Featured ACT Test Prep Student: Holly Grosse

Last updated Apr 15, 2021 
SUBSCRIBE

Holly Grosse headshot.jpgWe recently sat down with Holly Grosse, student extraordinaire, to talk about her achievements and experience as a member of the A+ Test Prep and Tutoring community. Holly is a Junior at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. The following are a few highlights of our conversation.

Q: What brought you and your family to A+?

Holly: We heard about A+ from a family friend who had had a good experience here! When I first came here, A+ immediately had me take a free practice SAT and a practice ACT. I did better on the ACT, so we decided that was the test I would work toward.

Q: What was your experience like with the your tutors?

Holly: Both my tutors were helpful and so easy to talk to! Beth Bantley was my reading and writing tutor and Gordon Breish worked with me on math and science. They gave me a lot of work, which was challenging, but helpful.

(Note: Beth Bantley, when asked, returned the compliment. She says: “Holly was fantastic to work with! She was determined to improve her score, and to do that she needed to read more quickly. She was open to trying new strategies and worked hard to practice them.”)

Q: What factors most helped you achieve your goals?

Holly: Hard work and dedication were really important. I needed to keep up with the work my tutors gave me in order to make progress. Another thing that made a difference was going back and reviewing work with the tutors, especially stuff I had problems with! Finally, Beth and Gordon gave me lots of useful strategies to use. Beth taught me how to increase my reading speed, and both tutors taught me about organization and time management. I found that the things they showed me helped in school (especially on math tests) as well as on the ACT.

Q: What was the best piece of advice you received while you were at A+?

Holly: Both tutors said just to try my best. However they also allowed me to take pressure off myself by reminding me that “there’s always next time.” It made me feel less stressed out about taking the test.

Q: So tell us, how did you do on the ACT?

Holly: My composite score went up 7 points! Beth worked with me on my challenges as a slow reader. And Gordon helped me understand math I hadn’t been taught in school yet. I was only halfway through Algebra II when I took the test, and Gordon taught me concepts even past that—like trigonometry.

Q: What’s next? What are your future goals?

Holly: I am very happy with my current test score, but I will probably take the ACT at least once more. I am looking at Villanova, Bucknell, and Penn State. I’d like to major in chemistry or biology. Then med school! I’m not sure what I want to specialize in yet, but I’m looking forward to doing internships to learn about my field.

Q: Any advice for other students?

Holly: Hard work pays off. It took a lot of work to do all the practices. It takes a lot of time too, but it’s worth it.

Congratulations to Holly and her family!

At A+ Test Prep and Tutoring, we are here to help make the testing process as productive and stress-free as possible. Whether you’re interested in ACT test prep, subject tutoring or executive function coaching, We match you with tutors who review both content and testing strategies to help you attain your “personal best” score.

If you would like more information, our Client Service Directors, Anne Stanley and Susan Ware, are available to answer questions and provide solutions. You may reach either of them by calling A+ Test Prep and Tutoring at 215-886-9188.

{{cta(’13bbf032-bf92-4868-89a5-62065531506f’)}}

0 Comments

What They're Saying

Contact Us

 

A+ Test Prep and Tutoring -- Philadelphia

505 York Road, Suite 6, Jenkintown PA 19046

A+ Test Prep and Tutoring -- Montgomeryville

593-1 Bethlehem Pike, Unit #4, Montgomeryville PA 18936