#SAT

Sep 14, 2016
1 min

Upcoming Boot Camp (PSAT, ACT, SAT)

Exciting news: I will be hosting a Test Prep Boot Camp on the campus of the York School on October 9th from 9am-3pm. While this Boot Camp is offered to York students, the event represents a great crash course in how to get ready for the PSAT with some SAT and ACT testing topics covered. So if you have a small group of students that could use a PSAT, SAT or ACT prep course, consider a CROSSWALK Test Prep Boot Camp for your students. I have conducted similar workshops for y

850+ Reasons to NOT Stress About ACT & SAT

brookewhiggins

Jul 11, 2016
2 min

850+ Reasons to NOT Stress About ACT & SAT

My students know my mantra, “stress is the enemy of test performance.” In a given class, I might repeat this phrase five or ten times. Science proves that an unstressed brain learns more efficiently than a stressed brain. Science also proves that stress fosters anxiety which leads to poor test performance. While a little stress can keep students focused and on task, too much stress will push test scores down. The SAT and the ACT are not content-driven tests that reward cra

brookewhiggins

Jul 11, 2016
2 min

850+ Reasons to NOT Stress About ACT & SAT

ACT vs SAT: Testing Wars Heat Up, Part II

brookewhiggins

May 12, 2016
1 min

ACT vs SAT: Testing Wars Heat Up, Part II

Just when you thought the dust settled between the College Board, makers of the SAT, and ACT, Inc., makers of the ACT, the rivalry started a new chapter. This time, the battle lines are drawn around access to free test preparation materials. But the good news is that the winners of this battle are the students. Truly. For a long time, free ACT resources were available at www.actstudent.org while SAT resources were rarely free. That changed when the SAT partnered with the K

brookewhiggins

May 12, 2016
1 min

ACT vs SAT: Testing Wars Heat Up, Part II

SAT vs ACT: An Excellent Pictograph Comparison

brookewhiggins

Apr 27, 2016
2 min

SAT vs ACT: An Excellent Pictograph Comparison

Thanks to the folks at Applerouth for an awesome SAT vs ACT Pictograph (you will need to fill out a form to gain access to the resource). No joke, Applerouth’s comparison might be the best way to look at the two different tests. While there is no mention of the difference between the two essay formats, Applerouth’s pictograph is a great way to compare the two different assessments. Some key points: There is much more Geometry on the ACT compared to the SAT The SAT tests

brookewhiggins

Apr 27, 2016
2 min

SAT vs ACT: An Excellent Pictograph Comparison

brookewhiggins

Apr 10, 2016
2 min

How to Tackle Math Anxiety

True story: I used to be bad at math. I always remember being bad at math. During my elementary years, my mother used to torture me over the summers with math workbooks and extra work. It was never fun and I dreaded it. Math became a chore and I avoided it at all costs. In fact, even into college, I feared math. Through a little-known loophole that likely doesn’t exist anymore, I was able to graduate with extra Fine Arts classes instead of Math classes. Nothing changed fo

brookewhiggins

Apr 10, 2016
2 min

How to Tackle Math Anxiety

brookewhiggins

Mar 23, 2016
2 min

ACT vs SAT: Testing Wars Heat Up

The college admissions testing war is heating up. The College Board recently launched the new SAT which included pretty significant changes to the test format. Gone is the funky scoring system in which the raw score is calculated by the formula of one point for a correct answer, -0.25 points for an incorrect answer and no points added or subtracted for an omitted answer. Also gone are the Sentence Completion questions that were fill-in-the-blanks to test vocabulary. Truth b

brookewhiggins

Mar 23, 2016
2 min

ACT vs SAT: Testing Wars Heat Up

brookewhiggins

Aug 18, 2015
2 min

The Most Important Math Subscore

The newly redesigned SAT rolls out in March 2016. With it comes a whole new scoring system and various levels of scoring. For example, instead of just one math score, a student will also get several math subscores that indicate how the student performed in certain content areas like algebra or data analysis. While these subscores could prove very valuable, there is a simpler math subscore that is more important: total content errors vs total careless errors. You see, whe

brookewhiggins

Aug 18, 2015
2 min

The Most Important Math Subscore

Alphabet Soup of Testing and Academics with a Side of Humor

brookewhiggins

Jul 28, 2015
1 min

Alphabet Soup of Testing and Academics with a Side of Humor

As July turns to August, the number of calls I receive from parents increases. With school starting back up, seniors realize that they may only have one more chance to get a good test score. For those facing this stressful time of year, it may help to step back and let a little humor into your lives. While it is important to do what it takes to increase a score or improve one’s chance to get into one’s college of choice, let’s not forget that a student is more than a test sco

brookewhiggins

Jul 28, 2015
1 min

Alphabet Soup of Testing and Academics with a Side of Humor

brookewhiggins

Jul 9, 2015
2 min

What NOT to Tell Your ACT or SAT Tutor

At CROSSWALK, we pride ourselves in our ability to work with just about any student. For this reason, we remain flexible in our approach: we can tailor a test prep plan for just about any situation. However, there are a number of situations that create challenges for us. While there is no doubt that all of our tutors can handle almost any challenge, there are some situations we hope to avoid. As you prepare for the PSAT, ACT, SAT and/or the SSAT, try and ensure that you don

brookewhiggins

Jul 9, 2015
2 min

What NOT to Tell Your ACT or SAT Tutor

brookewhiggins

May 30, 2015
2 min

How Much SAT or ACT Tutoring Is Needed?

The old mantra of “you get what you pay for” does not always apply to SAT or ACT prep. There are plenty of free resources available. Check previous blog posts about why you don’t need to hire an SAT tutor or other posts for free ACT resources or free SAT resources. However, it is worth noting that a private tutor from CROSSWALK will help any student navigate the troubled test prep waters. CROSSWALK specializes in individualized plans. Unlike some competitors that offer set

brookewhiggins

May 30, 2015
2 min

How Much SAT or ACT Tutoring Is Needed?

brookewhiggins

May 12, 2015
1 min

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