Episode 92: Excelling in Standardized Tests with Dr. Kelly Frindell, Owner of InHouse Test Prep
Dr. Kelly Frindell is the owner of InHouse Test Prep and has been providing expert, effective test prep for the SSAT, ISEE, SAT and ACT since 2001. For over 20 years, she has assisted thousands students in achieving testing success and providing students with the tools to get into the schools of their dreams. Dr. Kelly’s love and passion for helping students exceed their expectations is the driving force behind her company and her success.
Dr. Kelly graduated with honors from Trinity University with a BA in psychology, then obtained her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health. She currently works with students of all ability levels across the country.
Why the SAT & ACT are Important Even In Our Post-COVID Era?
There is a lot of confusion right now about the differences between test line, test-optional, and test required. A lot of that message has not quite trickled down to parents and to students. At the start of COVID, most of the tests were canceled pretty much overnight when everything was shut down. There were no tests basically from March to September of 2020 and that year most of the schools went from test required to either test-optional or did not require them. That last year, some of the schools decided to stay test-optional, and some schools decided to go back to making tests required. Some schools even decided to not have tests required. We see that some schools that are test-optional also changed it so that tests are required again which was the case with MIT. Some of the schools that say they are test-optional are kind of really test-optional in name only. If you look and drill down on the data that is coming out, about who they are admitting and who they are not, the students who have the test scores will still have a big advantage.
What Can A Parent Do to Help Their Child Understand Why the Standardized Test is Important?
One of the first things that are really important with test prep and taking a test is to figure out which test to take. Many schools now will accept both SAT and ACT scores. Have the child identify which test is easier for them to take before you start to prepare for it. The best way to do that is to take a practice test for each of the tests rather is online or just taking the official test. From that, you can get enough information on where you stand. You cannot compare the SAT and ACT as they are different tests but the easiest way to determine which test is more suitable is to compare the score with the percentile ranks. For example, if a student is scoring in the fiftieth percentile on the SAT and scores in the seventieth percentile on the ACT, then is it in that student’s best interest to prepare for the ACT. Once you know what test is right to take, then you can decide on a test date to take. The tests are spread out throughout the year, about every other month and there is typically at least one test of something in any given month. It is important to have a test date because if you just give a book and say to study for a test without a given date for the exam, then the student will not prepare for it. Having a date is important because it gives the student a deadline to prepare for the exam. This can be done by either getting a prep book for students who like to study on their own or also there prep classes for students who need help with studying regardless of this being in person or online.
What can you do to help students that struggle with their own competency or confidence?
The students that are preparing for the SAT or ACT are nervous and anxious because their whole life, they have been told that this test is really important and that they have to do well because it is going to set the course for their whole life. The best thing to do is to talk them down and make them calm. These tests are an important part of the college initiative so you have to play along because it is a part of the system. What the students do not realize is that these tests are not IQ tests. They do not measure how smart a person and they do not measure how good a person is or what their self-worth is. Additionally, they do not measure either if you are going to succeed in life. There are some predictors about how they might do their first year of college but they do not say anything about a student except for how they did on the test on that particular day. It is important that they put it in perspective as well. The student has internalized that the test means everything about them when that is not the case. It is just a scale at the end.
Contact Dr. Kelly Frindell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyfrindell
Dr. Kelly Frindell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyfrindell/
Dr. Kelly Frindell Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyfrindell
Learn more about InHouse Test Prep: https://www.inhousetestprep.com
Subscribe and listen to the podcast at IlluminateHigherEducation.com
This episode is brought to you by N2N’s Illuminate App, The iPaaS for Higher Education.
About N2N Services
Founded in 2010, N2N is committed to serving educational institutions and helping them figure out how to serve their students, faculty, and staff using the most innovative technologies and solutions available in the marketplace. Over the last decade, N2N has served over 300 academic institutions and enabled their student success journeys.
N2N Services Inc. is a leader in enterprise application integration and strategic advisory services for higher education, At N2N, we are committed to providing the highest quality solutions and collaboratively building student-centric solutions.
Learn more at https://illuminateapp.com/web/higher-education/
Subscribe and listen to more episodes at IlluminateHigherEducation.com
