Tag: Scores

Kid with Backpack

Transitioning from Middle School to High School: What Parents Need to Know

Transitioning from Middle School to High School:
What Parents Need to Know

The leap from middle school to high school means more than just a new campus or a heavier backpack. It’s a developmental shift that affects students academically, socially, and emotionally. For parents, this is a chance to help guide that transition with intention, supporting your child while also fostering the independence they’ll need in the years ahead.

Here’s how you can support your child’s transition to high school with empathy, strategy, and structure.

1. Normalize the Nerves: This Change Is Big (and That’s Okay)

It’s natural for students to feel anxious about high school. 

Whether it’s the fear of getting lost, meeting new peers, or handling a tougher course load, there is a lot of new to navigate. Because of that, your child may not always voice their worries, but we want you to start the conversation early.

Example Conversation:

“High school will be a big change. What are some things you think may be different? What are you anxious about? What questions do you have? All freshmen are nervous, so just know every student in the halls is nervous at some level.”

Why It Helps:
Creating a safe space for questions and concerns builds trust and helps your child feel more prepared.

Nerves

2. Help Build a Personalized System for Staying Organized

High schoolers face increased expectations around time management, homework deadlines, and project planning. Encourage your student to choose an organization system that fits their style before entering into high school. 

Steps to Implement:

  • Explore digital and analog planners together. Some students thrive with Google Calendar, while others prefer bullet journals.
  • Walk through a sample weekly schedule and discuss how to break up big projects.
  • Build in buffer time—teens often underestimate how long things take.

Example Conversation:

“You have a science project due next Tuesday, right? How do you think you can work backwards from that due date so all the parts get done? Which parts do you think you can do independently? Which parts do you think you’ll need help with? Who can you ask for help?”

Tools to Reinforce:

3. Support (but Don’t Micromanage) Their Academic Journey

It’s tempting to hover during this big academic jump, but high school is the perfect time to shift into a coaching role. Encourage self-advocacy and let your teen take the lead when possible. Maybe, even let them make a few mistakes.

Steps to Implement:

  • Role-play how to email a teacher or ask for help after class.
  • Review test feedback or assignment rubrics together, but resist the urge to “fix” everything.
  • Ask questions that encourage reflection rather than correction. 
  • Discuss what happens if a mistake is made. Ask your high schooler how they might correct it.
Tutor, Micromanage

Example Conversation:

“I know you were disappointed with your grade when you got it back. I’m sure it was difficult to see that when you worked hard on it. What do you think you can do next time in order to have an outcome you’ll feel better about? Where do you need support?”

Why It Helps:
When students solve problems themselves, they gain the confidence to learn and grow independently. Those problem-solving muscles matter in school and beyond.

4. Strengthen Their Social and Emotional Toolbox

social, school

Friendships evolve, peer pressure intensifies, and identity begins to take center stage. Stay connected without being invasive.

Steps to Implement:

  • Schedule weekly walks, car rides, or meals without distractions to check in.
  • Ask open-ended questions and practice active listening.
  • Normalize talking about mental health, stress, and coping strategies.

Example Conversation Starters:

“What’s something that felt really good, or really hard, about this week?”

“If today had a ‘headline’ like a newspaper, what would yours be? Something exciting? Frustrating? Just regular?”

Tools to Reinforce:

5. Encourage Growth, Not Perfection

High school can bring intense pressure to perform, but not every assignment or grade is a verdict. Emphasize the learning process and celebrate effort.

Steps to Implement:

  • Share stories of your own mistakes and how you grew from them.
  • Set goals together and track progress in a shared doc or planner.
  • Focus on resilience and adaptability as key life skills.

Example Conversation:

“I saw how much effort you put into studying this week—even if the test didn’t go perfectly, you’re building strong habits.”

growth, friends

[Bonus] Enhancing Executive Function Skills for High School Success

The jump to high school demands more than content knowledge. It calls for planning, time management, self-control, and flexibility—core executive function skills.

Study habits

The jump to high school demands more than content knowledge. It calls for planning, time management, self-control, and flexibility—core executive function skills.

Steps to Implement:

  • Define executive functions with your child: “These are the brain skills that help you manage life, like a built-in personal assistant.”
  • Choose one skill to focus on per month (e.g., planning, impulse control, working memory).
  • Use tools like Trello or Asana to help visualize tasks and manage deadlines.

Example Conversation:

“Let’s look at your weekly schedule. How can you break down your homework so you’re not overwhelmed by Thursday?”

Tools to Reinforce:

Your Teen’s Growth Starts with Support, Not Perfection

Remember, this transition isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about learning, adapting, and growing together. At Jamie The Scholar, we understand that each student is different. Our academic coaches work with families to provide personalized support at every stage of the journey.

Ready to support your teen’s transition with expert help? Call us today at 888-577-3224 for a free consultation, or explore more at Jamie The Scholar.

Test Prep in the Real World

Test Prep in the Real World

Test prep is oftentimes the bane of a high schooler’s existence. It’s usually relegated to the corner of a student’s life, while other commitments take priority. It’s easy for teenagers to see ACT/SAT tutoring as more work. It’s harder for them to see it as extra support for getting ready for post-high school life.

Seeing test prep only as a method to get the desired score is understandable and vital, but it can rob students of gaining more out of their efforts. 

This is why, at Jamie the Scholar, we make sure that students see that what they’re learning is relevant to real-life situations. Here are three ways that students’ test prep efforts with our team help them even after they achieve their goal scores.

1. The Verbal Sections Train Students to Derive Meaning

As students study for the Verbal sections of their exams, they learn to grasp the main points of what they’re reading. This is a key way that people gain new knowledge, even as adults. As our lives become fuller, knowing the main ideas of what we read is how we know that we’re reading efficiently.

The more challenging questions, like the ones requiring inferences, push students to pay attention to what is unsaid. In addition, students have to process the information in front of them in order to arrive at their own conclusions.

This skill is like “reading the room” when you arrive at a social event. You walk in, there is a lull in the atmosphere, and everyone who’s there is silent, disconnected from each other, and on their phones— no one would need to tell you that people aren’t enjoying themselves, so you’d likely want to spend your time somewhere else!

2. The Math Sections Help Students Use Information to Their Advantage.

tutoring

The Math sections help students to sharpen their logical thinking skills. In other words, they learn to leverage numbers and information in order to arrive at a specific result. 

Just as students solve problems on these exams, they will continue to solve problems in their lives. Math-focused test prep sessions often exemplify this.

For example, both tests feature questions involving graphs, which require students to spot trends and make predictions. This is a skill that entrepreneurs use in order to predict future sales and growth trajectories of their businesses.

Along with data-related questions, the questions that focus on arithmetic help students work accurately with numbers. Shopping is the real-world context of this life skill because numbers-based reasoning is important for splitting a restaurant bill amongst friends or determining whether a concert ticket purchase fits into your personal budget.

3. Both Exams Help Students Think Ahead About College and Career Choice.

Students taking the ACT complete an Interest Inventory, which helps students to understand potential college majors and occupations that match their preferences. Similarly, students taking the SAT complete the Student Data Questionnaire, which asks about similar information.

Those results are then used for connecting students with scholarship opportunities and colleges that are a strong fit for them. These questionnaires give students a chance to remember their own preferences, aside from the influence and social comparisons involving their peers.

Achieving the goal score is the focal point of test prep tutoring, but gaining self-knowledge and refining real-world skills is how those tutoring hours benefit students even after they finish high school. Students can use those skills and self-awareness both now as teenagers and as adults making their way in the world.

Ready to Build Skills That Last Beyond Test Day? Work With Us!

At Jamie The Scholar, we prioritize both the numbers and the high-level abilities that equip students for life after high school. Our personalized approach helps students not only reach their goal scores, but also strengthen the real-world thinking skills they’ll need in college, careers, and beyond.

Whether your student is just starting their test prep process or aiming to hit a target score, we’re here to support them every step of the way.

Join the many families who have seen their teenagers achieve their goal scores and also grow in confidence and independence with our expert guidance. Contact us today to learn how we can help your student succeed — both on test day and in the future!

Test preparation books for the SAT and ACT

How Your SAT/ACT Score Really Affects College Admissions (and Scholarships!)

How Your SAT/ACT Score Really Affects College Admissions (and Scholarships!)

Are you confused about whether SAT or ACT scores still matter? With shifting college admissions policies, it’s understandable why parents and students often wonder if standardized tests are worth the stress. Here’s the simple truth: despite recent changes, these scores can still significantly impact your child’s admissions chances and scholarship opportunities.

Do Colleges Still Care About SAT/ACT Scores?

Colleges across the country approach standardized tests differently:

  • Test-Optional: Schools like Bowdoin College and Bucknell University let students decide if they want to submit scores. Other institutions, such as the University of Denver and the University of Chicago, also offer flexible admissions options that do not require standardized test scores.
  • Test-Required: Institutions like Florida’s public universities still require SAT or ACT scores for admission.
  • Test-Blind: The University of California system no longer considers SAT/ACT scores in its admission process, even if submitted.
Test Preparation

 Understanding these policies can help you decide whether investing time in test preparation makes sense for your child. In fact, more than 80% of U.S. four-year institutions are test-optional for Fall 2025. But what does test-optional really mean?

Why SAT/ACT Scores Still Matter

Standardized test scores are only one piece of the college admissions puzzle, but they remain influential, especially at competitive schools. Admissions committees consider various factors, such as:

  • GPA and class rank
  • Course rigor (AP, IB, Honors)
  • Extracurricular activities and leadership roles
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal essays

Even with these considerations, a strong SAT or ACT score can significantly enhance your child’s application, providing a competitive edge over similarly qualified applicants. They also demonstrate a student’s readiness to handle college-level work, giving admissions officers additional confidence in their ability to succeed.

Scholarships and Financial Benefits

College admissions

The financial impact of a high SAT or ACT score can be considerable. Many colleges offer automatic merit-based scholarships to students meeting specific GPA and test-score thresholds. For example:

  • At the University of Tennessee, a student with a 26 ACT might gain admission without scholarships. However, if that student improves their score to a 32 ACT, they automatically qualify for a renewable $13,000 annual scholarship, totaling $52,000 over four years.

Other school examples include Miami University of Ohio, Arizona State University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Missouri (Mizzou), all of which offer significant scholarships based on standardized test performance.

Top-tier universities, like the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, also offer merit scholarships to students with exceptional SAT or ACT scores. Simply put, better scores can translate into significant financial savings.

Taking the Next Step

Improving SAT or ACT scores not only opens up more admissions options, but can also lead to meaningful financial aid through merit scholarships. With the right support, students can feel more confident in both the testing process and their overall college planning journey.

At Jamie the Scholar, students receive expert SAT/ACT tutoring designed around their unique strengths and challenges. And with guidance from experts like Jackie Postelnick at Conscious College Planning, families can craft thoughtful, well-matched college lists that set the stage for long-term success.

When tutoring and planning work together, students thrive—and their college applications show it.