Testive: Jessica Swanson

Meet Jessica, a junior in high school. She is currently taking a full course load, including three AP classes (Chemistry, U.S. History and English Language), plays three sports (cross country, ice hockey, and track) and is a member of the chemistry club at her high school. Through all this, she maintains good grades and is looking to attend Amherst College next year.

With this schedule, Jessica had a hard time fitting in SAT prep. That was when she turned to Testive.

How did your SAT scores change over time?

I received a baseline score of 1980 when I took the PSAT in 10th grade. My first time taking the SAT I got a 2260. So Testive raised my score throughout the time I used it. My goal on Testive was a 2250, but I eventually was able to see my score jump 280 points.

What about Testive helped you increase your score so much?

When my parents and I were first looking at SAT prep, I knew that I didn't really want to have to go to a class where I would have to sit in a room with a lot of other students. I wanted to do an independent study and I also needed something that was going to fit around my schedule. That’s exactly what Testive was. I was able to make my own schedule with my tutor.

I also liked how Testive teaches you to analyze what you get wrong on each question and then go back and review your own notes on the questions. Even the night before I took the SAT, I went through some of the notes I had written for myself. It was really helpful for me to go back and see my own work.

What relationship did you have with your coach?

He was a lot of help, especially in the beginning. He gave me an idea of how I should be using the program and then once I got started, we didn't need to talk every week because I was okay. I didn't really need extra help on anything. But he did help me with the essays. I wrote a couple sample essays and he gave me a lot of thorough notes and feedback. And right before I took the SAT, he really helped me think about tips for taking the actual test, and what to do the night before.

He also told me to bring a piece of paper outlining the things I needed to remember on the day of the SAT, like different techniques that I learned and different ways to help me focus when taking the test.

Would you recommend Testive to a friend?

I have two friends who have started using Testive per my recommendation. One of them took the SATs and wasn't really happy with his score, so he started Testive and my other friend has been using Testive to prep for her next SAT.

The best part [about Testive] was the flexibility of it. You get to make your own schedule. Because they're both really busy people they wanted, not necessarily the easiest way to go about it, but the most convenient. Another benefit of Testive’s method was trial and error. It wasn't so much learning the techniques and applying them, but learning from your own mistakes.

What role did your parents play during your test prep?

I tried to stay on top of my schedule, so they didn’t have to nag me about getting it done. They more so wanted to make sure Testive was working for me. They stayed engaged with it to ensure it was the right fit for me. I think they liked it because it wasn't a stressful experience. I think they really liked that I was able to have that opportunity and such a flexible program.

What would you tell students who think the SAT is important, but don't have time to study?

Trying to manage schoolwork and the SATs can be hard, but you have to be able to balance both. Taking the time to answer even 10 questions a day on Testive is not that time-consuming and it's worth it because you want all the hard work you're doing in school to pay off. You don't want the SATs to be the thing preventing you from getting accepted to your #1 school. So I tried my best to put my full effort into it and just gave everything I had into studying.

I think Testive is such a great program because it really brings down that stress level brought on by junior year and SATs. Testive allows you to go into the test thinking you can conquer it, and it prevents you from feeling unprepared. It was a great experience for me.