Wilson Prep Blog

Adapted from The Zen of the SAT by Susan Fine A few years ago, I read an interesting book called The Zen of the SAT, by Susan Fine. In this book, the author presents the five characteristics of supportive parents, an excellent set of guidelines for parents hoping to lessen their children’s stress throughout the SAT process and… Read more »

Everyone needs a pick-me-up during the reading sections of the SAT and ACT. Your child shouldn’t be slugging back a Red Bull during the test, though. That’s overkill, and he or she will waste time going to the bathroom for the remainder of the test. Rather, get out of the “fog” by popping in a… Read more »

I don’t know about you, but it is not often that I see someone walking down the street wearing two hats. Yet, metaphorically, students often wear two hats when they address the English section of the ACT. And, as we know, wearing two hats is a fashion no-no! There are two types of questions in… Read more »

Do not show up to the SAT or ACT with a mechanical pencil, and definitely do not show up with a bad eraser! Every year I yell and scream these Do Nots and every year students don’t listen and there are tears! Therefore, this year I am putting these Do Nots in writing. Here’s what you need to know… Read more »

As I watch my husband and sons prepare to attend Monday night football, I am reminded that the sentence completion section of the SAT is like a football game: to win, you must go on the offensive. Too many students make the mistake of passively “listening” to how each possible word choice sounds in the… Read more »

This week Time magazine published its annual 100 Most Influential People, and I practiced my yearly ritual of reading it thoroughly, taking notes as I read. Why did I do this? Because bringing in current events is the key to getting a strong SAT essay score. History, literature, sports and personal examples all provide powerful… Read more »