Curvebreakers’ Student of the Month series features students who go above and beyond to achieve outstanding results. They take full advantage of everything Curvebreakers has to offer by improving their scores, being accepted to top schools, or receiving exceptional scholarships. We recognize them to inspire all Curvebreakers students to reach for their dreams! Our Student of the Month for April 2018 is Ryan H., who brought his ACT score up 12 points. Incredible work, Ryan!
CURVEBREAKERS: What were your thoughts on the ACT before you took it the first time? RYAN: It was a bit of an overwhelming thing to see how long the test was and how many topics it covered, and how much of an impact it had on getting into college.
C: What was your score the first time you took the ACT?
R: My first practice test score was a 21.
C: What did you think immediately after the first time you ever took the ACT?
R: “Oh my gosh this is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” The time pressure on the ACT for the different sections was intimidating to get past.
C: When you signed up for tutoring, what did you think the sessions were going to be like?
R: I thought I would be taking a bunch of tests and go over the answers. I wasn’t expecting it to be as in-depth as it was.
C: How did you like your tutor?
R: He was awful! (Haha kidding) He was great! I learned tricks, short cuts to make those long questions simple, and he made the process so much easier and improved my score tremendously.
C: How did you prepare for the official ACT?
R: I was able to pick up patterns on the test from practice tests and have an internal “shot clock.” I learned how long to spend on a question and was able to get through the test a lot better.
C: What was your final score on the ACT?
R: A 33.
C: What was the best part about tutoring with Curvebreakers?
R: How individual it was. There wasn’t a blanket approach for each student. My issue was time management and we spent time on that, on how to keep myself running and not spend too much time on a specific question. I would also add that the tutors are invested in you, you are not just a “client” but a person that they care about.
Note from Nick LaPoma: Thank you Ryan for being an incredible example for other students that hard work truly does pay off. Your determination throughout this process was impressive to say the least and you deserve all the credit in the world. We wish you the very best in College and the future.