Meet Jacqlene

Meet Jacqlene

We are pleased to introduce Jacqlene, one of our 2020 A Better Chance Scholars. Jacqlene’s hard work and determination allowed her to increase her SSAT score by 45 percentile points!

Jacqlene enjoys being involved at her church. She’s part of the tech team that helps run the presenting equipment, such as the lights, microphones, and music. Jacqlene also works with the younger youth group, which includes children who are three to six years old. In addition to participating at church, Jacqlene loves to sing. At school, she participates in both a chorus class and an after-school program called Show Choir. Show Choir, which is an audition-based choral group, travels to other schools to perform.

Jacqlene’s favorite thing to do in school is write. She most enjoys writing essays and fictional stories. Jacqlene also likes math. She explained that although writing and math are her two favorite subjects, she likes learning in general and that enjoyment in the various subjects is very teacher dependent.

Preparation

As part of the application process for independent schools, Jacqlene took the SSAT. In preparation for the SSAT, Jacqlene engaged in the Test Innovators A Better Chance summer preparation course and practiced independently on the Test Innovators online platform. The preparation course provided Jacqlene with structured preparation and the opportunity to ask the instructor questions.

Throughout the preparation process, Jacqlene’s biggest area of growth was in vocabulary knowledge. Jacqlene used the Test Innovators Quizlet vocabulary sets to study. Jacqlene explained, “[Studying vocabulary] was helpful to do good on the test, and it helped me even outside the test to increase my vocabulary.” Although Jacqlene spent a lot of time preparing, she did say that if she were to prepare again that she “would spend more time on Test Innovators because it was most helpful.”

Advice for Students

Jacqlene’s advice for other students preparing for admissions tests is “to stay focused and put your best foot forward.” Jacqlene emphasized the importance of working hard toward your goal so that you can attend a great school. She said, “Even though it’s a lot of work now, it will benefit you in the future.”

Advice for Parents

Jacqlene’s dad, James, advises other parents with children who are preparing for admissions tests to “practice, practice, practice.” James explained that practice, especially taking practice tests, is so important because “it’s not like the test [students] take in school.” James emphasized, “Taking the exam is a skill within itself.”

New School

In the fall, Jacqlene will be starting at Berkeley Carroll. Jacqlene loves Berkeley Carroll’s welcoming community and small class sizes. She also likes the structure of the academic programs. New students take a placement test to ensure they enroll in the appropriate classes. Additionally, Jacqlene is excited about the extracurricular offerings, particularly swimming, that she can do on campus.

Test Innovators is Here to Help

Test Innovators helps students learn test-taking strategies and skills and build confidence so that they can put their best foot forward on test day. Our online platform dynamically adapts using insights from over 20,000,000 questions answered on the platform to help each student focus on the most impactful practice. Test Innovators has helped over 135,000 students improve their test scores and gain acceptance into schools with selective admissions processes.