Meet Sonia
Meet Sonia
We are excited to introduce Sonia, one of our 2022 scholars. Through consistent practice and perseverance, Sonia increased her SSAT score by 17 points, scoring in the 87th percentile overall!
In school, Sonia enjoys English because she’s an avid reader and audio-book listener. Her favorite books include The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Sonya also enjoys science because she loves to learn about animals.
In her spare time, Sonia plays tennis six days a week, either through her school’s team or her tennis club. When she’s not serving aces on the tennis court, Sonia enjoys spending time outdoors and creating art. Sonia also stays busy fostering kittens. She has fostered more than 30 kittens within the last 3-4 years.
Preparation
Sonia used the Test Innovators platform to prepare for the SSAT. She took several full-length practice tests. The practice questions helped her gain a thorough understanding of the actual test. Additionally, Sonia found simulating the testing environment while taking practice tests to be particularly beneficial.
In addition to taking practice tests, Sonia used the practice exercises to focus on subjects that needed improvement, particularly math. The interactive diagnostics on the Test Innovators platform provided helpful information on where she needed to improve and allowed her to hone in on specific areas of weakness, such as Algebra.
Advice for Students
Sonia explained that test preparation takes time and perseverance. She encouraged students to do practice tests frequently because she found that this improved her experience on test day and lessened any testing anxiety she had. She also recommended concentrating on weaker subjects and doing practice in these areas as much as possible.
Advice for Parents
Sonia’s mother, Lisa, advises parents not to give up and to trust the process. She recommends that parents encourage their children to practice routinely. She believes that consistency in test preparation lessens anxiety for children once they enter the real testing environment. She also believes that the similarity between Test Innovators’ practice tests and the actual test was critical to preparing Sonia. Lisa explained, “[Test Innovators] was very similar to the format of the actual test. I think that was helpful for both my kids.”
New School
Sonia is currently a 9th grader at Durham Academy in North Carolina. She was drawn to the school’s smaller and more individualized classes. She’s looking forward to enrolling in the school’s Gothic literature class. She’s also excited to take part in after-school activities, such as the tennis team.
Test Innovators is Here to Help
Test Innovators is committed to helping students get into their top-choice schools. We help students prepare for the SSAT and ISEE, so that they can do their best on test day. Our online practice platform provides each student with a personalized experience, teaching them test-taking skills and helping them build confidence.
Test Innovators also helps students and families prepare for other aspects of the admissions process to independent and private schools. Our online Admissions Assist course includes interactive videos and exercises to help families through every step of the admissions process, from researching schools to navigating the waitlist and everything in between.
