WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Eye fixation exercises are a technique Marissa Santiago teaches her students who are prepping for college admission exams.
What You Need To Know
- Marissa Santiago is the regional director at the Sylvan Learning Center
- The SAT and ACT exams help determine college admissions and award merit-based scholarships
- Both the SAT and ACT are timed, standardized tests for post-secondary education
“It’s going to help you increase your effective reading rate, increase the speed in which you read and help you locate key information on the SAT and ACT,” Santiago said.
Santiago is the regional director for the Sylvan Learning Center. She specializes in research education, and part of her job is to help provide students with strategies to succeed on standardized tests and reduce testing anxiety.
“Learning how the brain works, the best way to teach students. We work with K-12 students. This has given me the opportunity to apply that and show parents, coordinate with parents, what strategies work best since it’s not that one size fits all approach,” Santiago said.
While some colleges and universities are steering away from requiring standardized tests for admissions, there are some schools that still require an SAT or ACT score for admission.
The SAT and ACT determine a students readiness for college and are used to make admission decisions and award merit-based scholarships.
Both exams are timed and include topics in reading, math, writing and language. The ACT also tests students on science reasoning. While one test is no more difficult than another, Santiago says deciding which exam is best for a student comes down to their individual goals.
Santiago says the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students’ testing scores.
“A lot of the times, coming out of COVID, students are placing lower on entry level math courses and reading strategies. Also, since that was the time for virtual, it’s a huge indicator that learning for some students didn’t start until they got back into the classroom,” Santiago said.
Santiago says at the Sylvan Learning Center she teaches her students who are coming in for ACT or SAT prep specific strategies to improve their time management on the exam.
“Students who typically complete this program double and triple their effective reading rates,” Santiago said.
Jedidja Andovie began seeking homework help at the Sylvan Learning Center in Wake Forest when he was in eighth grade. Andovie is now a 2022 high school graduate and preparing to begin his first year at Wake Tech.
“In my case, even though I wasn’t very studious, I was still able to pick up on life changing lessons and skills that I use on a daily basis, and as I learned those things and got better, the motivation came and now I would say I’m a better student,” Andovie said.
Santiago says for students who struggle with testing anxiety, it’s important to know the resources that are out there to build a tool box on test day.
“I think a lot of the time parents and students don’t know the resources they have and how they can work ahead and focus on their interests in the school system, so it’s really important to advocate and learn those things while you are in school,” Santiago said.
While the SAT and ACT play a role on college applications, it’s not the only factor to determine a student’s admission. Some tips Santiago suggests is to make sure students focus on having a well-rounded application, which includes managing a high GPA, getting involved in extracurricular activities at school and participating in volunteer opportunities outside of the classroom.