One of my current students is a very bright young woman. She has all the raw materials she needs to crush the SAT. Her problem, however, is that she is very impulsive when she takes the test. (Her impulsiveness usually results in a handful of extremely careless errors on any given practice test.)

In a conversation with the student and her mother after a recent session, I found myself asserting the following:

The SAT does not measure or reward potential; it measures and rewards execution.

This is why the SAT is particularly frustrating for teachers and parents. They see best the potential of their students and children; they also know that the SAT fails to measure such potential. Thus, one of my goals as a private tutor is to help students achieve their individual maximum scores, so that their scores more accurately reflect their academic potentials.

As you practice for the SAT, keep that in mind. Since your score will be based solely on how well you executed on a given Saturday morning (and not on your academic potential, in general) it is important to realize, through practice, as much of your academic potential as you can before test day. Good luck to all those taking the test on May 5th.

Sorry for the long delay in posting to the site. I always get very busy in the weeks right before an SAT test. Anyway, I did find the time last Friday to interview Don Betterton. We discussed junior year financial aid matters. I should be able to post the first video in a day or so.