Don't Out Think The SAT

Student after student with extremely high G.P.A.'s seem to have difficulty on one or more parts of the SAT. Why? Many times they are too smart for the test. Their common mistakes include:

• Answering math questions too quickly, thus making careless, sloppy mistakes
• Misreading questions and falling for the sucker answers
• Bringing outside knowledge of a topic into the test
• Thinking every question is a trick question with trick answers

My advice to very bright students--no body is out to get you except you! Slow down, breathe, and relax. Do not attempt to answer a question until it is fully understood.

The SAT as a Predictor of Success in College

According to a recent study, a student's performance on the SAT has a correlation rate of 67% with that student's ultimate college G.P.A. This is in sharp contrast to the 40% correlation rate previously thought. For more on this, please read this recent Newsweek article here: http://tr.im/zeTt

Solving A Hard SAT Math Problem

One of the more difficult math problems in the Official SAT Study Guide 2nd Edition is on page 527 # 8

The Question:
(x-8)(x-k) = x²-5kx + m
In the question above, k and m are constants. If the equation is true for all values of x, what is the value of m?

The Solution:
Step 1 FOIL the left side so that x² -8x + 8k – kx = x² - 5kx + m
Step 2 add kx to both sides so x² -8x + 8k = x² -4kx + m
Step 3 subtract x² from both sides so -8x + 8K = -4kx + m
Step 4 we know that -8x must equal – 4kx so solve for k as follows:
Divide both sides by x so -8 = -4k; k=2
Step 5 we also know that 8k = m; so 8 (2) = 16; choice B

Characteristics of Effective Tutors

How do you know the tutor you hired is effective? First off, chemistry between tutor and student is important. Both must feel comfortable with each other. As the sessions progress, the tutor does less and less, and the student does more and more. I call this the 70/30 rule--in the early stages, I usually am doing 70% of the problem solving on the board, but by our 5th meeting or so, this trend should be reversed--the student should be taking the initiative, holding the pen, working things out while I try and coax the thought process along. My job is done when the student is ready to teach me a thing or two!

How A Tutor Can Help

Why hire a private tutor? There are several reasons:

• tutors set up personalized schedules for the busy student
• tutors set up personalized lesson plans which focus on specific weaknesses
• one on one lessons are without distractions inherent with a large class
• there is direct communication between student and teacher in a private setting
• in between lessons tutors are accessible via email or telephone
• students receive immediate feedback from the tutor

In my next post, I will explain how a parent or student will know the tutor he or she has hired is effective.