Does your student twist and turn on standardized tests, second-guessing themselves or blanking out?

When Karina came to us for test prep, tests were misery for her. She saw tests as a pressure cooker, so every question was an opportunity for failure. Karina would anxiously hurry through questions because she worried about finishing, often getting stuck and second-guessing herself, regularly panicking and blanking out on questions, especially in math. Tests made Karina extremely nervous. When she was nervous, Karina had a hard time breathing. This didn’t just happen to Karina on standardized tests: the first week of her test prep program, Karina’s mom Cindy reported she was feeling extremely anxious about tests at school.

Karina’s mindfulness coach began to work with Karina on her breath. In their first lesson, Karina’s coach taught her about the science of mindfulness, and together they tried a sampling of techniques. Karina noticed a significant decrease in her stress at the end of her first lesson, and she wanted to explore breathwork further. Her coach said, “Let’s see if we can change your relationship with your breath, so that it becomes a source of comfort for you, rather than anxiety.” Karina was up for it!

That week, Karina followed her intuition and used her new breathing technique while taking her school tests. She discovered it made a huge difference, especially during her math test. The test had two challenging problems, and Karina was starting to blank out – she knew the steps before the test, but couldn’t recall them. So, she took a pause in the middle of the test, setting her pencil down and breathing. When Karina came back to the test, she remembered exactly what she needed to answer both problems. Karina aced all three exams.

This was exciting progress for Karina, who had been blanking out on math tests for so many years that she had come to believe she wasn’t good at math. ACT was Karina’s test, and her ACT tutor immediately saw how clever Karina’s math brain was. Karina was diligent with ACT math content, and both Karina’s tutor and her mindfulness coach helped Karina build her confidence in math by showing her over time how skilled she was at math. Karina is huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, so her tutor used Patrick Mahomes analogies to help her be a superstar quarterback. In learning how to be a smart test-taker, Karina also developed her confidence in ACT Math; in building her ability to take a test without blanking out, she learned she was actually good at math everywhere!

Karina was a strong reader and a fast, energetic test-taker. Her tutor taught her to be focused and patient. She was initially challenged by the English test, but as her first ACT approached, Karina decided that she wanted to focus on improving her English score: she doubled down on her work there, asking for extra practice.

Karina’s hard work paid off. On her progress ACT, she saw a Composite score increase of 5 points, including an amazing 7 points in English and an impressive 5 points in Math. Karina was relieved to have this first ACT behind her, but she also worried: could she even achieve these results again, let alone improve upon them? Meanwhile, Karina had friends who were achieving high scores with no studying.

Karina became frustrated, and she started spinning into negative thinking. Here, her mindfulness coach provided her the support she needed to question her narratives and realize that she wasn’t competing against anyone but herself, for her own achievement and satisfaction. Over time, Karina’s anxiety about test prep grew into excitement, and she was all-in on test prep, again asking for extra practice.

On her second and final ACT, Karina reached her score goal, a seven-point increase over her baseline score. She had achieved a five-point increase in Reading to an amazing 32, and an incredible 7-point improvement in Math. Karina had done such extraordinary work on ACT! We were immensely humbled and proud of Karina for taking both the leap and journey of trust. Karina trusted her tutor and coach. More importantly, she trusted and believed in herself and that she could achieve her absolute best! In February of her junior year, Karina was thrilled to be done with ACT. She relaxed and played the spring tennis season, finishing her junior year strong.

In July, Karina returned to RTC for her College Application Essays. Karina did not consider herself a strong writer, and initially, she wasn’t even sure how to start writing. But her tutor gave her an exercise that made words come easily, and soon Karina was overflowing with ideas. Karina’s essay program was also a writing program, and Karina learned many of the fundamentals of drafting and editing by doing both on her own college essays, guided by her tutor.

By the time Karina was ready to submit her Common Application and supplemental essays, she not only had authentic, original essays that reflected her vision and growth as a young woman, Karina had also become a confident, capable young writer who can resource herself at her college Writing Center, because she knows exactly how to work with a writing coach.

In the past year, we have seen Karina grow from an anxious student who was fearful about her future to a confident, relaxed young woman who is excited about her next steps. Test prep has grounded Karina in critical thinking, test-taking, and mind-body strategies that mean she’s equipped for college. Every time we see her, she’s smiling big. To us, Karina is like a plant that’s been waiting for the right light, and now she’s blossoming so beautifully. To us, mindfulness is that light, mind-body practices that are integral to success in test-taking, college, and life far beyond.

Karina’s mother Cindy is so proud of her daughter’s growth in the past year. She remarks, “When we first encountered RTC, we liked the idea of a mindful, personalized approach to test prep. What Karina and our family came away with was much more. Karina gained a confidence and a calm that transcended the standardized test. Whereas the prospect of testing and college applications seemed so daunting, she now approached it all with a quiet confidence that made the entire process actually fun and exciting. Working with Claire and her team helped Karina unlock her potential, and wherever she lands after high school, she knows that she has the tools to handle any challenge that comes her way.”

That’s music to our ears, and we’re excited to announce Karina’s next steps, her college acceptance in the spring of 2023!