I just got off the phone with an overwhelmed parent.

As I’m writing this, it’s August 24. She signed up her son to take the ACT on September 11. She was calling back to cancel his lesson. He was so busy with other school work that he wouldn’t be able to see me until the weekend.

And he had just started with tutoring!

You can probably see what a mistake that is. It’s alwasy easier to see when it’s somebody else. But while this might be an extreme case, it’s an all too common situation.

The first semester of senior year, and the last couple weeks of the summer leading up to it, are an incredibly busy time. There’s sports practice, summer assigments, a heavier and more difficult course load, homework, tests, your last chance to take the SAT or ACT, campus visits, college applications, admissions essays, and often a job.

With so much to do, it’s no wonder that students and their parents often feel overwhelmed!

So what do you do about it? You prioritize.

We all do, all the time. Some things are more important, so we do them first. We’ll get to the other stuff later if we can.

So what’s the problem?

Most people don’t prioritize SAT prep. That’s a huge mistake!

I understand why people make it, though:

• There are no immediate consequences to not making SAT prep a higher priority.
• The SAT is still weeks away.
• Getting your score is even further away.
• Nobody will be angry with you if you don’t get a better SAT or ACT score, except you.
• There’s no absolute guarantee that a higher score will get you into the college of your choice.
• Many other things on the list are happening now, and you’ll immediately feel the negative consequences of dropping the ball.
• If you don’t do your homework, or don’t go to practice, or don’t hand in your homework, or fail your math test, someone else will be upset with you, you’ll have to deal with that right away, and you’d rather not have that unpleasantness.
• And finally, if you’re a parent reading this, you have to deal with your son or daughter complaining that they don’t have time for SAT prep!

It’s OK. I really do understand.

As human beings, we’re all designed to value things that will happen sooner more than those that happen later. And we’re all designed to value avoiding painful consequences more than the possiblity of making something good happen.

But when you put off SAT or ACT prep and assign it a lower priority than all of the other, more immediate things on your plate, it’s like having to be somewhere at 2 PM, knowing it takes an hour to get there, still being home at 1:30, and convincing yourself that, technically, you’re not late yet.

Guess what. If I’ve just described you, you’re going to be late.

Here are some reasons why you should make SAT or ACT prep your top priority:

• Getting a higher SAT or ACT score is the single most important thing you can do at this point in time to increase your chances of getting in to the college of your choice.
• Your SAT or ACT score, which most students take only twice, is as important to your chances of getting in to college as all of your high school grades combined.
• A score increase of even 100 points can make a HUGE difference in your chance of admission to the college of your choice.
• The combination of a motivated student and a skilled tutor can easily result in a 100 to 300 point SAT score increase (and a 2 to 6 point ACT score increase) in a short period of time.
• It gives you the biggest return on your investment of time and money.
• This means it’s FAR more important to do SAT or ACT prep than any single piece of homework.
• And far more important than your college applications, which can wait until you’ve taken these tests.
• I won’t even mention how much more important it is than any one sports practice.

Take a minute and convince yourself of the truth of what I’m sharing with you.

When you become certain of your priorities, suddenly everything else seems less overwhelming. And it becomes much easier to stand your ground with a teacher, a coach, a boss, or a college counselor who tells you otherwise.

I read something today by a 1st Grade teacher that was so powerful and so moving that I have to share it with you:

When I have a student standing in the middle of the room arms crossed with his eyes welling up with tears because we are about to do a simple writing activity but all of his previous experience of reading and writing has been full of frustration, disappointment and pain, then all the degrees and expertise (that I have) don’t mean a thing!

That’s why I even though I’ve taught at universities, I make sure that I know my students (interests, needs, desires, frustrations) and the language I need to use to communicate that I can help them. Because (all of the knowledge and techniques) are lost on the people who need it most unless you can connect in a way they understand. And taking those extra steps to ensure that your audience can both appreciate and apply what you have to offer shows that you truly care, and makes all the difference in the world.

The only difference between that kid in the first grade having trouble with a simple writing activity, and a high school junior who hasn’t yet been able to do his best on the SAT or ACT is that the older student’s eyes no longer well up with tears when other people are watching.

That’s why doing your best on the SAT isn’t about knowing a little more math, or knowing when to skip a question and when to guess.

Can you really improve your SAT score by a large amount? It’s a controversial question.

The answer is yes, but let me state the other side first.

It seems that last year’s controversy about SAT Score Improvement has reared it’s head again.

A widely distributed AP story once again insinuates that it’s not really possible for a student to significantly raise his SAT score.

It quotes Kathleen Steinberg, College Board, which administers the SAT, as stating that, “on average, students who take the SAT twice only increase their scores by about 30 points.”

(The College Board has a vested interest in believing that, though. If someone can readily improve her SAT score, it strongly counters their argument that the SAT is a fixed measure of a student’s ability to do college level work and worthiness of being admitted to a particular school.)

I don’t dispute that most kids don’t significantly raise their scores. What I dispute is the insinuation that most kids can’t.

Most students can raise their score about 300 points from their baseline PSAT score; some students can raise it much higher than that.
(I’ve also written about this here, here, and here.)

So why does the test prep industry fail so often?

Because while many people can “teach”, very few can help students learn.

Take a moment to let that sink in. It’s a big claim. And it’s not only true in test prep, by the way. It’s true in all of education.

Anyone who’s ever been in a classroom knows that it’s one thing to be able to “teach” material, and a whole other thing to be able to help people to learn it.

That’s the difference between the “outer game” of education, and the “inner game”.

In the world of SAT prep, the outer game is understanding the material on the test and the test taking techniques, and improving your critical thinking skills.

The inner game is all about believing in yourself, maintaining your focus, staying positive rather than getting discouraged while you study and prepare, and eliminating anxiety while taking the test.

The inner game is where the huge score increases come from.

Most tutors can’t help you with it. They might understand the material and the test taking techniques, but they don’t understand their students.

If you have big goals and you’re highly motivated to reach them, go ahead and contact me. Chances are I can help you to achieve them.

It’s finally arrived. Decision day.

You did all your hard work long ago, or so it seems. Taking the SAT, all of that tutoring, even your tutor’s name, probably seems like ancient history.

It’s now been months since you sent in your college applications, months of nervous anticipation.

Some of you know already where you’ve been accepted. And rejected. Many colleges let you know already.

But now it’s about to be completely finished. I believe that every college and university in the country let’s you know by tomorrow, April 1.

It came upon me suddenly, because here in Los Angeles, we don’t really have seasons, so I hardly know it’s spring. A little voice in my head must’ve let me know it’s time, because I just checked my alma mater, Brown University, and learned that if you applied there, you can go online tomorrow afternoon at 5 PM and learn your fate.

Online!

Back in my day, we had to wait for the mail. You didn’t even have to open it, because you knew the answer by whether the envelope was fat or skinny. A big fat envelope meant you got in, and a skinny one meant you didn’t.

I’m nervous for all of my students. Some will be elated and some crushed, and for a moment I’ll feel the same as they let me know how it went for them.

Here’s the part about keeping it all in perspective:

After a certain point in life, nobody asks where you went to school, just like nobody cares what you got on your SAT or what your high school grades were.

They just want to know what you’ve done since, and what you’re like as a person.

You can’t control everything that happens to you, you can only control how you respond to it.

If you’ve been accepted to the college or university of your dreams, congratulations!

If you didn’t get accepted to the college of your choice, know that acceptance rates have been dropping for several years and that it’s no reflection on you.

No matter where you go to school, you’re going to make lifelong friends, grow enormously, have more fun than you can imagine, and emerge a very different person from the one you are now.

You might not be able to picture it now, but it’s going to be awesome. All of it.

So let me amend what I just wrote.

No matter what happens today, congratulations!

You’ve worked hard. You’ve done the best that you could. And no matter where you decide to go, you’ll soon be starting your next great adventure.

P.S. If you’re interested, check out this column by Susan Estrich that inspired me to write mine.

Did you catch President Obama’s speech to students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA?

If you get a chance, watch the video or read the transcript.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny that President Obama is an excellent speaker and motivator, and his speech writers equally skilled.

He basically said that students have to take personal responsibility for their education, set goals, persevere through the inevitable failures and setbacks that occur on the road to success, and continue to believe in themselves and their abilities.

I think this message is so important for students who are preparing for the SAT that I want to share some excerpts with you here.

“I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility… I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility… I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility…

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities…

That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education…

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country…

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems…

At the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude…  That’s no excuse for not trying.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book… Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

You won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try. That’s OK.  Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, ‘I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time… If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work… You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself.”

He might not have meant to, but President Obama gave the recipe for success on the SAT. It’s the inner game mindset for scoring much higher than you ever thought possible.

It’s in fact a recipe for success in life, a good reminder to us all.

Have you ever seen the website, PostSecret?

It’s a fascinating site. People write a secret on a postcard and send it in anonymously. They select the ones they like and post them. It’s an art project.

Recently, one secret in particular stuck in my mind.

“I’m afraid of losing all my weight. What if I do and men still don’t like me? Then I’ll have no excuse.”

Wow. I’m sure we can all empathize and relate to the pain she’s feeling. But it’s obvious to us, isn’t it, that she should just go ahead and lose the weight. Objectively, there’s no downside.

It’s so easy to see when it’s somebody else.

I come across a related situation in my work, though it’s never said out loud.

“I know if I don’t put my full effort into studying for the SAT I won’t get my target score, yet if I study hard I’m still not guaranteed to reach my goal. So why bother? At least this way I won’t be disappointed.”

It’s pretty clear what he should do, right?

That’s because we’re on the outside. We can objectively see the situation for what it is. The student who feels that way, though, is experiencing real, powerful emotions.

It’s not only my students, though.

Nobody likes to see those we love getting hurt. When someone we care about takes a risk and exerts a great effort, we feel it, too, if it doesn’t work out.

I’ve even had a college counselors at an exclusive private high school say to me once, “I hate when an SAT tutor sets a high goal for a kid because they get so disappointed if they don’t reach it.”

Just something to think about as school starts and the first SAT date of the fall is 5 weeks away.

Do you want to know how to increase your SAT Math score without learning any more math than you already know?

Do you think it’s possible?

Before I start, I want to be clear that I think if you’re taking the SAT and you don’t already know how to answer all the math questions correctly, you should learn as many SAT math concepts as you can in the time you have to prepare.

There’s a limit to how high your score can go if you don’t know the handful of basic math concepts that that SAT is testing for. That’s why when I tutor a student one on one, I always make sure she’s learning the math.

If you don’t know how to do a math problem, you can’t get it right. On the other hand, if you do know how to do the problem, you can certainly still get it wrong.

Which leads us to this:

The way to improve your SAT Math score without learning any more math is to answer correctly every single question that you know how to do.

Eliminate the “careless mistakes.”

It’s a simple and obvious answer, but I’ll bet that the overwhelming majority of students who take the SAT are getting several, if not many, questions wrong on the Math section when they know perfectly well how to do the problem.

Now you might say, “Well, if it happens to everyone, it’s not a big deal.”

You’d be right, too, for a lot of things. But not for the SAT, not when your chances of admission to the college of your choice are riding on your score.

Because the SAT Math section is so steeply curved, when you get a few extra questions wrong, it’s killing your score.

If you’re great at math, and you know to do all the questions right, and you do get them all right except for 3 that you just made a little mistake on, your score could drop from an 800 all the way to a 730.

If you’re an average math student, 3 extra questions wrong that you really knew how to do could drop your score from a 600 to a 560.

The worst thing about it is that I bet a lot of people would be happy if they made only 3 careless errors out of the 54 questions on the Math section. A lot of people make more than that.

Talk about frustrating.

So what can you do about it?

The first thing is to stop thinking of them as careless mistakes. The issue isn’t carelessness, it’s focus.

What’s really went on is that you lost your focus for a moment. That’s good news, because focus is a lot easier to correct than “carelessness”.

I’ll tell you how to do it soon.

In the meantime, watch my recent student Jeremy talk about how learning to focus helped him dramatically raise his score.

Can studying for the SAT enrich a student’s life, rather than be a necessary evil that must be endured?

If you’re going to invest a lot of time and money in SAT prep, the most important result you want to get is a high score. If you hire a tutor, you want the biggest score increase you can get, and you want the best score possible.

Of course you do, because when it comes to getting in to college, your SAT score counts for about 40% of the admissions process.

But when you’re all finished, when you’ve achieved your goal, I think you’d want to say of the experience, “I loved it.”

You don’t hear that too much. I don’t think you hear a lot of kids say, “I loved studying for the SATs. My tutor knew just how to coach me through the process so I not only got a great score but I also loved doing it.”

So how does that work?

I recently interviewed Samantha, one of my former students. The quote is from her, so I’ll let her tell you in her own words:

• “There was an element that was so personal… I think you got to know me really well and knew what I would take best, that way to get to my head and get things through my brain.”

• “Definitely having the confidence to know that I was going to do well. It just made it easier to perform because you said, you can do this so I just kind of did it.”

• “A large part of my learning process was to just be relaxed and attentive because I just kind of go all over the place in normal every day stuff.”

• “To be completely focused, because that was something that you definitely helped me with. To be completely focused on taking the test, answering the questions, one by one, kind of ruminating over them and just deciding and being done with it. I think that that was something I learned and helped me be more successful on the test.”

• “I think this is a more broad range of teaching, broader way of teaching the subject material… It was sort of a collaborative effort of learning exactly what was going to be on the test, also ways to approach the test, and mentality to have while taking the test, which all worked in conjunction to get me my score.”

• “I really think that visualization helped, and really for me it helped knowing that I could do it. And just concentrating on one thing at once.”

• “I think that you helped me with not just taking the SAT but relaxing in what I do and taking the approach that not necessarily takes less effort but is easiest for me and most conducive to learning without stress. Because I didn’t find myself being very stressed out. It was a way more easy going process than I would have imagined.”

• “When I went into it to the SAT… I knew exactly what was going to be on it because we’d done so many practices that I was comfortable with it. There was nothing foreign or unexpected.”

• “I loved it.  And it’s true, I learned life lessons through the process of SAT tutoring, which was unexpected.”

That is so awesome. I love my students.

You can watch the video here.

Getting a better score on the SAT is mostly about attitude.

That’s according to my recent student Kayla. She raised her score 320 points, and if you watch the video, she tells you straight out.

Here’s her mom’s take on it.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty cool coming from a girl who’s not yet 17 years old. It didn’t surprise me that her mom talked about it in my interview with her, but I had no idea what Kayla would say, and I have to say it was a little unexpected.

Not because it isn’t true. It is. We all know that a positive mental attitude is essential for success. Most of us have been told many times that we have to improve our attitude. Not only have we heard it from our own parents and teachers and bosses, but there must also be hundreds of books and CD’s and seminars that tell people the same thing.

So if everybody knows this, why is a positive attitude so hard to come by? If we could just take a positive pill every morning and have a positive attitude all day, I think everybody would do it. Unfortunately there is no pill, so what do we do instead?

Here’s the key. Attitudes come from our expectations. If we we expect something bad to happen, we tend to have a negative attitude. If we expect something good, we tend to have a positive attitude.

So a student’s attitude toward the SAT, and therefore studying for it, is directly related to whether he expects his efforts to pay off.

That’s where I come in. My expectations of my students’ success is just as important as their expectations of themselves. In fact, I’m able to successfully transfer my expectations to them because I’m able to relate to them in such a way that they believe me when I tell them that they’re going to do well.

The key is to quickly determine a student’s potential and take him through a process where he can experience it for himself. Then it’s just a matter of working with him until he achieves it, which is easy when he has a positive attitude.

Have you thought about what it’s like to study for a super stressful, make or break test like the SAT from a student’s perspective?

Imagine that you had to do karaoke in front of a room full of strangers. If you’re like most people, it’s a pretty scary thought. Especially if you think you’re a bad singer.

Now what if you had to do it well? What if how well you sang a karaoke song was going to determine whether you got a promotion at work that you really wanted? What if you thought your husband or wife was going to love you less if you got up there on that stage and really stank?

To make matters worse, imagine that you’re pretty sure you’re going to stink. You just know you can’t sing, because you’ve tried it a few times in the past and you’ve been horrible.

That’s what it’s like for a lot of kids who have to take the SAT (and the ACT, and other tests to get into college). There’s a lot of pressure, and they think that they’re not going to get the score that they want or need.

Why do they think that? They believe they have evidence, and they become convinced. After years of being in school, they just “know” that they aren’t good at math, or they don’t understand what they read, or they’re bad at standardized tests, or whatever.

It’s the same way you’d “know” you won’t pass your karaoke test. Maybe someone laughed at you when you were a kid and you tried to sing. You’ve heard good singing, you know you don’t measure up, and you’re self conscious about it.

It’s really hard to learn that way. If you can’t break out of those bad feelings, it’s almost impossible to reach your potential and do your best.

If you had to do the karaoke test, you might try to practice a few times. Record yourself, listen to it. Compared to what you think you should sound like, it would be hard to recognize the small improvements you might make.

It would probably get harder and harder to make yourself practice for that performance. Even if you had a singing teacher, it’s still embarrassing to stink in front of him. Why try hard if you’re not going to succeed anyway. It’ll hurt less that way.

Then you begin to convince yourself that it’s stupid to make you sing karaoke in the first place. You might convince yourself that you don’t really want the promotion anyway, or that the love of your husband or wife wasn’t really that important. Before you know it, the day has almost arrived and you’ve hardly done anything or gotten anywhere.

For a lot of kids, that’s the experience of studying for the SAT.

That’s why, if you want a really big increase in your SAT score, you need to find a tutor or coach who can help you with more than just what’s on the test.