higher than those that did not. 

There is a lot more science to this study, including things like biomarkers that indicate the level of one's anxiety. For example, students with hunched shoulders may appear "threatened" by the test while those with open shoulders may seem "challenged" by the test. Both threatened and challenged students feel anxious and stressed, but those that feel challenged perform better. 

Overall, the message is clear. As long as you have to face a stressful situation, embrace the stress of it. Use the stress of the experience to challenge you. Approach test day with a positive attitude of "I look forward to this challenge" and not "I am threatened by this and I hate this." 

After all, as this study shows, if your attitude is in the right mindset, your aptitude will shine. 

Learn more useful test day tips by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. Contact Brooke Higgins today to schedule your ACT or SAT prep or visit CROSSWALK to learn more about tutoring options. 

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. 

How to Really Read Your PSAT Score

Now that PSAT scores have been received by students around the country, it is worth a moment to really understand what these numbers mean.

First and foremost, unless you are pursuing a National Merit Scholarship, PSAT scores should be taken with a grain of salt. Since most students do not qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, there should be little stress or anxiety over PSAT scores. 

Unfortunately, many students and parents view PSAT scores negatively. They place great emphasis on student performance and subsequently find areas of concern. This pessimistic view is the wrong lens to use for PSAT scores. 

Instead of a pessimistic lens, parents and students should view the scores with a lens of opportunity. Much like a doctor would use a diagnostic test to identify a health plan, parents and students should use PSAT scores to determine a plan of attack for the SAT. 

For example, consider Dylan's recent score of 54 on the PSAT Critical Reading. This would translate to a 540 on SAT Critical Reading which is a score just above average. Instead of being concerned with an average score, Dylan can look under the hood of this score and get to the details. Specifically, Dylan's score report shows that he was strong on the Sentence Completion questions but weak on the Passage-Based Reading questions. 

Instead of doom and gloom for Dylan, there is great opportunity. Dylan now knows that he needs to work on his Passage-Based Reading. Instead of being negative about his performance, Dylan has a specific area that requires dedicated focus. Armed with a plan to improve his reading, Dylan has months to work on it. 

PSAT scores represent evidence of what you can do to get a better SAT score. They are not an indication of concern for a student, but rather an indication of opportunity. 

Learn more about PSAT, SAT and ACT prep from CROSSWALK. Read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins. 

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.