This letter is in reference to WaveLength Tutoring and Test Prep.
My Name is Suzanne Citron, My husband and I have lived in New Jersey for 16 years. We have two children who attend
Ranney School in Tinton Falls. Our daughter, Kyra is currently in the 8th grade. She has been at Ranney School since she was three.
Our journey with
WaveLength started when our daughter returned from a school trip over the summer. Ranney School offered the middle school students an opportunity to travel to England for three weeks. They would stay at Charterhouse, just outside of London. On August 1st, Kyra asked us about her options for high school. We were under the impression that she would remain at Ranney School, as she truly loved her community and enjoyed her friends and faculty at Ranney. She explained to us that she wanted to apply to boarding school.
NOW THE FUN BEGINS!
Needless to say, we were not prepared for what was ahead. After a few nights of research, we discovered that Kyra would be required to
take the SSAT and achieve in the 2100+ range in order to even be considered an applicant for the schools of her choice. With only four short months, we had to start the
process of test prep and
applications.
Thankfully, we found Marlee and Matt. From the start, I knew that these two people could really help us. They each scheduled a meeting to meet with Kyra and assess her needs. They determined that Kyra would need four hours per week with Matt and two hours per week with Marlee. They were patient with Kyra and helped her to focus on the task areas at hand and not just the test as a whole. They both assigned homework to keep her continuing her work during the week and not loose momentum.
After six weeks, Kyra too the test for the first time in October. Her grades were solid, with a 2100 and was in the 76%, but we knew Kyra could do better. After a review of the test outcome, Matt focused on test strategy. Matt found that Kyra typically made careless errors. He spent great amounts of time showing her the flow of the test. He explained strategies for Kyra to remember during the exam, “if the question seems too easy and you are half way through the section - check it again - you may be wrong.” Just by using Matt’s simple reminder, Kyra learned to really focus on the test questions and not just the test as a whole. Marlee had determined that we really needed to increase vocabulary. We bought SAT prep flash cards and Kyra started to memorize words. Poor Kyra was in the throws of 8th grade at Ranney, prepping with Matt and Marlee and now learning over 300 new words! But Kyra’s attitude stayed positive because
Matt and Marlee were always upbeat and energetic. They kept her calm and focused.
After six more weeks of test prep, Kyra took the test again in December. Marlee had bought Kyra a stuffed animal of a lamb for good luck! Kyra loves lambs, so to have Marlee give her one really gave Kyra a boost! I am proud to say that Kyra achieved a 2176 and is in the 89%. She is exactly were she needs to be for the schools she is focused on. Matt and Marlee were instrumental in this process. They gave support to Kyra as well as her parents. They took the time to teach, but also gave a great deal of time in discussion with us. They would go over Kyra’s needs and let us know where to focus. Without Matt and Marlee, we would never have been able to prep Kyra to this level. They were flexible with times and dates and both genuinely cared about Kyra. Matt and Marlee not only wanted Kyra to do well, but wanted Kyra to think she did well. They were her cheerleaders. Matt and Marlee gave her the knowledge for the exam and the confidence to succeed.
I would also like to add that during all this test prep, not only did she achieve her goals, but also we have seen a marked improvement in her grades at school. Thanks to WaveLength, she is a straight “A” student!
When it comes time for us to have SAT prep, I know who I am calling. Do you?
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
