What is different about SAT Boot Camp?
We started this class as an alternative to the big test-prep companies, whose one-size-fits-all classes are not all that effective for most students. Our goal is to challenge students to master the important SAT concepts while providing a small, supportive environment where we can focus on each student's strengths and weaknesses and give plenty of individualized help.
In addition to four days of SAT prep, we give detailed, personalized advice in one-on-one sessions with each student on putting together a strong college application. Drawing on our personal experiences of successfully applying to top colleges, we guide students through the entire college admissions time line, from finding summer internships and asking for teacher recommendations to polishing college essays and preparing for interviews. After the course is over, we keep in touch with students and parents, answering questions and revising essays when it comes time to apply to colleges.
We believe one of our most important traits is our ability to relate to high school students -- to give our students the one-on-one instruction they need and motivate them to work very hard to improve their scores. In addition, we hope our personal experiences of applying to colleges (in the not-so-distant past) can provide guidance to other students and parents in the middle of this stressful process.
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What is your curriculum?
Our curriculum provides a comprehensive review of the most important math, verbal, and grammar concepts on the SAT. In addition, we teach students successful test strategies, such as how to pace the test, how to eliminate wrong answer choices, and when to guess. We also teach over 200 vocabulary words that frequently appear on the test.
We give two test sections in each class and two for homework each night. These tests build on our instruction, help students get a sense of pacing, and reinforce successful test strategies. Since we have two teachers working with a small class, we correct these tests one-on-one with each student, which allows us to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and make sure that each student understands every problem.
To guide students through the college admissions process, we give interactive presentations on writing college essays and resumes and preparing for interviews. We schedule hour-long one-on-one sessions with each student, during which we talk about the college admissions process, colleges possibly to apply to, accomplishments to stress in the application, and any college-related questions the student or parents may have.
When should I take this course?
Our class is mainly geared towards high school students taking the SAT in the coming months. Our class provides a rigorous, comprehensive review of all the material on the test, so that students are prepared to take the SATs in the near future.
We think it’s generally a good idea for students to start SAT preparation the summer before junior year. Why? Students usually take the PSAT (important for National Merit Scholarships) in the fall of junior year and then the SAT in the winter or spring of junior year.
We've seen from experience that students who study extensively for the SAT consistently out-perform those who are less familiar with the test. It’s important to start studying early, in addition to knowing what to study and how to study. In the past, we've even had freshmen and sophomores who take the class to jump start their long-term preparation.
