Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Test Prep Radio Hour Update

What a joy it has been to host the Test Prep Radio Hour on KSPB 91.9FM. For the past two months I have been on the radio from 4-5pm every Thursday with test prep advice and fun music. 

Weekly themes have included the test prep mindset, test content vs test context, how to play the numbers game, the math toolbox and more. 


Even though we have covered some great stuff, we have barely scratched the surface of many major test prep topics. 

I am excited to continue to host the Test Prep Radio Hour but the show will be on hold starting today until we are back on the air March 15th. 

Tune into KSPB91.9FM or stream the show at http://www.kspb.org starting March 15th and every subsequent Thursday from 4-5pm. 

Also, feel free to contact me via this blog or my twitter handle (@brookewhiggins) to send me questions, comments or suggestions for test prep advice and music. I would love to hear from you and we can likely get your question or suggestion on the air. 

In the mean time, feel free to contact CROSSWALK to find out how we can help you prepare for the ACT, SAT, PSAT, SSAT and all academic classes. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Challenge with ACT Science is NOT Science

“I am no good at ACT Science,” my students tell me frequently. Too frequently, in fact, to be a coincidence.  

The first problem with this statement is the fixed mindset. Someone with a growth mindset would offer, “I am no good at the ACT Science yet.” 

The second problem with this statement may have less to do about Science and more to do about stamina. 

Stamina may be the main challenge on the ACT since the Science section is the last section of the test. After hours of testing, tackling another section of critical and logical thinking may just be too much for students to handle. 


However, every challenge offers an opportunity. The opportunity here is to improve test-taking stamina. 

Yes, the key strategies to ACT Science–like annotating passages, covering up answer choices to state your own answer first and eliminating answer choices based on themes–are all valid and helpful. 

Also, students will improve their scores by building stamina and concentration over long periods of time. The best way to do this is with lots of full-length practice tests. Prepare for the marathon by practicing marathons. 

Another method, and much less taxing, is the Hocus Pocus Super Focus method:

1) Remove all distractions. 
2) Hunker down for thirty minutes on an assignment, academic activity or critical thinking task. 
3) At the end of the period, take a five-minute break. 
4) Repeat this until your focus is sustained easily for thirty minutes. 
5) Now go for longer periods or more consecutive periods. 

If you cannot make it thirty minutes, try a shorter period until that is comfortable and build from there. 

The stamina needed for the ACT or SAT is sustained focus for about four or five periods of fifty minutes with five-minute breaks. 

As you build your stamina, remind yourself that you will be more fatigued later the process. Use this knowledge to your advantage and fine tune your focus toward the end. 

ACT Science may not be so bad after all. My students who claim ACT Science is too hard soon learn that focused stamina makes a major difference. 

Build your stamina, build your confidence and watch your score improve. For more test-taking tips and academic support, contact CROSSWALK today. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

1,000 Reasons to NOT Stress on ACT & SAT

Almost two years ago I wrote a blog post about 850 reasons to NOT stress about the SAT and ACT.

Now there are more than 1,000 reasons. 

Check out this list produced by FairTest of over 1,000 colleges that “do not use SAT and ACT scores to admit substantial numbers of students into bachelor-degree programs.”

Cue the sound of a valve turning and pressure releasing.

Do you hear that? That is the sound of the release of any stress and pressure around the SAT and ACT. With over 1,000 schools that don’t care about your test score, why should you stress?

Stress clouds the brain. An unstressed brain learns better than a stressed brain. Walk into the SAT or ACT stressed out and your score will drop. 

The first step in any test prep is to remove as much stress as possible from the process. My students repeat the following mantra over and over: “Stress is the enemy of test performance.”

It’s okay to use a little stress to get focused and prepared but too much stress will lead to miserable testing experiences and performances. So use this latest update from FairTest as confirmation that you need NOT stress. 

Sure, you may be interested in schools that are not on this list. Schools not on this list still weigh SAT and ACT test scores heavily in the process of admission. However, at a minimum, the schools on the FairTest list offer terrific alternatives. 

So don’t stress. Let your brain work and learn to its full capacity. Consequently, your confidence and your score will improve.

For studying advice on the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and academic subjects, contact CROSSWALK. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

How to Achieve More ACT and SAT Success

The ACT and the SAT are basically a numbers game. Scaled scores, raw scores, percentiles, number of correct answers to achieve your goal score, total questions, total minutes per section, points per minute, etc. It’s all about the numbers. 


But there is one number that is guaranteed to get your more successes on the SAT and ACT. 

Failures.

Yes, failures. The more failures you achieve, the more successes you build. 

It’s the most basic numbers game of all and it is one salespeople know too well. If you want more sales, then go out and seek more rejection. Each rejection can teach you how to sell more and along the way some of those rejections will become successes.

Same with the ACT and SAT. The more times you fail at a particular question type or section, the more you will succeed. You can learn from your failures and along the way you will figure out how to  achieve more success. 

It’s not rocket science, it is just time on task. Put in the time, try problem after problem, dissect your score reports and learn how to get better. 

As Napoleon Hill once said, “Patience, persistence and preparation make an unbeatable combination for success.”  

I love students who come to me to say “I bombed that test.” The failure they see in their mind is a step closer to success in my mind. 

Learn from your failures with CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for SAT, ACT,  PSAT, SSAT and academic subjects. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Test Prep Radio Hour on KSPB

Test prep advice is coming to your radio in 2018! 


Turn your radio dial to 91.9 KSPB every Thursday from 4:00-5:00pm as I host the Test Prep Radio Hour. 

Join me as I play tunes and dish out study tips on how to prepare for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and other standardized tests as well as general study advice. 

Students will learn how best to prepare for standardized tests and parents can learn how best to support their learners. 

If you live near the Monterey Peninsula, turn your FM radio dial to 91.9 every Thursday from 4:00-5:00pm. If you do not live locally, you can live stream the Test Prep Radio Hour at http://www.kspb.org. 

Call me during the show at 831-625-5078 or tweet me @brookewhiggins with your questions or comments. I will be sure to answer your questions on air. 

Best of all, this is totally free! 

And don’t forget to contact CROSSWALK about the upcoming SAT/ACT Winter Test Prep Series. 

CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for academic tutoring and test prep.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Winter 2018 Test Prep Series

Kick off 2018 with a focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep program by Brooke Higgins of CROSSWALK.


Starting Tuesday, January 9, CROSSWALK is hosting a six-week winter ACT and SAT test prep series.

Attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.

All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm. Here is the schedule:

  • 1/9: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
  • 1/16: Reading Strategies for Success
  • 1/23: Math Strategies for Success
  • 1/30: Writing Strategies for Success
  • 2/6: Science Strategies for Success
  • 2/13: Essay Strategies for Success
Drop in for the session you need and pay by the class or sign up for the whole program and save.

Sign up via the following form.

Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK here.

CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

How to Perfectly Practice for the SAT and ACT

Like any skill, test-taking requires time to develop.

If you want to learn to play the guitar, take the time to practice and get better. If you want to speak Chinese, take the time to practice and get better. If you want to do improve your SAT or ACT score, take the time to get better.

But time isn’t the sole driver of success. The time you spend on your practice must be quality time.

You could go the gym to practice basketball for two hours but if the only thing you do in those two hours is shoot half-court shots then your practice was meaningless.

As Vince Lombardi famously stated, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

So how do you perfectly practice for the SAT and ACT? What is the best way to get some quality practice for your next test?

Consider these practice techniques that will force you to practice perfectly:

  • Remove All Distractions: Many students like to study with the tv on, some music in the background and/or their cell phone close by. Since you can’t watch tv,  listen to music or use a cell phone on test day, practice what it feels like to be in a testing environment and remove all of those distractions. By recreating the testing environment, you will practice perfectly the test day experience. 
  • Practice Against the Clock: Some students get lackadaisical with their test prep by not timing their practice. Since the test is timed, be sure to practice against the clock. If I give a student a practice set for homework, my first question is always, “How was your time management?” If they respond, “um, I forgot to time myself,” then their practice was likely meaningless. 
  • Know Your Tools: Aside from the math toolbox, students don’t have much in the way of tools on test day. A pencil, calculator, test booklet and answer sheet are about it. Nevertheless, practice using these tools during your test prep. For example, don’t use your cell phone calculator for your practice sessions as cell phone calculators are not approved on test day. Practice with an approved calculator to get familiar with it. You should also practice annotating reading passages and crunching numbers in your test booklet. Even practicing how to bubble in your answers on the answer sheet, especially or SAT Math grid-ins, can be useful. 
  • Set a Routine: A routine can create confidence and comfort on test day. I once met a student that, in anticipation of test day, took four practice tests on four consecutive Saturdays leading up to the test. On the fifth Saturday, the day of the test, everything was routine for the student. Setting aside four Saturday mornings in a row may not be possible for everyone but setting a routine should be. 
Yes, it takes time to get better at any skill. There are no quick fixes. 

But take maximum advantage of your practice time by practicing perfectly. 

For more tips on preparing for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT or other academic subjects, contact CROSSWALK today. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Is the SAT Dying a Slow Death?

The validity and efficacy of standardized testing remains a highly debatable topic. 


On one hand, highly competitive universities continue to use standardized test scores to sift through thousands of applications received annually. For these schools, an objective and standardized assessment can prove to be an efficient way to determine whether or not a student has the potential to succeed in college.

On the other hand, many schools realize that standardized tests create unnecessary stress for students and results are often biased against certain groups. These schools are moving away from using test scores as a means to weigh an applicant’s potential for college success. 

And according to FairTest, the number of schools moving away from using test scores in their process of admission is growing. 

FairTest states that, since the SAT launched its revised version of the test in March 2016, more than 100 colleges and universities have dropped SAT and ACT requirements. Now, there are almost 1,000 colleges and universities that “do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial number of bachelor-degree applicants.” 

The good news is that with so many schools eliminating the need for SAT and ACT, there are now more reasons to not stress about SAT and ACT performance. The bad news is that there are still thousands of other schools that continue to use test performance in their admission evaluations. 

The SAT may be dying slowly but cynics note that the College Board is a big business with stakeholders and investors who will fight for its relevance, survival and, most importantly, profitability. 

My work as an SAT and ACT tutor is safe for now because I will continue to remind students that they need not stress about test performance. Stress is the enemy of test performance and with almost 1,000 schools not using SAT or ACT performance in their admission decisions, there should be no reason to stress on test day. 

To prepare for the SSAT, PSAT, ACT or SAT stress-free, contact CROSSWALK today. 


Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Sunday School for PSAT Prep

On a Sunday morning, what would you want to do most? 


A) Sleep in
B) Eat pancakes
C) Play video games
D) Go to school 


Definitely not D, right? I mean, who wants to go to school on a Sunday?

York School juniors do. In fact, over thirty of them came to school on a Sunday for a day long PSAT Boot Camp. 

My thanks to Ellen Masten and the York School administration for putting on this event. Pictured here are the students in action as we go through the steps to success for the reading, math, and english sections of the PSAT they are slated to take on Wednesday. 

It may have not been the students first choice of activities on a Sunday but everyone got a lot of out the session. No doubt the test-taking experience on Wednesday will be a bit easier for all the students. Additionally, as long as they keep doing what we talked about on Sunday, they can improve their test-taking performance on the SAT and ACT in the years to come. 

For information on scheduling a group Boot Camp at your school, contact CROSSWALK today. CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for SSAT, PSAT, SAT and ACT prep.  
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Accused of Cheating on the ACT?

A student of mine called me in a panic over the summer. “I’ve been accused of cheating on the ACT! What can I do?” 

Wait a second, I thought to myself. This is not a student who would cheat. 


I’ve heard of cheaters who fake their identification so that someone else can take the test for them. Or students who peek over the shoulder of another student during the test. And even the rumors that international students somehow gain access to the test version before the test. 

None of these scenarios seemed to apply to my student. 

Here was a student with a 19 on her ACT before she and I started to work together. Over the course of five sessions in a little under two months, we worked on her timing and her strategic approach to the test. She made marked improvement and she set a goal to score in the mid-20s. 

Her results came back and we were both extremely pleased: she scored a 29! A 10-point increase in two months surprised both of us. But based on our work together, we knew she would improve. 

I’ve come to find out that a major increase in such a short time frame triggers a flag within the ACT Inc’s scoring system. These kind of things usually don’t happen so the ACT reacts and accuses the student of cheating. 

The good news is that this story has a happy ending. I prepared a letter for my student so she could petition the accusation. We presented evidence of our work and how her increase was due to hard work, not cheating. The college that ultimately offered her admission did not put any stock into the accusation and she was admitted without any issue. 

Have you been accused of cheating on the ACT? Know anyone that has? In my 15+ years of test prep, this has never happened to me so I want to learn more. Feel free to post your comments here if you have any input. 

If you want to improve your score, and potentially be accused of cheating, contact CROSSWALK. We specialize in test prep for SAT, ACT, SSAT, PSAT and more.