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.
