As many of our students and other students around the country begin to receive their PSAT scores, we have put together a Q & A to help demystify the process. If you have questions that we don’t address here, feel free to reach out to Peak Performance Prep at peaksat@gmail.com! 1. How are the PSAT scores and National Merit Selection Index calculated? The PSAT reports a total score that is the sum of two sections: Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (160-760) and Math (160-760). Your total PSAT score can range from 320 to 1520. To determine your section scores, first look at your three test scores--Reading, Writing & Language, and Math. The score range for each test is 8-38. Calculate your Evidence-Based Reading & Writing section score by adding your Reading and Writing & Language test scores together and then multiplying by 10. Calculate your Math section score by multiplying your Math test score by 20. To determine your National Merit Selection Index ("Index"), add your three test scores together and then multiply by 2. This will give you an Index score in the 48-228 range. Here is an example... Paolo's three test scores are as follows: Reading-30, Writing & Language-25, and Math-32. His Evidence-Based Reading & Writing section score equals (30 + 25) x 10 = 550. His Math section score equals 32 x 20 = 640. Thus, his total PSAT score equals (550 + 640) = 1190. Paolo's Index score--which will be used to consider him for National Merit status (see questions below)--is (30 + 25 + 32) x 2 = 174. 2. Is my PSAT score good enough to earn me National Merit Commended or National Merit Semifinalist status? The benchmarks for Class of 2021 Commended and Semifinalist will not be published until September 2020, so you will need to wait until then to get an official answer. Unofficially, however, you can bank on the following estimates… •Semifinalist status (~ top 1%) varies by state. In Connecticut, the National Merit Selection Index (“Index”) threshold has been 220, 221, 222, and 221 for the classes of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. In New York, the Index has been 219, 221, 221, and 221 over these past four years. •Commended status (~ next 2-3% after the semifinalists) is uniform throughout the country. For the Class of 2021, the required Index will likely be 212. 3. What do my PSAT scores indicate about my potential on the SAT? The PSAT is scored out of 1520 and the SAT is scored out of 1600. Since the SAT is slightly more difficult, the College Board believes that a perfect score on the PSAT (1520) is the equivalent of an SAT score of 1520—not 1600. There are still “80 points worth” of more difficult material that a 1520 student will need to acquire or demonstrate in order to achieve a 1600 on the SAT. This all means that your PSAT should indicate the exact score you would have earned on the SAT had you taken it the next day. For example, a student who scored 1300 on the October PSAT would be expected to score 1300 on the October SAT. Keep in mind that by the time you received your PSAT scores in early December, you may have put forth a considerable amount of effort and improved your SAT trajectory. The PSAT is a snapshot of where you were in early October, and it is not intended to be predictive of your exact finishing point. 4. Do my PSAT scores reveal anything about my potential on the ACT? The PSAT does not give us as much information about what your ACT performance would have been in early October. The PSAT and ACT contain different sections, are scored on different scales, and require different approaches to time management. Nevertheless, the PSAT and ACT are both standardized tests. The skillset required to succeed on one overlaps significantly with the skillset needed to succeed on the other. At this point in the process—with much time left to address any weaknesses in your testing—we recommend taking a positive approach. Feel confident that a strong PSAT is a sign of good things to come on the ACT. And acknowledge that a “not-so-strong” PSAT does not have to mean a poor outcome on the ACT. Purposeful, consistent preparation can help you achieve your peak. 5. If I did really well on the PSAT and may be in line to be a National Merit Semifinalist, do I need to take the SAT rather than the ACT in order to potentially qualify as a National Merit Finalist? No, not anymore. In the past, the answer would have been ‘yes.’ Prior to last year, students who achieved Semifinalist status needed to take the SAT in order to “qualify” as finalists. But students now have the option to take either the SAT or ACT as their qualifying exam. This is good news. If you have performed in the top 1% on the PSAT but have been preparing for the ACT these past few months, you no longer need to take the SAT simply for the sake of trying to become a National Merit Finalist. More than seven months into Year 1 of our Hunt’s Point College Pathways Program at St. Ignatius School, we are thrilled by the dedication and growth of our students. With 17 classes and four practice exams under their belts, the students have enhanced their skills, grown more comfortable with the exam, and raised their baseline scores by an average of more than 140 points. Below, we hear from Genesis Rodriguez, a sophomore at Cristo Rey NY High School in East Harlem... It’s not always easy having to commit to things. At about this time last year, students from the Bronx, who attended middle school at St. Ignatius School in Hunts Point, were offered the opportunity to take SAT classes before they take the SAT exam during our junior year of high school. As high school students, we get carried away with the things we can do. After a long day of work or a long day of school we sometimes just want to go home. We want to go home and go straight to bed! But we know we must be responsible young adults who do things that benefit us in the future. Things that can help us be the greatest versions of ourselves. Coming from the Bronx, we’ve seen that the type of education some students get is not so great. If we can make a change in our families by going to school, thriving in school, and aiming to go to college, we are making a difference right there. We want to be sons and daughters who can provide for our families in the future. From Hispanic descent, we understand that not all our parents were able to finish high school or even afford to go to college. So, with this being said, I can say that we are very grateful to have the opportunity to enhance our SAT skills. Even if it means taking a 7am train tomorrow morning (on a Saturday!) to get to our next practice exam. Peak Performance Prep is excited to announce the launch of our College Pathways Program. Earlier this week, Peak co-founder Jared Small met with Mr. Luis Paez (far left in photo) of St. Ignatius School and seven high school sophomores, each a graduate of St. Ignatius who now attends high school in the New York City area. The purpose of this meeting was for Jared and the students to get to know each other before diving into the SAT prep course that will start after Thanksgiving. Gathered in a St. Ignatius classroom after school, the group projected a mixture of excitement and first-day butterflies as students embark on a multi-year program designed to prepare them for all facets of the college admissions process. While Peak has done a considerable amount of outreach with local communities in the past, this newest pro bono venture introduces at least two new concepts to the Peak approach: 1) a holistic program that will unfold across multiple years; and 2) a partnership with an already-proven team of committed educators and administrators from the St. Ignatius School. During the course of this preliminary meeting, Jared and the students introduced themselves and asked each other questions. Some were playful--"what’s your favorite comic book?"--and others more serious--"why did we each opt into this extensive and demanding program?" Members of the group discussed their impressions of higher education and the motivations underlying their desire to eventually attend college, which for some students in the room would mark the first time someone in their families would have the opportunity to do so. As sophomores, these students realize that college is still a bit far off. But nearly all acknowledged that starting the college prep process early will help them feel more confident and prepared. Additionally, the early start to this process allows Peak to extend the program over a three-year period and dissect the steps into discrete, manageable parts. During Year One, the students will focus on mastering the SAT and will get ready to take their first actual SAT in Summer 2019. Year Two will maintain the focus on test prep, while also incorporating resume building, application tips, and college visits. Year Three will mark the culmination of the program, and will hopefully see Peak--in partnership with Mr. Paez in his role as director of the St. Ignatius alumni education program--guide each of the seven students through the remaining portions of the college application process. Over the course of the next several months, Jared and the students will meet on Wednesday evenings in Hunts Point to dissect the 'ins' and 'outs' of the SAT. Throughout the winter and spring, the group will also gather in Westchester on Saturday mornings for timed practice exams that will help monitor progress. For all involved, the road ahead is an exciting one. It will certainly produce countless learning moments and memories for both teacher and students alike! Be sure to check back with this blog frequently for updates and student profiles from our College Pathways Program! Alumni Profile Series: Casi Lumbra
As she sips a cup of tea in the magnificent amphitheater at the Chao Center on the campus of Harvard Business School (HBS), Casi Lumbra reflects on the path she has traveled and the journey she is just embarking upon. A first-year student at HBS, Casi has a plan. It’s a plan born out of hard work, intellectual curiosity, and a penchant for traveling the world in the company of her friends and colleagues. After spending three years climbing the ladder as a consultant at Bain & Company in San Francisco, Casi is nearly halfway through a two-year hiatus from the job she loves to re-immerse herself in the world of academia. She spends her mornings acing cold-calls from the world’s most renowned business professors, afternoons preparing for the next day’s cases, and evenings socializing with the next generation of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs. But for Casi, the business school experience is about much more than what she experiences on campus. Two weeks ago, Casi trekked with 200 of her classmates to Colombia to dine with President Juan Manuel Santos. Over the next two months, Casi will spend a fortnight in South Africa working with a growing ed tech company, visit the “world’s most beautiful beach” in Mozambique upon the invitation of a classmate, and make her first trip to Israel alongside dozens of other HBS students. And she’s got a pretty cool summer internship in the works that can’t yet be broadcasted publicly! Long before her days studying mechanical engineering at Stanford or managing her HBS section’s budget as elected treasurer, Casi was a member of the Peak Performance Class of 2009. She set a high standard for her test preparation by attending nearly every practice exam we offered and rigorously studying vocabulary words in an era when esoteric words were often the bane of a high school student’s existence. The master of her own schedule, Casi arranged all of her lessons directly with her tutors. By taking ownership of the process, she set a remarkably high bar for herself. Not surprisingly, she achieved perfection on the exam. But Casi’s Peak Performance experience did not end when she attained a 2400. For the next two years, she worked at Peak as a data analyst, exam proctor, and associate tutor. Once Casi takes her final sip of tea, it’s back to study mode. Energized by the animated conversations and discourse that surround her, she decides to make the amphitheater her “study home” for the next two or three hours. Anyone who has known Casi since her high school days—which included a stint as an advisory board member for MTV’s ‘A Thin Line’ campaign to help teens stop the spread of digital abuse—knows that Casi is on a journey towards something special. When asked about the most important factors that allowed her to embark on a career path she loves, Casi doesn’t hesitate to mention Peak Performance and the skills she learned as a student and colleague. “So much of what I need to be successful today, I started learning in high school,” she says. “Quick, logical thinking is helping me navigate the HBS curriculum. Concise, persuasive communication helps make me an effective consultant.” Masters of the Sentence
Jared Small, Co-Founder and Director of Programming Common Core Standards encourage educators to help their students become more effective writers across a variety of disciplines. This is a worthy and important aspiration. But few of us would expect a student to conceptualize advanced algebra before he can add. And few would ask a student to speak fluent Spanish before she acquired a certain base vocabulary. By this same logic, we do our students a disservice when we assign them to master the art of composition before we have taught them to master the art of composing a sentence. At Peak, we specialize in teaching our students to become masters of the sentence. Our LAP Method (Learn-Apply-Practice) serves as a pedagogical bridge between the uniform expectations adopted by the Common Core, SAT, and ACT, and the less consistent commitment to teaching the fundamentals of grammar in many 21st century American classrooms. LAP encapsulates a three-phased approach to teaching grammar that enables students to become significantly more fluent writers and editors. Learn. Both the SAT and ACT test well-defined rules of grammar that have existed for decades, even centuries. We teach our students to identify subjects, verbs, and adjectives; to recognize fundamental parts of sentences; and to understand the difference between a colon and a semi-colon, a dependent clause and an independent clause. Before our students hone in on the questions that are specific to the SAT or ACT, they learn to speak and understand the language of grammar. Apply. Once a student acquires the requisite grammar base, she is ready to begin applying this content to exam-specific questions. Rather than following her hunch or letting her ear guide her, she reaches into her newly acquired rule-bank. Glancing at a clause that reads, “Each of the doctors have their own talents,” she is now able to recognize that the singular antecedent Each requires a singular possessive pronoun (his, her, or his or her) rather than the plural possessive pronoun their. Confronted with a clause that he may very well have heard countless times in his life—“I don’t like you talking to me like that”—he now applies the rule that the possessive form of you must precede the gerund talking. Thus, the sentence properly reads, “I don’t like your talking to me like that.” Our Director of Grammar Instruction, Terry McKeown, presents students with purposefully designed practice sets that allow students to apply these rules. Practice. Once our students learn the rules of grammar and begin to apply these rules to SAT- or ACT-specific questions, they then have ample opportunity to practice. By completing weekly practice sets and participating in our proctored practice exam series, our students continue their journey towards becoming masters of the sentence. At the same time, they become much better equipped to engage in higher-level writing and editing. To be clear, the Learn-Apply-Practice method is not a linear process. It is a continuous loop that requires both a diligent student and, in our case, a team of dedicated tutors. If, for example, a practice exam reveals that a student is not yet able to operationalize the rules he has learned about Subject-Verb agreement, we return to the ‘Learn’ phase to clarify the rule and to the ‘Apply’ phase to allow that rule to crystallize in the student’s mind. Once we circle back to the ‘Practice’ phase, we can again assess whether the student has mastered Subject-Verb agreement. Ultimately, all educators want their students to read, write, and think at the highest levels. At Peak, we use the LAP method to bridge the gap between the current state of grammar education and the aspirations for literacy that we have for all our students. Not only does this methodology equip our students to ace the grammar portions of their college entrance exams, but also it gives them the confidence and skill-set to undertake more ambitious academic endeavors. As masters of the sentence, Peak students score higher and climb farther. |