Who I Am & How I Teach

In almost 20 years of coaching students for the SAT and ACT, I’ve found that focusing on getting a “good” score is a pretty good way of not getting that score. Because what is a “good” score, really? It’s not a specific number – it’s the score that gets you into the colleges you want to go to!

It’s about questions, not points. If you want to go up 200 points, that’s a fine goal. But what does that mean? Here’s how to take it apart:

A 200-point increase = 100 points on both the English and Math halves of the test. Break it down even further, and that’s 50 points in Reading, 50 points in Writing & Language, and 50 points each on the Non-Calculator and Calculator Math sections.

For students at the middle of the SAT scale, 50 points can be achieved with about 7-8 more right answers. Now we’ll start talking strategy. Adding those 7-8 extra questions in each section hinges on applying a few key strategies based on how the SAT is built:

• You’ll get 7-8 more right answers in the Reading section by learning to make a better “skim” of each passage up front, and by using the chronological order of most questions to your advantage.
• 7-8 more right answers on the Writing & Language section comes down to getting better at spotting, and correcting, the most commonly-tested types of errors: comma use, subject-verb agreement, verb tense, and pronoun use. Learning to spot “red flags” is the best way to start.
• Between the two Math sections, you can earn the extra right answers you need with 3 main techniques: picking numbers to plug in and eliminate algebra, using relationships between the numbers given when working with exponents and geometry questions, and knowing how to eliminate wrong answers to make an educated guess instead of guessing randomly. It’s also important to develop a timing strategy that works for you, given the way questions get progressively harder through the multiple choice sections and then “reset” when the open-ended Grid-Ins roll around.

If you’re interested in learning more about these strategies, reach out and I’ll be happy to get you started with some free information and sample problems.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few things.  Training to raise your SAT and ACT scores is way too stressful, not to mention expensive.  Places that “guarantee” certain scores are, for the most part, loading up the fine print with catches you can’t afford to miss.  And tying your “success” on this test to a certain number of points you need to improve is kind of like throwing darts at a board.  What you need to do is focus on answers, not points.

There’s nothing revolutionary here, and that’s the idea.  If you work with me, you’ll learn how much control you actually have over your performance—and here’s a hint, you don’t control your score.  The scale on every SAT is out of your hands; it’s predetermined based on the difficulty of the questions (in the opinion of the test-makers).  So why worry about it?  You can’t control it!

You can control the number of right and wrong answers you get.  (Obviously, right??  I told you this was easy.)  You can learn more on the section-specific pages of this site, or get a more detailed analysis of your own performance by contacting me to set up a free practice test or ask me to take a look at your previous scores.

That’s about it.  I would love to have the chance to help you improve your scores, and I think if you try the test my way, you’ll find your stress level going down while your scores go up.  Whether we work together in person, you receive remote self-paced coaching, you request a personalized study plan or you take advantage of my free guides, I’ll look forward to helping you reach your personal best on the SAT or ACT – and help you get one step closer to your dream schools!