5 Qualities of Students Who Get Amazing Results on the SAT & ACT

On the back cover of Acing It!, it says, "If earning a perfect score were as simple as knowing what to study, it wouldn't be such a rare achievement."

I'm a big believer that successful test prep is as much about how you prepare as what you prepare.

So I got to thinking about the qualities that my most successful students demonstrate during their SAT and ACT prep. Here are my top five.

For some students, these qualities came naturally. For others, test prep coaching helped them tap into the mindsets and habits. Either way, these five qualities are important to foster, because it's rare that a student has a successful test prep experience without them. 
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This is by no means a comprehensive list of the qualities your test prep calls upon, but I believe that these five qualities provide an excellent foundation and also encapsulate other attitudes that facilitate a student's experience.

Watch this video to find out what five qualities I most often observe in students who get amazing results from their SAT and ACT prep.

Now that you've watched the video, I want to talk to you about how to use this list so that it's helpful for you during your test prep.

It would be easy to think that with this list, I'm setting another group of expectations that you either meet or miss completely. But that isn't the case. 

I think of these qualities as happening on a continuum. You'll feel anywhere from out-of-your-mind frustrated to patient.  Anywhere from complacent to proactive.

The higher up the scale you're at (such as the more patient you feel), the more productive you'll be. On the flip side, when you're on the lower end of any of the continuums, you'll probably make less progress than you would if you were higher.

Identifying your target attitude gives you an opportunity to observe where you're at and reorient in the direction of where you want to be. In a sense, it's analogous to what you do with your scores: you take a practice test, see where you score on the scale, and see how you can move higher up the scale.

When you start feeling off, take a breath and ask yourself which quality you aren't practicing at the moment.

Then, ask yourself "What thoughts or actions might move me closer in the direction of [quality]."

Or, perhaps, ask yourself, "What would I think about this situation or what would I do if I were feeling [quality] right now?"

Then go do that action or sit with that mindset.

All that said, you’re allowed to have moments of hopelessness before the resilience kicks in. 

You’re allowed to feel closed-off one day and curious the next. ​

Again, these attitudes are fluid. They happen on a scale. Some days you will be more aligned with the productive attitudes than others. But by practicing and fostering these qualities, you will begin practicing them more easily, effortlessly, and consistently. 

And simply by trying again, you are showing yourself to be someone who is proactive, curious, patient, and resilient. Go you :)

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If you like the video, please click over to YouTube where you can “like” it and subscribe to my YouTube Channel, and be sure to share it with friends!

Eager for even more guidance? Here are a few resources you might consider:

• Acing It! A Mindful Guide to Maximum Results on Your College Admissions Test: 
  My book, in which I walk you through all the steps of the test prep process from beginning to end.
• Test Prep Coaching Package: 
  Work with me for 12 sessions to get your SAT or ACT prep into top shape! Includes a review of what you need to know for the SAT or ACT using my Math and Grammar outlines, opportunities to take and review official SATs and ACTs, and opportunities to learn mindset and study habits that facilitate top performance.
• Mindset Coaching Package:
  Work with me for 10 sessions to learn mindset and study habits that will facilitate top performance on the SAT, ACT or other challenges. ​
• Test Prep Power Up: 
  Work with me for a single coaching session. Come with any questions you have about how to perform better on the SAT and ACT. Includes the opportunity to take and review an official SAT or ACT.

Or contact me with a question you’ve been grappling with so that I can help in a future blog.