Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Who is Navigating Your College Admission Journey?


Every journey needs a navigator. If your college admission process does not have a navigator yet, consider Marisela Gomez of Collegewise.

Marisela and I partnered on a presentation earlier in the year at the Harrison Memorial Library in Carmel with great success. I was able to bring some test prep tips to the audience while she laid out some excellent college application and admission advice.

Marisela represents Collegewise, “America’s largest and most well-regarded private college counseling service” according to their marketing materials. While Collegewise offers outstanding services for those seeking college admission, the real gem is Marisela.

Marisela Gomez is the Director of the South Bay Collegewise office. Prior to joining Collegewise, Marisela spent 12 years as an admissions officer and enrollment manager at her alma mater, Santa Clara University. Marisela has read over 20,000 applications, is fluent in English and Spanish and holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Santa Clara University.

Most importantly, she is passionate about helping kids get into the college(s) of their choice. She has a unique ability to work with both parents and students through the college application process. A diligent counselor, Marisela serves as a knowledgeable navigator through the journey to college admission.

If your journey needs a navigator, contact Marisela by email at mariselag@collegewise.com or call her at 831.578.1409.

And along the way, if you need test prep advice, contact CROSSWALK. The Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for academic tutoring and test prep for the past 14 years, CROSSWALK offers face-to-face tutoring, Skype tutoring and group classes for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and all academic classes. Learn more at www.crosswalkeducation.com.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

PSAT Prep for FREE

The PSAT is approaching quickly. In fact, there is likely less than a month to prepare for the PSAT since schools that administer the test will do so on October 14 or 28.  


That the test is on the horizon should not create any stress for test takers. As my students and readers of this blog can attest, stress should not be part of any test preparation. 

First and foremost, the PSAT is an opportunity to understand how a student performs on standardized tests. Scores can be used to qualify students for scholarships or national recognition, but are generally used as just a pulse check for the SAT. 

With this in mind, students should approach test day free of worry, concern or stress. 

Should a student want to get a sense of what is on the test, the College Board provides a couple of free resources. And since the PSAT has a new format, it may behoove students to take a gander at either of the following links before test day: 

  • Practice Test: click here for full-length practice test. Download the test and get a feel for the directions, timing, question types, format, etc. 
  • Practice Sets: click here for some practice sets and practice quizzes. You will have to sign in via Google or Khan Academy but that should stop you since the practice sets are very helpful. 

Above all, be sure to get plenty of rest leading up to the test. Cramming a bunch of test prep the night before, or even the weekend before, will actually hurt your score. 

Best of luck, PSAT test-takers. Should you need some support, don’t be afraid to contact CROSSWALK, Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and private tutoring. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

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 only come to those realistic enough to put in the time and effort.

Ready:

As stress is the primary cause of poor test scores, good test takers know that readiness is the cure for stress. Prior to test day, good test takers develop and practice a game plan for each question. Subsequently, they face test day focused, stress-free and ready for a challenge. 

Resolute:

Successful test takers are resolute, steadfast, dedicated and motivated. By diligently pursuing a purpose, like a specific score or entry into a particular college, resolute test takers understand that motivation and dedication yield positive results. 

Resilient:

Taking the SAT and/or the ACT is a humbling experience. Learning and improving upon a weakness requires resilience and the ability to recover from a setback. The best test takers learn from a mistake, adjust quickly and move forward with their eyes on the prize.



If you are preparing for the SAT or ACT, make sure you are realistic about the work, ready to take on the challenge, resolute in your pursuit of a good score and resilient enough to learn quickly from any missteps.

Should you need some support in your test prep, contact CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and private tutoring. Also, learn how to demystify the SAT by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Incredible SAT Prep Success Story

It wasn’t long ago that I posted a recent success story at CROSSWALK. While that was certainly fun to tell, a better story unfolded this past month. 


This latest story starts with a student who performed below her expectations on the PSAT. A smart student with a good GPA, she scored in the 39th percentile on the PSAT meaning that she scored better than just 39% of the population while 61% of test takers scored better than her. 

Based on this score, the student felt really low in the water. From a GPA perspective, she was not an average student. However, her test scores indicated she was below average. 

This result can mentally derail any student. But not this one. 

Fast forward six months later, and this is what the mother emailed CROSSWALK: 

“She increased her score by 720 points including an 800 in Math!!! 700 in Writing and a 620 in Critical Reading. Thank you for setting us up with tutor Dan. He has changed her life by making her competitive for Ivy, the academies, and other highly ranked schools.”

What was the secret? How did she turn it around? 

While I would like to believe this success was solely due to Dan’s work as a tutor, the real success started with the student’s desire to improve. Put bluntly, this student put in the time to get better. When you put in quality time to learn a new skill, the results speak for themselves. 

The student took it upon herself to maximize her time with the tutor. She spent many hours working on problem sets. She made test preparation a major priority in her life. She learned and practiced the strategies frequently. And now she relishes the results. 


Congratulations to the student. A 720-point increase is truly remarkable!

Do you want to increase your SAT or ACT score? Contact CROSSWALK today. We offer private tutoring for SAT and ACT preparation in person or via Skype. CROSSWALK is Monterey Peninsula’s resource for tutoring and test prep. 

Prefer to learn on your own? Start your SAT prep by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. 



Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Another SAT Prep Success Story

Time to celebrate another success story at CROSSWALK!

Sure, bragging about our own success may make us appear less than humble. Nevertheless, we take great pride in helping our students and we all celebrate when a student achieves his or her goal.

The latest example is Morgan, a student who worked on SAT prep with one of CROSSWALK’s finest tutors, Dan. 

Morgan had a goal to increase her SAT score to improve her chances at attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Opisbo. She and Dan started SAT prep sessions last May. After a break in the summer, Dan and Morgan met regularly throughout the fall. 

Morgan’s diligence, coupled with Dan’s guidance, yielded strong results. This is a direct quote from the mother in an email she sent to Dan:

“I’m super proud to tell you that all her hard work has paid off, as Morgan was accepted Early Decision at Cal Poly! This was her first choice college and all we’ve been working towards for the past couple years. Thank you for being such an integral part of her success.”

But wait, there’s more:

“She raised her last SAT by 300 points overall. We appreciate the hard work you put in with Morgan, she truly feels that you were a huge part in her raising her test scores overall. She felt confident in her ability to tackle the tests with an organized plan, and obviously she was prepared and ultimately successful.”

Early Decision to the college of her choice? Awesome!

Congratulations, Morgan! On behalf of everyone at CROSSWALK, we wish you continued success.

If you want to be one of CROSSWALK’s success story, contact us here to learn about SAT prep, ACT prep and other tutoring options.

Also, read “2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score” by Brooke Higgins to learn how to approach life and the SAT.
 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

ACT & SAT Math: Show What You Know

Math word problems: do you love them or hate them? 


Chances are you hate them. Most students struggle with math problems that contain more words than numbers. Translating sentences into equations is not always the easiest thing to do.  


Despite the challenge, there is no way around word problems. Most of the math questions on the SAT and ACT deal with more words than numbers. Remember, the SAT and ACT are tests designed primarily to test your reading ability, not your math skills. 


So how do you tackle word problems? How do you sift through the cornucopia of words to drill down to the important math equation? 

The answer is quite simple: use your pencil to draw and show what you know. Often by drawing the information you know, you can create an easy shortcut to the correct answer. 

For example, let’s say you are given the following question (taken directly from the College Board website): 

A special lottery is to be held to select the student who will live in the only deluxe room in a dormitory. There are 100 seniors, 150 juniors, and 200 sophomores who applied. Each senior’s name is placed in the lottery 3 times; each junior’s name, 2 times; and each sophomore’s name, 1 time. What is the probability that a senior’s name will be chosen?

A) 1/8
B) 2/9
C) 2/7
D) 3/8
E) 1/2

So many words here! But don’t freak out. Take it slow and start with your pencil: 

Draw one block to represent 100 seniors, another block to represent 150 juniors and one more block to represent 200 sophomores. Now, you also know that the senior’s names are placed in the lottery 3 times. So draw two more blocks next to the senior’s block, each identical to the block representing 100 names. Draw two blocks for the juniors, each representing 150 names. Finally, sophomores don’t need an extra block. 

Once you have your drawing, now comes the easy part. Probability, you might recall, is nothing more than a fraction. The numerator is the number of desired outcomes and the denominator is the number of total outcomes. By using your blocks, you can see that the total desired outcomes (senior’s names) is 3 blocks of 100, or 300. The total outcomes is all of the blocks added together: (3 x 100) + (2 x 150) + 200 = 800. In other words, the probability is 300/800 or 3/8. The correct answer is D. 

Even though this is a hard question according to the College Board, it becomes quite easy when you draw things out. 

When you are faced with math problems that seem to have no solution, start drawing! Getting your pencil to paper will help you organize what you know and guide you towards finding out what you don’t know. 

Learn more test prep tips by contacting CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula’s resource for test prep and tutoring. Also, read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score by Brooke Higgins for SAT-specific tips. 
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

If ACT and SAT Scores Were GPAs

One of the first activities I like to do with my ACT and SAT students is to begin with the end in mind. In other words, before we do any test prep, we research the SAT and ACT scores for the schools the student is considering. Armed with the knowledge of what score a student needs, the real preparation begins.

Understanding what score you need on the ACT and SAT is the most important step in your preparation. Once you know the score you need, you can figure out how many questions you need to answer correctly and how many you can get wrong, skip or guess (note: even if you skip questions on the ACT, be sure to get an answer in the bubbles as there is no punishment for wrong answers).

This activity really demystifies things for students. Most students quickly learn that they don’t need a perfect score on the test to get into the school of their choice. In fact, the score many students need is actually quite achievable.

Take Trevor for example. Trevor is interested in attending the University of Puget Sound. In our first session, we got onto the school’s website and found out that most students that get accepted by the university score an 1800 or so on the SAT and a 27 on the ACT.

What boggled Trevor’s mind is what the score would mean in terms of a GPA. An 1800 on the SAT expressed as a percentage would mean a 75% (1800/2400). Scoring a 27 on the ACT, when expressed as a percentage, means Trevor would also need a 75% (27/36) to get into the school of his choice.

In other words, Trevor needs to get a C on both tests. That’s right, a C! Trevor is a normally a B+/A- student. When we went through the simple exercise of expressing his goal test score in terms of a percentage or in terms of a GPA, a big smile crossed his face.

“You don’t need an A on this test,” I told him. “You just need a C!”

This little nugget made the test preparation experience more enjoyable for Trevor. It was our first chance to get his attitude in the right mindset to let his aptitude shine.


No stress for Trevor. Just a clear direction and a focused approach to accomplish an achievable goal.

Try it for yourself: if the ACT or SAT were scored like your GPA, what would you need to get? A C average? B average? Something totally doable? I would like to think so.

Learn more SAT test preparation tips by reading 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score. Contact CROSSWALK here for personal test preparation on the Monterey Peninsula or for Skype sessions on your time and schedule.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

How to Keep Up with CROSSWALK

October is already here? Unbelievable! The school year is already moving too fast. 


Good thing it is easy to keep up with CROSSWALK. No matter how fast the school year is going, we make it pretty simple to find out the latest and greatest in the world of tutoring and test prep on the Monterey Peninsula.

The easiest way to keep up with CROSSWALK is to follow our blog. Visit the CROSSWALK website homepage and on the right hand side of the screen you will see a “SUBSCRIBE” button. Input your email and all of our biweekly blog posts will be delivered directly to your inbox.

You can also keep up with CROSSWALK by liking our Facebook page. Blog posts, interesting educational articles and other content is posted there regularly. 

But wait, there’s more! You can follow me personally on Twitter @brookewhiggins or post a review of CROSSWALK on our Yelp page. In fact, the first one to post a review on Yelp can qualify to win a free CROSSWALK t-shirt. How is that for incentive! 

And when in doubt, contact CROSSWALK via our contact page right here. 

Yes, things are moving fast but we can keep you up to speed when you subscribe to our blog, like us on Facebook or otherwise keep in touch. 

Remember, CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for ACT/SAT Boot Camps, test prep and tutoring. 

Read 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score right here. 

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

How Long Do You Prep for ACT and SAT?

The next ACT test is scheduled for September 13th. Undoubtedly, I will field a call from a parent or student looking for test prep help on September 10th. 


Same goes for the SAT. With the next test scheduled for October 11th, someone will frantically call me October 8th trying to schedule some test prep. 

Here is how the calls usually go: 

Parent: Can we schedule some tutoring before Saturday’s test?
Me: We can definitely schedule some tutoring, but I doubt that it will do much good. 
Parent: What do you mean?
Me: Test-taking is a skill that takes time. It is hard to learn a new skill overnight.
Parent: Oh (awkward pause follows) 

The moral of the story is that learning to improve your SAT or ACT score is like learning a new skill. Standardized test-taking is not a skill frequently practiced in schools. Most tests in school require you to memorize content and spit it out the next day. But the SAT is not a content-based test. Even the ACT relies less on content memorization and more on problem-solving. 

And since you don’t frequently practice the skills to manage contextual problem-solving in school, you must put in the requisite practice time in order to get better. 

All told, getting better at the ACT and SAT takes time. Lots of time. You can’t do it in one week and you probably can’t even do it in one month. 

The CROSSWALK students that move their scores the most work on it for months at a time. Ideally, you have all of junior year to hone your craft. Spending a year to learn a new skill should be a realistic goal. 

So avoid the frantic call days before the test. Put together a study plan that covers at least three months. Even better, plan on prepping for a whole year. 

This doesn’t mean you need to meet with a tutor for a whole year. There are plenty of things you can do on your own. 

But the most important thing is to schedule the time. When time is on your side, you can vastly improve your score. 

Learn more SAT and ACT study tips by contacting Brooke Higgins and CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula’s local resource for test prep and academic tutoring. Brooke Higgins is the founder and lead instructor at CROSSWALK as well as the author of 2400 SCORES: 24 Life Lessons to Demystify the SAT and Boost Your Score.  
Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Good & Bad News About SAT Smartphone Vocabulary Apps

Lamentably, flashcards are now passé.

Call me old-school, but in my day I spent a lot of time writing vocabulary words on one side of an index card and their definitions on the other side. I would tote around stacks of cards to class, the library and home. 

Nowadays, it is all about using your smartphone to study. And why not? Smartphones are portable, easy to use, and fun. A good smartphone app for learning SAT vocabulary can mean no more lugging around flashcards all over the place.

The good news is that there are many very useful SAT Vocabulary apps, some of which are free. The bad news is that few of them mirror the context vs. content approach crucial to the SAT. 

First the good news: with so many useful apps available for both iPhones and Androids, students have many portable vocabulary-building options. While I have explored several, including SAT Vocabulary by Du Nguyen and Virtual SAT Tutor by Ivy Standard, my favorite is SAT Vocabulary by Magoosh. 

Magoosh offers several test prep applications that all share the same clean layout and easy-to-use interface. The SAT Vocabulary app offers different levels of study: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Each level cycles through a series of words that you define by multiple choice. If you get a word wrong, or don’t know it, the words will cycle back several times until you master the definition through repetition. Most importantly, you can track your progress. 

Despite the multitude of smartphone apps, there is bad news: none of the apps I researched provide vocabulary questions in context like those found on the SAT. The Sentence Completion questions on the SAT don’t simply task students with defining a word or uncovering the definition via multiple choice. Instead, they are presented with a sentence that has a blank or two blanks. Based on the information in the sentence, students must figure out the missing vocabulary words(s). 

Since none of the apps I found offer this style of questioning, something is definitely missing. Even Magoosh, which ultimately provides the vocabulary words in a sentence, does not display this contextual information until after you answer the question. 

All in all, there is good news for SAT preparation on the go: many apps will help build vocabulary. The bad news is that few capture the context-based questions that students need to practice for the test. 

If you know of any helpful apps, particularly ones that leverage the context-based approach, by all means contact me and let me know or simply post a comment to this blog. 

For more SAT tips, read 2400 SCORES by Brooke Higgins available at Amazon. Contact Brooke Higgins and CROSSWALK to schedule your private tutoring or Boot Camp for SAT, ACT and more.