Dr. Jacqueline LoBosco is co-founder of Academics Plus Tutoring Center and author of the books, How to Ace the SAT Without Losing Your Cool and The SAT Success System Personal Workbook. Academics Plus is a premier tutoring company specializing in academic enrichment and personal development programs for student of all ages. Their unique approach employs cutting-edge learning techniques including goal-setting, breathing, focusing and vision board exercises to help students increase self-knowledge, confidence, and motivation while decreasing stress.

1. I understand that you have written a book about doing well on the SAT's. What led you to write a book about this topic?

My sister and I actually published two SAT preparation books: a personal workbook and an academic workbook. One of the driving forces behind this project was to fill what we consider to be a significant gap in the SAT preparation model. Between one and two million students study for and take the SAT every year and the stress and strain that some of these students experience can be significant.

Because we have seen the impact stress has on a student's self-esteem, confidence, motivation levels, and the negative perceptions many have of themselves based on their performances on these exams, we wanted to provide an alternate SAT preparation process – one that helps students excel but doesn't come with such a high price. This is why we came out with two SAT books, rather than one.Our goal was to provide students not only with a study guide that covered all the necessary math and verbal concepts but to provide them with an entirely new approach to studying for the SAT, one that helped them increase self-awareness, augment confidence and motivation levels, alleviate stress, and improve the effectiveness of their SAT preparation process.

2. Could you tell us a bit about your educational background and experience?

My educational background and training is in the field of neuropsychology. I received my undergraduate degree from Boston University in psychology, my doctorate in neuropsychology from The Graduate Center at CUNY and completed my clinical training at Yale University's School of Medicine. My training offered me the opportunity to work with a wide range of clinical populations, including individuals with traumatic brain injuries, stroke, epilepsy, dementia, and longstanding psychiatric illnesses.

While attending graduate school, I began tutoring at a small tutoring center in Brooklyn and found that I really enjoyed working with students who were struggling in school. I kept this job throughout my academic career, while gaining experience administering neuropsychological evaluations and providing cognitive remediation through internships and externships at hospitals and in private practice. In 2000, my sister and I decided to open our own tutoring company in New York City; that was the inception of Academics Plus Tutoring Center. At our center in Manhattan, I provide academic coaching and remediation to students with and without learning disabilities, and supervise a staff of tutors committed to working with students with a wide range of learning issues.I've worked with children with Attention Deficit Disorder, dyslexia, dysgraphia, Tourette Syndrome, and non-verbal learning disorders, and in the near future, will be providing neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations. 

3. Is the SAT about reading well, knowing words, understanding relationships or all of the above?

To do well on the SAT, students must read well, understand relationships and know a multitude of vocabulary words. In addition, they must demonstrate the appropriate level of reading comprehension, writing and mathematic skills. But what many do not take into account when preparing for the exam is that the SAT is a logic test, and that in addition to all of the aforementioned academic skills, students must demonstrate well-developed critical thinking skills. The fact that the SAT is really a logic exam, and tests a student's critical thinking skills is probably the most overlooked fact about the SAT, and is often the reason why so many students struggle with the exam.

Basically, students must have a comprehensive conceptual knowledge of all the areas that are covered (reading comprehension, mathematics, and writing) on the exam, and they must have good reasoning skills. This means that they must be able to conceptualize, analyze and synthesize the information given. Not much to ask, right?

Seriously, it can be a lot to ask. Many students have enjoyed very successful high school careers without developing sharp critical thinking skills. This is one of the reasons there is so much anxiety surrounding the SAT. The study skills and test taking strategies that students have used for years may not work on the College Board exam. The result is that students get distressed, parents get upset, and often, anyone who is even remotely involved gets disturbed and rattled to a certain extent. There can be quite a bit of confusion and frustration. The good news is that increased knowledge about what the test really measures can serve to alleviate frustration, and when the SAT preparation process is begun early enough, critical thinking skills can be developed.

4. Is there a writing component to the SAT or is it now basically reading and math?

Yes, in March 2005, the College Board changed the format of the SAT to include a writing component.So, in addition to the math and critical reading sections, students must now answer a multitude of grammar questions, as well as compose an essay under timed conditions.

5. Unfortunately not a lot of kids spend a lot of time reading, writing, and preparing for the SAT. What can your book do to help them?

Our SAT books offer a comprehensive and well-organized approach to the SAT.The academic workbook starts from the ground up, really providing students with a review of the fundamental academic concepts and skills needed for the test.This is particularly valuable for students who do not spend a lot of time reading, writing, and preparing for the SAT. We also teach them the strategies that are available to them to assist in solving specific types of problems and provide them with exercises to develop their critical reasoning skills. In addition, students are informed of potential pitfalls associated with the exam and offered suggestions with how to navigate around them.

Working with How to Ace the SAT Without Losing Your Cool not only helps students get a clearer understanding of what is expected of them, it helps them develop a clearer understanding of themselves as learners, and this perhaps, is one of the most important characteristics of the program. Because when a student has increased self knowledge, their endeavors become more fruitful and successful, and much less frustrating and stressful. And as a result, the SAT preparation process becomes more streamlined and effective.

6. What about kids who seem to lack a lot of general information and knowledge. Is there any way to rectify or remediate those kids?

The fact is that every student begins at a different starting point. And to tell you the truth, those that lack some of the fundamental academic skills may be no worse off than those that have all the knowledge but lack critical thinking skills. Both of these areas need to be honed to excel on the SAT.

The questions on the SAT are rooted in math and verbal concepts. By that I mean that having a good vocabulary, decent reading skills, knowledge of grammar rules and usage, and a number of math concepts is necessary. Therefore, it will be necessary for the less-prepared student to spend more time learning these concepts. However, although these students are at a disadvantage for not having the academic foundation, they can learn the concepts if they have the discipline and determination. The fact is that the SAT tests a discrete set of skills and concepts that can be taught. What we promote at our center and teach in our book is how to think, rather than how to beat the test. So, when students come in with the fundamental knowledge they obviously have an advantage and our time together can be used to build their critical thinking skills and higher level skills. When a student comes in with less knowledge, we have to start at the basics. But it can be done.

7. Do you have any suggestions for kids who have "math anxiety" or "test anxiety" or "failure anxiety" or " not getting into college anxiety"?

That's an excellent question. There are a multitude of non-academic factors that can significantly impact a student's performance in school and on standardized tests, and it is important that educators address these factors. The truth is that many students experience some form of anxiety around academic performance. Studies indicate that 61% of high school students experience test anxiety, and research demonstrates that stress can bring about or contribute to a multitude of health problems and learning impairments including confusion, concentration issues, difficulties with memory, executive functioning problems, depression, overwhelm, lack of confidence, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and eating disorders.

Because the SAT is one of the biggest academic challenges most high school students will ever have to face, it may be one of the most anxiety-provoking.For that reason, we have infused our SAT preparation program with a multitude of de-stressing techniques: to help students keep their anxiety levels in check. We teach our students breathing techniques and focusing exercises and incorporate a special goal setting process that has proven to be incredibly beneficial. We also find that it is extremely important for students to celebrate the successes they do experience.Something we find interesting is that there is tendency in many people to focus on their setbacks; they are quick to realize their failures and to miss the opportunity to acknowledge success. A large part of the work that we do at Academics Plus is to continually bring the student's attention to that which he or she has achieved; this not only leads to a reduction in anxiety and stress, but it contributes to a healthier self-image, a greater sense of independence, and the ability to creatively and constructively overcome obstacles that stand in their way.

8. Should the schools be doing more than they already are to prepare kids for the SAT or ACT or these other tests?

Well, it's difficult to make a general statement about how different schools prepare students for the SAT. I think the number one difficulty for SAT students is that, often, they just haven't developed the necessary critical thinking skills. And sometimes the school is to blame for this deficit. Schools should be teaching students not only academic subject material but how to think about and apply the discrete information they learn. Some schools do this and unfortunately, some do not. This is the reason there is a need for a national exam. Despite our concerns about the pressure and stress on students, particularly in the last couple of years in high school, we do believe that critical thinking skills are essential. What we attempt to do, in our book and at our tutoring center, is instill in students a love of learning, of thinking, of reasoning, rather than rote memorization.

9. Do you have a web site or an 800 number for people to get more information?

We have several websites actually. From our main website, www.academics-plus.com, parents and students can access a wide range of information about our SAT books, our services, and a host of resources to other useful sites.In addition to gathering general information about our center and staff, people can access our articles, our blog and join our free e-zine subscription. We also recently began posting audio podcasts on our website; parents and students alike can listen in and learn SAT hints, tips and strategies and other relevant information about the SAT preparation process.

For additional information about our book, people can go to www.howtoacethesat.com. From that site, individuals are also able to access our free report on SAT success.

Finally, we have another website that is currently under construction but that will be up and running soon: www.askNYCtutors.com. At this website, we will be accepting questions from parents, students and teachers about school, tutoring, the SAT, and will be providing the answers to the questions on upcoming teleseminars.

10. What question have I neglected to ask?

One of the most common questions in the minds of high school juniors, seniors, and their parents is: How important is the SAT? This question is often followed by a plethora of questions and concerns regarding the student's intelligence, self-worth, their chance of getting into the college of their choice, being able to pursue the career of their dreams and living a happy and satisfying life. Ok, I'm being a little dramatic here, but I'm not entirely off base with this line of reasoning. In many families, the SAT is viewed as a deal maker or breaker, instead of being viewed as a test that measures a fairly limited set of values. Everything seems to hang in the balance of a high SAT score. That can certainly make students, and their parents, a bit uneasy.  

Here's the perspective we promote to the students at our center: Use the SAT preparation process as an opportunity to hone your skills in the areas the test measures.Learn the strategies that help you effectively approach a potentially challenging task.  View the exam as an opportunity to embrace an approach and develop a skill set that will help you meet future demands. The SAT is a once-in-a-lifetime event.  It is certainly not the only challenging experience you will ever face. So, keep your focus on what you can do, and then apply yourself to the best of your ability. Then, the SAT preparation process can become an empowering process, a means to an end, and can be of some assistance in helping you develop those traits that help you succeed in all areas of life.  

Published November 28, 2007