1. Teacher: Justin Van Wely E-mail: prowessprep@gmail.com Phone: 518.364.7908 WELCOME TO PROWESS’S PERFECT SCORE SAT PREP CLASS

2. A Message From Space?

3. Why are we here? Not the ages-old existential question…

4. You want to paint the best self-portrait We want you to get an edge The test is here to give you a fair assessment

5. Grades alone aren’t fair: Different curriculums o Percentage of APs, etc. Biased teachers o May like or not like you Uneven weighting o Not every school does it the same Special Circumstances o Poor attendance due to illness, home schooled

6. What will colleges look at? College Readiness & Course Placement 1/6 of your application o with GPA, essay, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and challenge of course load o Carries same weight as GPA but easier to fix quickly Your Report o Superscore (more on that in a bit), Percentile, & Essay Score How these things combined show your potential at the next level

7. Expectations From ProwessFrom you Expert advice Great material Dynamic lessons Individual attention even in a group setting A commitment to helping you succeed Commitment & trust Come prepared & on time Do the work Seek help if you need it Have fun constructively

8. Expectations From Prowess Expert advice Great material Dynamic lessons Individual attention even in a group setting A commitment to helping you succeed 99 th %, years of experience in teaching and tutoring Tests made by the makers Fun lessons, POD, group exercises, games Personalized assessments You have my number. call or text me any time Turn to page vi in the course book

9. Expectations From you Want it. Be open to new ways. Always bring your text, calculator, notebook, & pencil. Homework after each session. Problem sets in class. Tests on weekends. Safe env’t. same Qs show up on test day. Don’t hate it. Don’t be a distraction. Commitment & trust Come prepared & on time Do the work Seek help if you need it Have fun constructively Turn to page vii in the course book

10. Your tools for this course: The Course Text o “The Official SAT Study Guide (for March 2016 & later)” Workbooks Real Full-length Practice Tests o Typically held at our offices on the weekends. You will need your book for these. Score Reports o Personalized assessment tools Other 7-session SAT Courses o Review, make-up, or a new perspective. Ask us about how to register for that. The website: www.prowesstestprep.com o Student materials, password = ‘prowess-sat’ o “7-session course” o Copies of lessons (PPT), handouts (if lost one or didn’t get one), homework assignments & answer keys o Additional downloadable materials Turn to page x in the course book

11. Khan Academy A non-profit organization in partnership with the College Board to help you prepare for the exam. Khanacademy.org You will need a facebook or gmail account to login. Modules, videos, practice sets, and full tests. But no strategy.

12. What to do if you miss a class? Several Options… o 1. Get the notes from a fellow student… o 2. Find the notes on the website and attempt to complete the homework using just these… o 3. Make up that session at a different 7- session SAT course… o 4. Grab a few hours of 1-on-1 tutoring. Turn to page x in the course book

13. We are ready to begin…but first A game!

14. MYTH OR FACT? The SAT stands for Scholastic Achievement Test.

15. MYTH ! It doesn’t stand for Stress and Anxiety Test either. It doesn’t stand for anything.

16. MYTH OR FACT? Having a strong vocab is important for achieving the maximum score on this test.

17. MYTH ! The SAT is not a vocab test. Esoteric words don’t show up.

18. MYTH OR FACT? It is crucial to know your way around a calculator for the math section of this test.

19. MYTH ! You are not allowed to use a calculator for 1/3 of the math portion. You won’t need one for the other 2/3.

20. MYTH OR FACT? The SAT is put together by a bunch of castle-dwelling ogres who prey on the dreams of the college hopeful.

21. MYTH ! But not that far off…ETS does live in a castle-like compound in Princeton N.J. Despite what you may hear, CB actually wants to see you succeed.

22. MYTH OR FACT? If you are not a good test taker, it will be very hard to do well on this test.

23. FACT ! At least we think so…which is why we are going to teach you to how to be good.

24. The 6-Tiered Approach to achieving success on the SAT: 1 – get to know the test 2 – learn B.T.S. (basic test-taking strategy) 3 – learn format-specific methodology 4 – learn the content 5 – learn advanced strategy 6 – gain consistency through practice Let’s turn to page 6 in our blue books Turn to page xvi in the course book

25. The 6-Tiered Approach to achieving success on the SAT: 1 – get to know the test √ 2 – learn B.T.S. (basic test-taking strategy) 3 – learn format-specific methodology 4 – learn the content 5 – learn advanced strategy 6 – gain consistency through practice

26. C – confidence O – organization M – Methodical P – Pace well L – Learn from mistakes E – Efficient T – Think like a test maker E - Engaged Ok, how does one become a “good” test taker? Turn to page xiv in the course book

27. The 6-Tiered Approach to achieving success on the SAT: 1 – get to know the test √ 2 – learn B.T.S. (basic test-taking strategy) √ 3 – learn format-specific methodology 4 – learn the content 5 – learn advanced strategy 6 – gain consistency through practice