SAT Tips for March 8th ☑
Dear Mr. John's Test Prep Families,
📅 Countdown to the March 8th SAT – less than 5 days to go!
March is here! We've been planning for weeks, some of us months. This week we'll focus on last-minute preparation tips for the SAT; announce a new math tutor collaboration; and share our usual question of the week. (Did anybody notice I used semicolons for that long list??)
Student Spotlight: Celebrating Wins! 🎉
This week, we're shouting out these amazing students for their hard work and dedication:
Sahaana: Sahaana is a soccer star who just returned from a prestigious tournament in Texas where she scored multiple goals for her team. She's committed to playing Division 1 soccer at Pepperdine and aiming for a big win this Saturday on the SAT!
Camper: Camper wanted to share a beautiful photo of her sailing regatta from a few weekends ago. Here she is out on the calm South Florida waters:
I'm always thrilled to hear about our students' successes in extracurriculars. While the SAT is important, it's just as important to be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished outside of standardized tests. Keep up the great work!
📢 New Tutor Spotlight
I'm excited to announce a new "handshake" partnership with an extremely talented math tutor. One of our mutual students introduced us a few weeks ago. Since then, we've discussed how beneficial it would be to have a resource for the subjects we don't specialize in.
As most of you know, my specialty is the Reading and Writing section of the SAT. While I tutor math from time to time, I'd much rather have someone who specializes in math take you to the next level. So, without further ado, here is Abbey's introduction:
My name is Abbey, and I would love to be your tutor. I am a former MIT student, and I graduated from UAlbany with a BS in Mathematics and Statistics. I have been tutoring SAT and ACT prep privately for over 15 years and have helped over 400 students achieve a 750+ on the SAT Math section. I am very familiar with the new digital SAT format, including Desmos strategies to help ace the digital SAT Math section. My SAT and ACT students have received admission to many top colleges, including all eight Ivy League universities, Stanford, Duke, and Northwestern. In addition to SAT math prep, I tutor algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2, precalc (both AP precalc and regular), calculus (both regular, AP AB and BC), and chemistry.
Thanks!
Abbey
If you require a solid SAT or subject-level math tutor, reach out to Abbey at abigail.connick@gmail.com! She has 1000s of five-star reviews on Wyzant.com.
Question of the Week ❓
This week's question comes from the College Board Educator's Question Bank and is a "hard" level transition question for the SAT. Moms and dads, how well can you do?
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Consequently,
B. Alternatively,
C. Ultimately,
D. Additionally,
Answer and Explanation
Explanation: Choice C is the best answer. The first sentence describes an experience that the viewer has when they’re looking at the photos: they imagine other planets. This sentence describes an experience that the viewer has afterward: the title reminds them that the photos are of frying pans, bringing them back to reality. “Ultimately” is a transition that means “eventually” or “in the end,” so it fits the context perfectly. Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a cause-and-effect transition, which doesn’t make sense here. The viewer imagining other planets when they’re looking at the photos doesn’t cause the title to bring them back to reality. Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates another option or possibility, which doesn’t make sense here. Rather, the viewer has both experiences: first the viewer imagines that they’re looking at another planet, and then the title reminds them that it’s just a frying pan. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates the addition of an agreeing idea. But the viewer’s experience in the second sentence is actually the opposite of the viewer’s experience in the first sentence. In the f irst sentence, the viewer is imagining that they’re seeing a landscape from another planet. In the second sentence, the viewer is reminded that they’re looking at a frying pan.SAT News & Updates 📰
I'm pleased to share that I've joined the National Test Prep Association. As my tutoring business continues to grow, I've been reaching out for professional resources and networking opportunities. NTPA provides just that, and they have connections at the College Board and ACT. I hope to attend the annual conference in Minneapolis this June and bring back cool things to share with everyone.
💡 Tip of the Week 💡
This week's tip focuses on saving your brain for the harder questions on Module 2 of the Reading and Writing section.
Most students use one of two strategies when moving through the SAT: they move linearly from start to finish, or they skip the hard passage questions in the middle, saving them for last.
I like to take an unorthodox approach.
Through trial and error, I've learned that saving the passage questions for the end leaves me cognitively fatigued as they are the questions that require the most cognitively demanding comprehension skills. By doing this, we reduce our ability to answer these questions on time and with our best mental effort.
My approach is to tackle these problems first in module 2. (Module 1 is usually easy enough and my brain is fresh enough to move linearly.) By tackling the tough passage questions first in Module 2, we burn through the cognitive fuel early, then coast through the easier grammar, transition, bullet points, and vocab questions.
This way, you put your best foot forward on these questions, and if you find one that's tricky, you can save it and come back to it at the end. Familiarity usually helps when doing review.
Most of my students are already practicing this strategy. If you're not, I recommend giving it a try with a practice test this week before the SAT on Saturday!
Upcoming SAT Dates & Deadlines 📅
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline* |
|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2025 | February 21, 2025 | February 25, 2025 |
| May 3, 2025 | April 18, 2025 | April 22, 2025 |
| June 7, 2025 | May 22, 2025 | May 27, 2025 |
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice/practice-tests/paper
🚀 Know someone who wants to take his/her SAT prep to the next level? 🚀
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Schedule a free consultation today!
Stay motivated and keep pushing forward! We're here to support you every step of the way.
Here's to a favorable curve,
Mr. John
