So You Want To Ace That Exam/Course/Project?

Spend a bit of time planning then get to work

I have never actually taken the LSAT. Yet, people pay me to help them improve their performance on the LSAT, amongst other exams.

Not to brag, but I did well enough on the SAT, GRE, and MCAT that I got into 100% of the universities, graduate programs, and medical schools that I applied to (and yes, I applied to at least one in each group). I test very well. I look good on paper. I write kick-butt admission essays.

All of these are skills that can be taught and practiced, by the way.

Actually, most standardized tests are computerized by now. Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

So, how do I have the guts to tutor a test I’ve never taken? Probably the same way I wore Mardi Gras beads to my MCAT administration to remind me to not stress out. Most standardized tests today are more about learning to test well, and less about your inherent brilliance.

(Don’t get me started on IQ tests, and the people who define themselves by their high IQ. Great, you’re good at taking IQ tests. What practical skills do you have?)

So. What correlates with a good SAT score? Wealth. Whiteness. Whether your parents went to college or beyond. Lack of severe exam anxiety. Quality of K-12 education, especially high school. Time spent prepping specifically for the PSAT or SAT. In fact…