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Student Recommendations
The following
are excerpts from letters testifying to the benefit of the PSAT/SAT
Prep Class.
Mary -
My daughter, Katherine, benefited greatly by taking your course... Her Sophomore PSAT results are:
Critical Reading 66
Mathematics 60
Writing Skills 72
Cumulative 198
This is an increase of 40+ points over her Freshman PSAT scores.
Thank you,
C_ K_
Mrs. Hamilton,
We are excited for Christine and the results of her 10th grade preliminary PSAT:
Critical Reading: 73
Mathematics: 72
Writing Skills: 80
Composite Score: 225
We were very pleased with the preparation you provided her in your SAT Prep Course which she took this past summer. You can expect to see her again next summer as she prepares to take the PSAT for real in Oct 2012.
Dear Student,
My name is Rebekah Bing. I have had the privilege of experiencing homeschooling as well as attending a private Christian school. I was homeschooled from kindergarten through 8th grade and then attended Temple Christian School in Fort Worth through high school.
I took the PSAT test just for practice during my sophomore year and scored a 192 which is in the 93rd percentile. This was a solid score, but not good enough to qualify as a National Merit Finalist. The next fall I took Mary Hamilton’s PSAT/SAT Prep course. I had learned of this course through a letter like this one, and was a little skeptical as to how much it could really help. I completed Mrs. Hamilton’s course just prior to taking the PSAT my junior year (the one that really counts) and improved my score by 15 points to a 207. This score was in the 98th percentile, and I was named a National Merit Commended Scholar.
The following March came the “new” SAT. I felt like a guinea pig. The new SAT contains the traditional Critical Reading and Math sections, but also includes the new Writing section…. The first time I took the test I scored a 2050… I was very pleased with this score, but 2100 is the cut off for some of the better scholarships. So, needless to say, I took the SAT again and scored a 2360! A perfect 1600 on the old traditional part (Critical Reading and Math) and a 760 on the new Writing section. I was elated. My first thought was, “What do I do now?” I had already applied to Baylor, LeTourneau, and UTD and had been accepted at all three. Having scored a 2360, I applied to my dream school, Rice University, and was accepted. All four universities have offered me substantial financial packages.
In January of 2006, I was notified that I was a candidate for the 2006 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, a program that honors the most distinguished graduating seniors based on their SAT or ACT scores. In April, I was notified that I was a semi-finalist for this award….
I feel that taking Mary Hamilton’s prep class was very beneficial in obtaining these accomplishments. Her class not only is an excellent review of high school math and English skills, including vocabulary, but was tremendously helpful in test taking strategies. Those strategies covered how to quickly eliminate answer choices, finding shortcuts and pacing your work....
When you take the SAT, take it more than once. Some colleges will use your best score on one section of the test and combine it with your best score on another section from a different test to come up with the total score to be considered with your application to the school.
Whether you are homeschooled or go to private school, I would encourage you to enroll in Mary Hamilton’s PSAT/SAT Prep course. You might be very pleased with the results.
- Rebekah Bing, ’06 graduate of Temple Christian School
Dear Mrs. Hamilton,
Thank you so much for the time you invested in preparing me for the PSAT. Although I’d heard about other students’ success in your courses, the experience is now a personal one and I’m confident that preparation “does work!” just like you said. From initial practice test to final exam, my scores rose 33 points (from 181 to 214). Even better, the knowledge and techniques you taught are already paying off in other areas. But most of all I appreciated your encouragement, patience, cheerfulness, willingness to work problems after class, and unselfish efforts to help all of us succeed. It’s often in the sphere of character that I learn the most from my teachers, and your Christ-like example is a treasure....
I am far from despising math, but I am not strong in it. Such being the case, your emphasis on algebra and geometry redeemed my score. I loved the way you clearly explained concepts and strategies; you didn’t just explain them, you communicated to the point where I grasped and understood them…..
Altogether, your challenging (but fun!) prep course rewarded me both academically and spiritually. Thank you for repeatedly pointing us toward trust in God; this particularly affirmed me in studying hard but not becoming anxious, and I felt very comfortable at the real test. May God bless and prosper your future courses and your faithful service to Him. I look forward to next year and the SAT!
-Kristin
Dear Mrs. Hamilton,
The day my SAT scores were online, I saw with pleasure and gratitude that my score was 2180 (eighty points higher than my April score). Even more exciting, those extra points were made up entirely in the math sections (!), which are my weakest areas—providing clear testimony to the effectiveness of your strategies and the diligent study you encourage. Your teaching and encouragement made all the difference—thank you.
I don’t think I will ever be able to express my gratitude for the great gift you gave in allowing me to take your course… It truly blessed us and was an answer to prayer. I pray that God will reward you richly for the Christ-like service you have rendered!
About half-way through the course you indebted me in still another way. Practice scores had not been as high or consistent as I had hoped they would be, largely because I had such limited study time. You stopped me after class one day and asked me about my scores in general, and at the end of a little chat you confidently said that I could make the 2100 to 2200 range on the SAT. Somehow this simple conversation re-motivated me to keep trying, study harder with what time I did have, and again place all in God’s hands. The Lord used you to boost my morale in that instance. Thank you so much for believing in what God can do in one of His students and for sharing it with me that day.
God truly has given Fort Worth area students, especially homeschoolers, a gift in you and your Prep Course. I feel privileged to have been under your excellent instruction and to have observed your sweet, kind spirit. May God bless all your future work for His glory!
Dear high
school students and parents,
My name is
Ginger Lane, and I am a senior in high school. Last May I took
the SAT for only the second time ever and made a 1600, a perfect
score. Without a doubt, the one thing that helped me make that
perfect score is the SAT prep course I took from Mary Hamilton.
I took Mary
Hamilton's course for the first time as a sophomore. I learned
quite a bit that year; in addition to the new vocabulary words,
though, the most important thing she taught me was geometry. You
see, as a sophomore I was only beginning geometry, and Mrs. Hamilton's
class made sure I learned the geometry I needed to know for the
test. As a result, I was quite familiar with the basic theorems
of geometry before I ever learned them in my textbook.
The next year
I took the course as preparation for my all-important junior PSAT.
That year truly solidified everything I had already learned, as
well as intensively reviewing the all-important strategies and
vocabulary. That year, I made 238 on the PSAT out of a possible
240, missing three questions on the entire test. As a result of
that score, I am now a National Merit Semifinalist.
I also recently
learned that I am a candidate in the Presidential Scholars competition,
one of twenty girls in the entire state of Texas and one of 2,600
students nationwide. This selection was based solely upon my perfect
SAT score, which I would never have made without Mrs. Hamilton's
SAT prep classes.
For me, taking
a prep course has certainly paid off. For any of you, it could
mean the difference between zero and thousands of dollars in scholarship
money. The majority of the students taking the SAT or PSAT will
have been through a prep course at least once, and in order to
compete, homeschool students need to follow. From my own experience
I know the value of a good prep course, and the results-in both
scores and in scholarships-can be simply amazing. I am,
-Ginger Lane
Dear Students,
My name is
Brad Norcross. I am a high school graduate, and this fall I will
be going to Baylor University with over $80,000 worth of scholarships.
I can say with confidence that Mrs. Hamilton's SAT/PSAT Prep Course
was instrumental in these scholarships, which have allowed me
to go to a university I probably could not have gone to otherwise.
Thanks to
Mrs. Hamilton's class, and all the work that came as part of that
class, I was able to score highly on both the SAT and the PSAT.
I scored a 221 on the PSAT and went on to become a National Merit
Finalist; by this I was also able to receive a full-tuition scholarship
from Baylor (not to mention the many other schools that offered
me similar or better scholarships). In addition to this, I have
been granted $1500 annually in other scholarships, this also from
my PSAT score. My SAT score was raised to a 1450 after Mrs. Hamilton's
class, a score which made me eligible for acceptance to most universities
as well as extra scholarships, up to full tuition at some universities.
Now, I can't
really take credit for these scores myself. God blessed me with
those scholarships using Mrs. Hamilton's class. Without her class,
I do not think I would have been able to handle the SAT and PSAT
as I did. Her class covers many subjects which must be mastered
in order to score well on these tests. Through her class, I learned
strategies for working faster and solving problems more accurately,
and on timed tests like the SAT and PSAT, these skills are very
important.
I would recommend
Mrs. Hamilton's class to all high school students, and I would
urge you students to truly put effort into this class and to apply
your mind to what you study. You never know what you could be
capable of through investing time in this class. I wish you all
the best!
-Brad Norcross
Dear students,
My name is
Megan Ross, and I am a high school senior. I took Mary Hamilton's
SAT/PSAT prep course in both my sophomore and junior years of
high school. After completing my first year of preparation in
her class, I took the SAT and made a 1440, a 150 point improvement
over my score before her class. It is plain to me that such dramatic
improvement came as a direct result of Mrs. Hamilton's instruction.
The following
year, I repeated the course in order to sharpen and condition
my mind in preparation for taking the PSAT, which also serves
as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. I made a 220
out of a possible 240 points. I am currently awaiting confirmation
as a National Merit Semifinalist. This distinction typically earns
thousands of dollars of scholarship at the bearer's choice of
school.
I can assure
you that I would not be in my current position had in not been
for the thorough and broad instruction I received in Mrs. Hamilton's
prep class. She incorporates vocabulary, geometry, algebra, and
critical thinking into her class in order to produce success.
Standardized
testing is not a measure of your overall knowledge or academic
ability; it simply gauges your ability to take the test. Because
of this, it would be tempting to teach only to the test, but Mrs.
Hamilton's instruction is just as valuable in the classroom as
it is on the SAT or PSAT.
I am convinced
that anyone who applies himself can have tremendous success on
the SAT or PSAT. As Proverbs 14:23 says, "In all labor there
is profit…" With proper instruction and diligence, success
is always attainable. Mary Hamilton provides the instruction necessary,
and if you are willing to work and study hard, you will succeed.
-Megan Ross
I have been
taking math classes from Mary Hamilton for the past six years
and consider her more than qualified in this field. I completed
her SAT Preparation class my sophomore, junior and senior years
of high school, and am obligated to attribute a great deal of
my success on the SAT and PSAT to her.
Upon completion
of my first year of the course, my scores increased well over
a hundred points in each section, making my average math score
a 760 and verbal score a 700. This brought my overall score up
250 points and into noticeable range for several scholarships
from Baylor University.
My math score
was very reasonable already when I started taking practice SATs.
This was only true, though, because Mrs. Hamilton had been my
math teacher for the past six years.
The verbal
area is slightly different from math in that with math you can
memorize enough equations to make it through and use simple logic
to fill in the rest, whereas in verbal section there are many
words and phrases that you will have no clues to help figure them
out. The course addresses this problem. Mrs. Hamilton ingrains
into the brains of her students many Greek and Latin roots as
well as a "common words" list to tackle the vocabulary
sections. And for the critical reading sections, she teaches many
tricks to aid you in figuring out the correct answer, even if
you haven't the foggiest idea of what the College Board is actually
asking. Very handy.
If you've
taken this course once, I strongly encourage you to take it a
second time. Why? Repetition is the mother of learning. Also,
the course is designed to get you into an SAT mindset the first
year and make you an SAT connoisseur the second.
The PSAT (a
critical test for scholarships) is only administered once a year.
Therefore, it's a good idea to take it in the tenth and eleventh
grade so that you have some with the test before you actually
take it.
All in all,
the course is very rigorous and causes the students to want to
pull their hair, but it is VERY rewarding. Like any good thing,
one must work toward it, and a sure way of improving one's score,
even if it's good now, is by taking an SAT Prep Class. I strongly
recommend Mary Hamilton's math classes, but even more so her preparation
class for the SAT.
-Brandon Dixon
Dear Student,
My name is
Nick Norcross, and I took Mrs. Hamilton's SAT/PSAT Prep Course
the last two years, and was very pleased with the results. With
the help of good preparation, I have become a National Merit Scholar,
have an SAT score of 1590, and plan to attend Ouachita Baptist
University this fall on a full academic scholarship. I would encourage
any home schooled student of high school age to take Mrs. Hamilton's
course, because not only can it aid in getting you into college,
but it could also earn you thousands of dollars towards your future
education.
In my case,
I took Mrs. Hamilton's class during my junior year, raising my
SAT score 60 points and scoring in the 99th percentile on the
PSAT. The following year I took Mrs. Hamilton's class again, and
raised my SAT score 200 points, receiving a 1590 in October of
my senior year. I can assure you that colleges became much more
interested in me at this point. Because of my standing as a National
Merit Scholar, full scholarships from schools such as Texas Tech,
Baylor, UTA, and of course Ouachita Baptist, became available,
and my SAT score placed me in the highest scholarship bracket
at every other school.
Now I say
this not because I want to prove my mental abilities to everyone,
but because many of you have the ability to do the same thing.
From the education that you have received at home, and the things
you will learn in Mrs. Hamilton's class, you could not only be
ranked among the top students in the nation, but you may also
save thousands of dollars (around $76,000 in my case), and be
able to study at a school of your choice.
Mrs. Hamilton's
Prep Course equips students with a large vocabulary (which is
of great value in both the SAT and PSAT tests), a wide variety
of Greek and Latin roots, studies in basic mathematical principles
including Algebra and Geometry (also very important, especially
if you have not taken a Geometry course), test-taking tips, and
practice tests. I would strongly encourage every home-schooled
high school student to take Mrs. Hamilton's class, and I wish
you all the best of luck in continuing your education.
Nick Norcross
I felt very prepared - especially in math which was previously my worst subject -
thanks! - Caitlyn
Your class helped me so much on this years' PSAT test. I used all of your
strategies and had many opportunities to do so. Thanks for all your help! -
Jessica
I can't imagine going into one of those tests without your prep class - thank you
very much! - Megan
I felt really well prepared for the test. - Brad
I knew how to do all the math! - Halley
I was helped greatly by all of the time saving strategies. - Jonathan
I saw several problem, ratios, different roots that we had done in class. I felt
more confident with the test after the class. - Brad
I think the materials you gave us for the writing section were wonderful! -
Bonnie
Thank you for teaching me - it helped alot! - Meredith
Thanks for the great review! - Matt
Thanks so much for the class. Your class helped me in so many ways! - Melanie
Your class was very helpful...quite challenging and I enjoyed that! - Charis
Thanks for providing such a wonderful course! - Jeremy
It helped me having to do those practice SAT's every week. I was not nervous when
I saw the real test because I knew what to expect. The SAT classes helped me so
much and I am so thankful that I took the course. - Kelsey
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