brookewhiggins Uncategorized

How to Set Up a Remote Learning Pod

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, schools are preparing to offer more remote teaching in the fall. While some families hope for a return to normalcy and in-person instruction, many schools intend to deliver lessons via remote instruction or a hybrid model of both remote and in-person instruction.

The prospect of more online school is stressful for many families. Online instruction does not foster the same socialization as in-person schooling, especially for younger learners. Furthermore, moms and dads who work from home have a hard time simultaneously performing their jobs and attending to the learning needs of their children. 

One solution can be found in the form of Remote Learning Pods (RLPs).

RLPs are groups of 2-6 students who would meet at someone’s home or office. Together, students would log into their remote learning experience and, with the help of a tutor or a parent, navigate the online lessons for the day.  

In addition to offering greater socialization, RLPs can also be a way for parents to share the burden of instruction. Or, parents can hire a tutor to help guide the students through the day and share the cost across families. 

Setting up an RLP is quite simple:

1) Gather a Group: Form a small group of 2-6 students. Ideally, the students are in the same class but this is not totally necessary. 
2) Create a Safe Space: Convert a living room, garage, or outdoor area into a temporary classroom. The space must offer robust internet access if multiple people are accessing the network at the same time. More importantly, the space must be safe so social distancing is possible. 
3) Assign Roles or Hire a Tutor: Designate who will supervise the learning for each day. If parents are involved, they can rotate responsibilities  One mom can supervise one day, a dad on another day and so on. If parents cannot be involved, hire a tutor. The cost of one tutor shared across 2-3 families can be quite affordable. 
4) Follow a Daily Schedule: Follow the normal school day schedule and hold students to this schedule. Allow times for break so students can move, get outdoors, snack and hydrate. 
5) Establish Safe Routines: Even in smaller groups, students still need to socially distance, wear masks, wash hands and avoid sharing food/drinks. Practicing good hygiene will ensure students can learn safely.

If you need help setting up a RLP for your learners, contact CROSSWALK. We can help you connect to a group, set up a space or otherwise help you prepare to best serve the learning needs of your child. 

Should you wish to hire a CROSSWALK tutor, know that we will only send a tutor to your home who has been screened, tested and issued a clean bill of health. And we will even provide FREE tutoring for the first day of your RLP so you can try it out and see if you and your children like it. 

RLPs: maybe the future of learning for many kids? 

For more details, contact CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for tutoring and test prep. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

What is the Future of the ACT and SAT?

Questions abound about the future of the SAT and ACT in the process of college admissions: 

  • Will testing sites be open in the fall for seniors to take the tests? 
  • Since so many schools, like the entire University of California system and all Ivy League schools, “temporarily” adjusted requirements to make the SAT and ACT “optional” for the next admission cycle, will this change be permanent? 
  • If test scores are tied to financial aid and scholarship, how will aid and scholarships be determined in absence of the tests? 
Truthfully, there are more questions than answers. Uncertainty is the current state of affairs. 

Nevertheless, there may be some certainty about the future of testing.


First and foremost, the College Board (maker of the SAT among other things) and ACT, Inc (maker of the ACT among other things) are sure to fight for their lives. These are multi-million dollar companies whose financial future is tied to the relevance of these tests. Both companies will surely lobby, work and make a major effort to keep their business models in tact as long as they can. 

Secondly, with respect to aid and scholarships, there may be a place for these tests after all. Considering the vast discrepancy in GPAs across schools in the United States, testing may be the only standardized approach to differentiate students. 

Admission teams at universities have the resources to shift away from weighing test results heavily and instead approach admission decisiones more holistically (weighing other elements like GPA, course load, essays, recommendations, etc. more). But can the same be said for financial aid offices and scholarship programs? Since aid and scholarship are so closely tied to tests, like the PSAT, chances are these tests may stick around for a while until another standardized, scholarship-identifying model is established. 

So in the near term, the changes may not be much. As long as schools are test-optional (and not test-blind) then test scores will continue to matter. 

In the long term, however, major changes may be likely. 

If you are focused on the near term and want to book a solid test score, either for admission reasons or scholarship ones, contact CROSSWALK today. Since 2003, CROSSWALK has been the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and academic tutoring. 
  
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Take Advantage of Summer with Test Prep

Rumor has it that college applications for the class of 2021 will ask students, “How did you spend your shelter-in-place time?” 

Hopefully your answer is not, “I binged Netflix.” 

Instead, take advantage of a summer to do some good work. Like CROSSWALK‘s Summer Test Prep Program. This program is perfectly timed for students gearing up for the SAT or ACT in the fall of 2020. 


Students will meet Monday nights online for twelve weeks and dive into all aspects of the SAT and the ACT. From strategy to score analysis, this course will provide direct instruction on how to maximize test scores in order to achieve greater college admission opportunities. 

By signing up for this program, students will receive:

  • Twelve weekly online classes from 6-7:30pm
  • Step-by-step strategies for each test section
  • Two personalized full-length test score analyses 
  • One private tutoring session with Instructor and Test Expert Brooke Higgins
  • Access to class videos, handouts and practice tests
  • Unlimited SAT or ACT essay grading 
To keep the instruction personalized and individualized, there will be a maximum number of students allowed. So reserve your spot today. 

And it doesn’t matter if you miss a class. We can get you caught up. Even better, contact CROSSWALK to sign up for just the class you need. Here is a schedule of the class topics. 

Change is in the air for all testing formats as universities are adjusting admission requirements. This program will prepare students for these changes, help them understand why test scores still matter and guide them towards their goal score. 


Sign up right here or contact CROSSWALK with questions. This sign up form also includes pricing information. Please note that financial aid is available for those students who qualify. 

Take advantage of your summer by learning how to get the SAT or ACT score you need to get into the school of your choice. This program is your ticket to mastering the SAT & ACT so that you can get admitted to the college of your dreams.

Questions or need more information? Contact CROSSWALK today. Call 831-70-TUTOR, email mail@crosswalkeducation.com or find us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Since 2003, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and tutoring. 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

ACT, SAT & COVID-19: Answers, Plans & Next Steps

How has the SAT and ACT landscape changed in response to COVID-19? What can you do to prepare for the changes? 

Here is a quick video I prepared based on questions I am receiving from CROSSWALK clients: 



After watching this, consider our Summer Test Prep Program starting June 8. This program is perfectly timed for students gearing up for the SAT or ACT in the fall of 2020. 


Students meet Monday nights online for twelve weeks and dive into all aspects of the SAT and the ACT. From strategy to score analysis, this course will provide direct instruction on how to maximize test scores in order to achieve greater college admission opportunities. 

By signing up for this program, students will receive:

  • Twelve weekly online classes from 6-7:30pm
  • Step-by-step strategies for each test section
  • Two personalized full-length test score analyses 
  • One private tutoring session with Instructor and Test Expert Brooke Higgins
  • Access to class videos, handouts and practice tests
  • Unlimited SAT or ACT essay grading 
To keep the instruction personalized and individualized, there will be a maximum number of students allowed. So reserve your spot today. 

Sign up right here or contact CROSSWALK with questions. This sign up form also includes pricing information. Please note that financial aid is available for those students who qualify. 

Take advantage of your summer by learning how to get the SAT or ACT score you need to get into the school of your choice. This program is your ticket to mastering the SAT & ACT so that you can get admitted to the college of your dreams.

Questions or need more information? Contact CROSSWALK today. Call 831-70-TUTOR, email mail@crosswalkeducation.com or find us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Since 2003, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and tutoring. 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Summer ACT & SAT Test Prep Program

CROSSWALK is proud to announce a new Summer Test Prep Program starting June 8. This program is perfectly timed for students gearing up for the SAT or ACT in the fall of 2020. 


Students will meet Monday nights online for twelve weeks and dive into all aspects of the SAT and the ACT. From strategy to score analysis, this course will provide direct instruction on how to maximize test scores in order to achieve greater college admission opportunities. 

By signing up for this program, students will receive:

  • Twelve weekly online classes from 6-7:30pm
  • Step-by-step strategies for each test section
  • Two personalized full-length test score analyses 
  • One private tutoring session with Instructor and Test Expert Brooke Higgins
  • Access to class videos, handouts and practice tests
  • Unlimited SAT or ACT essay grading 
To keep the instruction personalized and individualized, there will be a maximum number of students allowed. So reserve your spot today. 

Change is in the air for all testing formats as universities are adjusting admission requirements. This program will prepare students for these changes, help them understand why test scores still matter and guide them towards their goal score. 


Sign up right here or contact CROSSWALK with questions. This sign up form also includes pricing information. Please note that financial aid is available for those students who qualify. 

Take advantage of your summer by learning how to get the SAT or ACT score you need to get into the school of your choice. This program is your ticket to mastering the SAT & ACT so that you can get admitted to the college of your dreams.

Questions or need more information? Contact CROSSWALK today. Call 831-70-TUTOR, email mail@crosswalkeducation.com or find us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Since 2003, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and tutoring. 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

ACT Changes: What to Expect

Changes abound during the pandemic for both the SAT and the ACT. The last post was about how to handle SAT June cancellation. This post is about what to expect with the ACT changes. 


First and foremost, the ACT is giving all indications that the June 13 test is still scheduled as planned. This may surprise many since most sites that host the test (i.e. schools) are not opened yet. Nevertheless, ACT, Inc is staying the course and is still accepting registrations for the June test. 

Secondly, the ACT is making a bold move by rolling out an online testing version for the fall of 2020. This online test version was initially going to be available only at approved testing centers but the ACT just announced that an at-home version should be ready in late fall or early winter. The online format could be a major game changer as it will allow scores to be available in as few as two days. 

Third, and perhaps the biggest news about the new ACT format for 2020 is Section Retesting. With Section Retesting, students can retake individual test sections as many times as they need. This is an amazing development for students applying to colleges that superscore. By the fall of 2020, students will be able to sign up for just a section of the test, prepare exclusively for that section and strategize to book the best composite score possible.  

With online testing and Section Retesting, the ACT appears to be making a strategic play to differentiate itself from the SAT. Even with many colleges and universities making the SAT and ACT scores optional for current juniors, the ACT is putting its best foot forward to ensure its relevance for the future of college admission. 

And a final note regarding test optional schools: test optional is not the same as test blind. Colleges will still consider test scores even if they are not required. In fact, test scores may be more important than before. With many high schools freezing Spring term grades or going pass/fail due to the stay-at-home order, GPAs may be a less reliable measurement for colleges. Test scores, as a result, might be the only standardized and measurable data point for colleges to consider. 

So embrace the changes! Change in this case is good as it reduces a lot of the stress around the ACT. Faster results with section retesting are positive changes to help you book your best score possible. 

If you need help booking your best SAT or ACT score, contact CROSSWALK today. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep, tutoring and academic support. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

June SAT Cancelled: How to Adjust

Because of COVID-19, the College Board recently announced the cancellation of the June test. 

Many colleges are responding to this pandemic by adjusting their admission requirements. Submitting a test score, for many schools, is not a requirement for current juniors. 


So what does that mean for your test preparation plan? Should you just abandon ship altogether? 

Here are five adjustments you can make with these new changes:

1) Stay the Course

Let’s face it: with fewer tests scores and weird spring GPAs for many high schools (pass/fail anyone?), colleges will be struggling to find meaningful and measurable data to compare applicants in 2021. Test optional does not mean test blind. So, stay the course, get a good ACT or SAT score on the books, and improve your chances of admission. 

2) Reduce the Stress 

A stress brained does not perform as well as an unstressed brain. So don’t stress about the test cancellation. Instead, consider this an opportunity to spend more time getting comfortable with the testing format, the questions, the time allowed and the overall experience. With more experience comes more comfort and less stress. 

3) Register Early

As of today, the ACT test in June is still open for registration. But this is the only test available over the next several months. This means many will rush to register for the fall tests. So register early to avoid the mad dash. 

4) Take More Full-Length Practice Tests

Now that you have more time to prepare for test day, use the time to take more full-length practice tests. In all honesty, the hardest part of my job as a test prep instructor is to have students develop the stamina needed to sit for three or four hours and take a test. With the extra time you have until the fall test dates, schedule full-length practice tests every several weeks. Practice sitting and focusing for long blocks of time so that your brain can remain fresh and focused for the whole time. 

5) Read

Reading is the path to better scores. After all, this is a reading test. For those of you saying, “well, it’s a math test too,” then I would like to remind you that the math section is mostly reading. Word problems, the ways the questions are worded and answer choices are all set up as reading challenges. You may need math to get the solution, but you need to read to understand the question first. So really, the ACT and SAT are simply reading tests. And to get better at a reading test, read more! 

All in all, despite these new changes to test dates and potentially test formats (the ACT says they will have an online test ready for fall/winter), the message is to stay the course, reduce your stress, register early, take practice tests and read. 

If you need help with any of these, contact CROSSWALK today. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and academic tutoring. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

SAT & ACT Not Required for UCs: What That Means for You

Big news: in response to COVID-19, the University of California system just announced adjusted admission requirements for 2021 applicants. Most notably, the SAT and ACT are not required. 

This presents a major opportunity for many families. This decision will reduce the stress around college admissions for many. 


Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean the SAT and ACT are going away. First, this is a temporary decision just for 2021 applicants. 

Second, students who still choose to take these tests this summer and fall, assuming that is even possible, may have an opportunity to differentiate themselves from other applicants. After all, with the adjusted admission requirements, colleges will likely want to know how a student spent their time during the stay-at-home order. Students who perform well on the SAT or ACT can show colleges that they spent their time studying, learning and preparing. Evidence of motivation and productivity might be the path towards more admission opportunities in 2021. 

Furthermore, since the test is optional, there is no stress in taking it! As CROSSWALK students know, stress is the enemy of test performance. So remove the stress, and see your score go up!  

With this new landscape, how is CROSSWALK responding? With FREE test prep and a new (free) podcast! 

Here are the details: 

1) Free Test Prep: 

CROSSWALK continues to offer its six-week test prep program on Monday nights from 6-7:30. It’s online. And it’s free. Contact Brooke Higgins directly for sign up information at mail@crosswalkeducation.com. 

2) Free Podcast (English and Spanish available!) 

CROSSWALK and InspirED have taken their partnership to the next level with the “Plan for College Admission” podcast. Find us wherever you get your podcasts or right here. These are crazy times but Brooke and Marisela offer the latest news and changes so you stay informed, prepared and inspired. 

Y para los hispanohablantes, el podcast está disponible en español también. Busca el “Plan para Admisión Universitaria” en tu lugar favorito para podcasts o aquí. 

Stay connected with CROSSWALK on Facebook, Instagram and on the web. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Spring Test Prep Series: FREE Online Course

Please take note of changes to the Spring Test Prep Workshop Series:

First, the course will now be conducted online. 

Second, the course will be offered FREE of charge to all families. 


Third, the course will start Monday, 3/23 from 6pm-7:30pm. 

Aside from these changes, the course will be run as normally as possible. There will be six consecutive Monday nights of test prep. Each Monday night is dedicated to a different component of the SAT and ACT. Students will receive handouts and practice exercises to do in class and outside of class. 

And the course is still hosted by Brooke Higgins ’92, Founder and Lead Test Prep Instructor of CROSSWALK Test Prep and Tutoring. 

Sign up is simple: register with this Google Form and check your email for the online login information. Or contact Brooke directly at mail@crosswalkeducation.com or 831-70-TUTOR. 

CROSSWALK wishes you all to stay safe and healthy during these times! 

With almost two decades of tutoring and test prep experience, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for tutoring, test prep and academic success. Contact CROSSWALK today. 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Spring ACT & SAT Prep: Going Online

Good and not surprising news: the Spring ACT & SAT Prep Series, starting Monday, March 16th at 7pm, will be conducted online. 

Instead of meeting at the Stevenson School, you can log in from the comfort of your home.


It is not too late to sign up. Sign up here.

This six-session program runs on Monday nights from 7-8:30pm starting March 16th and wrapping up April 27th (note: due to the long weekend at the Stevenson School, there is no class April 20th). 

Conducted by CROSSWALK founder and lead test prep instructor Brooke Higgins, this program is a highly efficient and effective way to get ready for test day. High school juniors and sophomores learn the ins and outs of both tests and how to achieve their goal score. Students walk away with an individualized game plan and a detailed study plan to maximize success. 

Each week of the program targets a different component of the tests. Students have the option to attend the class(es) they need or they can sign up for the whole program. 

CROSSWALK Test Prep & Tutoring is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for academic tutoring and test prep for the SAT®, ACT®, SSAT®, PSAT® and more.