Project Diary

Take 2: About the Perfect Score Project

Taking the next few days to update this site with current information. About Page and Graphs & Charts: check, check. Next up: FAQ, Tips, Resources, etc.

December 30, 2011

If you want to read the original, pre-journey, more innocent, less knowing, and probably more magical thinking "About Page" for this website, you can check it out via this link. But, I wrote that page in a very naive state of mind (i.e. before I took all SEVEN -- yes, 7) official SATs offered by the College Board over the course of 2011.

I'm a 46 year old mother of two teenagers, and this whole crazy journey started out as a cockamammie scheme to connect with my son. I thought maybe I could get him interested in this SAT thing if I climbed into the trenches. On that front, I totally scored (though he might never admit this to anyone other than me -- but we definitely bonded over the experience).

Bizarrely, I find the SAT "fun," as an adult. Go figure, especially given that I scored abysmally in high school. But, I'd always assumed that was because I didn't try very hard, way back when (circa 1982).

Anyway, my premise, last year, before I started taking the SAT, was that with a little bit of elbow grease, I could beat this thing once and for all -- and wouldn't that be a wonderful lesson for my kids: i.e. Watch this children!  Let mom show you what you can achieve with a little hard work! (Haha, she says now, contemplating the true meaning of "a little hard work.")

Well, it didn't turn out the way I'd planned -- at least not with the Math section, which incidentally remains my favorite of the three sections, despite my heartache over hardly improving after 10 months of joyful study. Honestly, I'm still recovering from the shock over my lack of math score improvement (not to mention the look of stun on my son's face when I told him that his mother didn't do it. Cringe.).

I did manage to improve my Critical Reading and Writing scores though: I got an 800 on the Writing section (once), and was in the 99th percentile for the Critical Reading section by the end of the year. So that's good, I suppose. But of course, the neurotic part of me is still obsessing over my math score.

You can view my scores here, in this lovely graph format, which, incidentally, is another skill I learned over the course of this project (i.e. chart and graph making).

Here's what I think, in an off-the-cuff, first impressions, barely said and done*, Monday morning quarterback kind of way:

I know way more math than I knew at the beginning of this project. Way. No question. What I learned was not reflected in my math score, and I think the reason is that I vastly underestimated the amount of "hard work" that would be required to achieve a great math score. Given that I hadn't learned a lick of math since about the 9th grade, and I hate to even admit this, but my "hard work" calculations were probably off by a few years.  Eeeeeeek.

So, if you're facing the SAT, learn from my experience!  It could take a lot more hard work than you might think.  I'd say, take what you imagine to be a very long time to study for the SAT (i.e six months?), and then add 40% to that amount of time.  Ok? Got it?

I probably should have added 400% to my own math improvement timeline.

The crazy thing is, I still believe I have a propensity for math (though I'm sure few of you will believe me after looking at my scores).  Not to mention, I loved the math section! They should have given me points for enthusiasm.

And the Reading and the Writing sections? I'd say that my experience shows that with a solid base of knowledge (I'm an avid reader and spent 20+ years in book publishing), great test prep can vastly improve your score. (Note that I said great test prep; not all test prep is created equal.) Without that solid base, no amount of test prep in the world will save you (refer to my math scores, and my joyful hours of studying SAT math, for proof of concept).

My other intention with this project was to share everything I discovered along the way, so that others could learn from my experience and hopefully spare themselves some of the wheel-spinning that's inevitable when there are 700,000 different options for "SAT Test Prep" to choose from listed in the Google machine.

I will to do my very best to highlight tips, resources, books, etc. on the righthand side of this website.

Ok, enough for now. I must stop with these postings immediately, so that I can write my book about this crazy journey -- and lord help me if didn't viscerally learn the most important lesson of the year: i.e. Everything -- and I mean EVERYTHING -- takes way way way longer than I think it will.

Good luck if you're taking the SAT, and Please Please Please write to me -- or comment or leave me a message somewhere, because all of your stories and comments and emails and advice and feedback over the year, truly moved me. There were a few really challenging days in 2011, where I can honestly say that the messages I received were my saving grace -- like little treasures.

And from me, I'll tell you everything I know. If you can't find what you need on this site,  email me!

Debbie

 

P.S. I put an asterisk by that "all said and done" line because the truth is, I'm not really "all said and done." It's more like, I'm on pause.

P.S.S. I posted videos about my SAT experience on YouTube, which I'll continue to try to do in these coming months.

P.S.S. Sometimes I share links and other non-post-length stuff on Facebook that I don't post here, so friend me up on Facebook if that's of interest to you.

P.S.S.S. And of course, I'm on Twitter, so connect with me there if that's where you get your information.

And alas, Google+.  You will find me there, but the sorry truth is that I haven't given it the full embrace yet.  I'm putting it on my list 2012 to-do list: bond with Google+.  For now, I basically post links there.  C'est tout.

 

All of the fabulous illustrations on this site are hand painted by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
18 Comments | posted December 30th, 2011
 

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All, Project Diary

December SAT Scores (aka, My Buddha)

I'd characterize yesterday as an epically bad day in my 46 years of life, and while the turmoil had nothing to do with the SAT, my December scores did not help.

Yes, I do realize (intellectually) that I should feel happy about my Reading and Writing scores; but honestly, that Math score feels crushing, like a bully.  Today, well, I'm trying to see it as my Buddha.

The worst part was telling my son. I swear to you, he looked at me with these big, wide, honest to god eyes of surprise, and said "really?" --  like he truly couldn't believe his mom didn't do it.  I think I'd actually convinced him that hard work pays off (that's what I thought!).

But he's a sweetie, and he quickly focused on my Reading and Writing scores, telling me how great they are, blah blah blah. In fact I got all sorts of encouraging emails from friends and family:

"I know it's hard to remember at times like these, but these scores are not a judgment. They're just numbers ..... You did your best and gave it your best shot.  That's what's most important -- the process, not the outcome .... Your scores are fantastic – you’re 40 points away from an 800 on CR – do you know how many parents would kill for that score?? The 730 on writing just puts you in your range."

They made me feel better, in a supported sort of way -- but deep inside I couldn't help feeling like a high school senior who just found out they didn't get into their first choice college, and everyone writes on their Facebook wall: "You're too good for them.... It wasn't meant to be..... There's a better school for you..."

And that's all true, but it still feels devastating.  At least it does for me.

At the end of the day yesterday, I received an email that truly did lift my spirits. It came from a high school senior whom I'd never met:

SAT scores came out today! How did you do? I hope you did well. I know you'll get a good score, and congrats on completing the project! What you did was very inspiring, especially for high school seniors. I just thought that I would let you know that you motivated me to study, and I went from a 1630 (520R 600M 510W) (junior year) to a 2300 (700R 800M 800W) (senior year).

I need to print that out and post it at eye level on my bulletin board.

I haven't fully processed how it's possible that I spent dozens and dozens of joyful hours studying SAT math over the course of 10 months, and hardly improved at all from where I started without knowing a thing last January.  My friend Catherine says it's one more piece of evidence that a solid curriculum is essential, and without that, no amount of SAT prep in the world is going to improve your score.

For all intents and purposes, I didn't learn a lick of math after 9th grade (until I began this project).  I'm thinking about taking a math class at my local community college -- and just starting from scratch.

I'm not done.  I have to pause in order to write a book right now, but I'm not done with the math.  I feel incomplete.

If there's anyone else out there feeling disappointed by their SAT scores, here's a quote that I have posted in a few places around my house that seems to help:

If you have the privilege of being with someone at the time of his or her death, you find the questions such a person asks are very simple:

  • "Did I love well?"  
  • "Did I live fully?"
  • "Did I learn to let go?"                                                      

                                 -- Jack Kornfield

 

 

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
61 Comments | posted December 23rd, 2011
 

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Project Diary

I’m Feeling Icarus

Why did I have to effuse in such an absurdly over the top manner the other day?

I'm pretty sure that's where my bad luck began.

Trust me when I say that the jubilation came to a screeching halt right after I tallied my scores from a full practice SAT the very next morning.

Not a pretty sight.  And humbling.

Please stop me if you ever see me doing that happy dance again.

This leads to a pile of melted feathers.

Anyway, 99.99% of the people who emailed after score day were of the extremely "supportive" variety (which made me feel so good.  So thank you).

"You're an inspiration to know that this can be conquered with some motivation and persistence."

"Congrats!!!!! 800 in verbal is awesome!! if only the SAT gods would be so merciful to me :O) "

"You are totally cracking me up! And making me a little less afraid to take the GRE." 

"OMG perfectscoreproject.....you're the coolest mom ever."

Even my own teenage daughter told me how proud she was of me.

But of course there had to be one email (from a tutor offering advice) that I never should have opened up right after scoring that 5 hour (punishing) practice SAT. And on a belly full of nothing more than a few chocolate fumes, I began to read this lengthy email:

She told me that I'm on the wrong track, that this test is "ridiculously easy," and that the kids at the top schools ("including her younger self") don't want to be in classes with kids who can't answer these questions.  "They are so basic," she said.  And then she added that the fact that I haven't been given a good math education shows up in my score, "and my writing."

Ow.

I perseverated for days. (And yes, I use this word a lot. I like it.)

And then I woke up this morning and thought to myself, you know, I'm standing by my opinion: This test is hard.  

Say what you will, but I urge you to give it a go yourself if you've got a kid coming up to bat in the next few years.  The College Board offers a free practice SAT on their website.  Take it all at once, and timed, so you can experience the full effect.

My friend Catherine, at Kitchen Table Math, has written a few posts recently about the difficulty of the SAT that are well worth the read.

One father wrote to me that his daughter, a high school junior, seemed to pick the math up very easily.  After a few weeks he made a judgement call not to spend their limited resources (i.e. time) on the math section, but rather focus on the reading and writing instead:

"Where most of the solutions to the SAT questions are rather simple and straight forward if you can get the "trick" to the question.  I mention all this because the math is somewhat of a gift in that the ones who have math "insight" can see the trick and quickly answer the question.  And getting a physics degree at Columbia doesn't necessary mean you have that gift. Part of what happened with my daughter is she started "seeing" the insights necessary to answer the questions."

I suspect he is right.  There is a degree of "gift" and "insight" that is beyond the scope of how well educated you are and how hard you've worked.  And different people have different gifts.

Anyway, enough about this from me for now.

Charts & Graphs have been updated to reflect the latest scores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
20 Comments | posted October 23rd, 2011
 

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Project Diary

All Children Are Capable of Greatness

Yes, I said all.  Actually the Kumon website said it:

At the heart of the Kumon Method is the belief that all children are capable of greatness.  With the help of their parents, family and friends, children can develop in ways that will humble and amaze you.

Kumon’s founder, Toru Kumon, believed every child has the potential to learn far beyond his or her parents’ expectation. “It’s our job as educators,” Kumon said, “Not to stuff knowledge into children as if they were merely empty boxes, but to encourage each child to want to learn, to enjoy learning and be capable of studying whatever he or she may need to or wish to in the future.” Children who learn through the Kumon Method not only acquire more knowledge, but also the ability to learn on their own.

But I believe it too (though I do wonder if this "Kumon belief" extends to middle aged adults, or if there's a point at which our brains calcify and aren't as "capable of greatness" as they once were).

Last week my friend Catherine and I visited the Kumon headquarters.

I bring back some Kumon lore:

  • Kumon started in 1954, when 2nd grader Takeshi Kumon came home from school with a crumpled up math test stuffed in his backpack.  I find it hilarious, by the way, that the "crumpled math test" is this universal experience that transcends continents and generations.
  • Today, there are 4.2 million children studying Kumon in 46 countries.

What about the "grown ups?" 

Turns out, there is an adult Kumon workbook, Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain, and it has sold millions of copies. From the introduction:

Through my research, I found that simple calculations could activate the brain more effectively than any other activity. I also discovered that the best way to activate the largest regions of the brain was to solve these calculations quickly.

Eight months into this crazy Project, and I'm thinking it's Kumon (not Kaplan) that might get me to a perfect score, and I'm thinking that the "10,000 hours till mastery" theory is probably not so far off.  (I keep meaning to calculate how many hours are left in 2011.)**

Seriously though, I think I'm a Kumon-lifer now.  After I finish the math program (it goes through calculus), I want to start the Kumon reading regimen (lessons include Shakespeare, Homer, James Baldwin, Mark Twain -- for starters).

And then, I want to make a sculpture out of my workbooks, just like this little boy's:

 

I believe they said he finished the reading and the math programs, by the third grade.

Not that this is a competition or anything, but if she can do it.....

.....then so can I.

 

**As of August 11, 2011 at 11:00 am, there are 3,421 hours left in 2011.  (Have I mentioned that my birthday falls on 11/11/11 this year?)  Thank you for calculating for me Gilles.

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
18 Comments | posted August 10th, 2011
 

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Project Diary

The Enemy of Contemplation

 

The internet feels at odds with my mission.

To study for the SAT, I need long stretches of quiet time, and I must force myself to push through those challenging periods that make my brain hurt. (Critical Reading passage anyone?)

I've learned all too well that "let me take a little break and see what's happening on Twitter," can turn into hours down a rabbit hole.

Those who know me might be surprised to hear that I identified with Bill Keller's New York Times 'Twitter Trap' article, in which he describes social media as:

.....the enemy of contemplation.....

....aggressive distractions......

.....the epitome of in-one-ear-and-out-the-other.....

 

I'm days away from beginning a month of online study with Grockit. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm more than a little nervous.

Will I have the self-control to push through the pain of functions, linear equations, probability, and "compare the two passages," with Twitter and Facebook at my fingertips?

We shall see.

Wish me luck......

 

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
2 Comments | posted May 31st, 2011
 

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Project Diary

Wild Goose Chase

That's how I'd describe the last six weeks; then add to that a Universe that seems to be conspiring against me (is Mercury in retrograde?).

Next SAT is in two days and I'm pretty sure that I'm moving backwards.

Fast.

And, I appear to have lost any semblance of SAT instinct that I ever had the good fortune of having.

I'm productively procrastinating at this point (thus, the video).

 
8 Comments | posted May 5th, 2011
 

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Project Diary

My Wall of Math

The last thing I did before I fell off the SAT cliff, was read Dr. Tahir Yagoob's book, What Can I Do to Help My Child with Math When I Don't Know Any Myself?

I consumed the entire book in BIG, voracious, eye gulps.

The title of this book suggests it's only for parents trying to help their kids with math -- and certainly, it is a must read for that reason alone.  However, the book goes way beyond the parent audience, to anyone who wants to learn tried and true study methods from an extremely smart man.

Dr. Yagoob's bio from Amazon:

"I am a researcher in astrophysics and an educator in math, physics, and astrophysics. I'm always looking for new ways to understand things, and have over a quarter of a century of experience in tutoring and mentoring math and physics across the entire academic range, from students at elementary school to those in Ph.D. programs. I have also trained postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers to become established scientists and professors in physics and astrophysics. I have published over a hundred research papers on astrophysical topics in peer-reviewed international journals and am a member of the editorial board of the international peer-reviewed journal ISRN Astronomy and Astrophysics. To inspire and be inspired are wonderful things and I have been inspired by various authors and their books ever since I can remember. Two people that stand out above the rest are Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan, who to this day are in my consciousness, continuously driving inspiration. If you are young and have never read anything by either of them, I highly recommend reading at least one book by them, even if it is outside your usual genre list. Even though some of their subject matter may be out-of-date, their style is timeless."

Next SAT is 5 days away.  I vacillate somewhere between denial and panic, while decorating my wall with math.

 
5 Comments | posted May 2nd, 2011
 

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Project Diary

Grockit Is Up Next Month

Not one iota* of SAT studying was accomplished today (too much to do; too little time; too exhausted).  HOWEVER, the Perfect Score Project mountain was moved a smidgen.

I chose my SAT Test Prep method for next month: Grockit

I first heard about Grockit last Fall in the Wall St. Journal and have been curious ever since.  My continued (and increasing?) aversion to online courses has made me even more eager (god forbid I'm missing the "online education" gene.....)

I'd also love to hear from you about the SAT test prep methods that you've tried, and whether (or not) they have been effective.

Have you used books? Taken courses? Been tutored?

Please leave comments below, or email me privately.  I am mapping out the rest of my year and would love to incorporate your experiences into my decision.

 

*The ONLY thing I remember about taking the SATs in 1982 is that "iota" was one of the vocabulary words (and I got it right).

 
8 Comments | posted April 14th, 2011
 

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Project Diary

When It Comes to Learning, I Prefer Books to Videos

I'm a huge fan of the Khan Academy and have blogged about it enthusiastically many times.

That said, I am in the same camp as Catherine Johnson when it comes learning from a video, versus learning from a book:  Watching videos to "learn" feels like a chore; learning from a book feels like fun.

I can't explain why (maybe because I can read faster than I can watch a video?), but it's a very distinctive difference in the way I feel, and it shows up most apparently when it's "time to get to work."

 

Book: I'm Excited.  Can't wait.

Online Video: Dread.  Drudgery.  How much longer does this go on.

One exception to the video versus book preference: When I need a solution, I don't feel the same "video dread."  I'm happy to go in, learn what I need to, then leave.

Salman Khan wrote an article about his vision the other day in the WSJ that's worth the read.

I wish the video learning worked better for me, because it sure sounds logical and seems much easier than reading a book.

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
6 Comments | posted April 12th, 2011
 

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Project Diary

A Mid-life Crisis of Sorts: Why I Love the SATs

I was not a great student in high school.  I did well enough so that everyone left me alone, but I was much more interested in being social than with academics in studying.*

Martha McPhee and Debbie Stier circa 1982This is picture of me with my dear friend Martha McPhee right around the time I first took the SATs in 1982.

I did so horribly on the SATs back then, that my options were narrowed to colleges that didn't require the scores (i.e. Bennington, Bard, Sarah Lawrence, and Hampshire).

Lest you think I exaggerate, I am going to be brave enough to post my 1982 scores, which I managed to track down thanks to the College Board.

But first, one very important qualifier:

SAT scores were re-centered in 1995 because the center had fallen (i.e. 500 was now an above-average score).  It's like going to the Gap and finding out that you suddenly fit into a size 2 when you were a size 6 last time you checked.  It sure feels good, but the fact of the matter is that you didn't lose any weight they just made the sizes bigger.  Same thing with the SATs.  As far as I can tell, no one seems to be aware of the fallen SAT average, except for my good friend and SAT mentor, Catherine Johnson.  Catherine's a treasure trove of SAT information.

So my pitiful SAT scores from 1982 would actually appear slightly better if I took them today.  In fact, the 480 I scored in 1982 on the math section would have been a 510 in 2011 -- which happens to be the exact same math score I got when I took the SATs for the first time in nearly 30 years in January, 2011.

The good news is that I managed to have a pretty successful life, despite my appalling SAT scores.

The bad news is that I regret having squandered my high school education.

2011 is the year when I'm going to try to make up for lost time. You can read more about the Perfect Score Project on the About page of this site, follow along on this blog (I'll attempt to post daily), check out the video updates, etc. I hope some useful information will come out of this journey.

And please, send your SAT advice my way.  Clearly, I can use all the help I can get.

* I made a classic SAT Writing Passage mistake here:  "faulty parallelism."

 
13 Comments | posted April 5th, 2011
 

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