This Will Make YOU Think. The World Now Knows the Secret of SAT Success

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

“So I didn’t understand why so many of them were enrolled in the optional SAT prep section of our summer program. Why would such impressive high achievers spend their summer nights storming through a massive SAT book? Many of them already took weekend SAT prep courses back home. Did they just think it was fun to time one another on practice sets?”

A story in the New York Times talks about a student from a modest background wondering why his rich co-students were taking summer SAT prep classes.

His family and friends from home thought it was weird that he went to “school” during his summers. His fellow students saw it otherwise; they saw summer academic programs as normal and enjoyable. They approached studying for the SAT with a near-professional intensity that was alien to him.

“I realized that they didn’t just want to score exceptionally well on the SAT. They were gunning for a score on the Preliminary SAT exams that would put them in the top percentile of students in the United States and make them National Merit Scholars in the fall.”

The majority of low- and middle-income 11th graders he knew didn’t even sit for the preliminary exams. Most took the SAT cold. Few were privy to the upper-middle-class secret: To get into elite colleges, one must train for standardized tests with the intensity of an athlete.

Yes, train with the intensity of an athlete. How do you do that?

​You could take practice tests after tests and see where you stand without knowing your strengths and weaknesses, so soon you plateau to a score, and you think that is your natural ability.

Or you could train with the Smart Scoring System and maximize your scores. The Smart Scoring System will train you with the intensity of an athlete. 

What is interval training?

Our interval training includes a schedule of reinforcement where hard work over a set amount of time is rewarded by a set time of leisure: Let's say, 15 minutes of hard work and 3 minutes off. This schedule can adapt to any task, whether it be writing an email to a teacher, finishing a math worksheet, or reading. Our goal is for each student to eventually transition from set interval training to variable interval training, where the amount of time on and off cannot be assumed by the student.

On average, a student with difficulty focusing will spend half of his or her time being productive. However, I notice that when that time is shortened, the amount of productivity increases: 12 out of 15 minutes of productivity compared to half an hour out of an hour. I also notice that a student who is focusing in a shortened interval will produce higher quality work.

We tested our interval training concept on ADHD students who have no problem learning an academic concept; it's the transfer of information and retention of knowledge where the challenge exists. They are selective learners, but, with the Smart Scoring System's interval training, they were able to perform at the top of their class.

Why the Smart Scoring System?
It empowers the student by teaching them how to learn. The Smart Scoring System makes students  independent learners and thinkers. You can got buy a test prep book from Barron's, Kaplan or Princeton, but they have a one-size-fits-all approach, which makes it harder for a student to retain the material and test-taking strategies. Same is true of taking classes from instructors. You rely on the brilliance of the instructor, as opposed to your own brilliance.

Students are more involved with the Smart Scoring System. They take control of their own academic abilities. They learn faster, test smarter and score higher.

If you are interested in learning how the Smart Scoring System can help you or someone in your family, let us know. We offer a complimentary assessment using the Smart Scoring System to evaluate where you stand: your learning style, your strengths and weaknesses, etc.

ENROLL TODAY IN OUR SAT CLASSES!