Repost from NewCanaanite.com, Written by: Leo Mikkola-Patel
New Canaan High School is creating an SAT tutoring program available to all students.
The program will be offered in classes at NCHS in partnership with Carnegie Prep, a leader in standardized test prep. The goal of this program is to better prepare NCHS students for college. This program will also level the playing field as all students who indicate a need for financial assistance will be funded by a generous grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) creating the Equal Access for SATs (EOS) program.
Working in conjunction with Principal William Egan, Assistant Principal Kristi Carriero, Meg Soffen from NCCF and NCHS Director of the College and Career Susan Carroll, I feel satisfied that 0ur team has been able to make a big impact on the whole school community. In addition, the whole team is thankful for the support of the Community Foundation for this project.
What will the format of the program be?
This program will consist of eight rigorous courses taught by Carnegie Prep at New Canaan High School on weekends starting in January and is available to all students with the March SAT or the School Day SAT as a goal. These are two-hour courses with one hour dedicated for the reading and writing section and one hour for math. All of the instructors are highly qualified and specifically trained to help improve SAT scores. They will arrive early/stay late to have one-on-one time with students. In order to produce the best outcome, EOS mandates the taking an online or in person practice test for diagnostic purposes. All NCHS students are able to get discount codes when scheduling this test even if not eligible for a scholarship.
What are the potential benefits of SAT tutoring?
As someone who improved by 230 points from the PSAT to the SAT with help from tutoring, I can say firsthand that if you put in the work, these programs really work. It’s a very simple proposition, you get back exactly what you put in, so if students put in the hard work, they are almost guaranteed to see results. In addition, according to a study by Jane Dulin who used a public school to measure the effects of SAT prep on students, there was a 60-117 point improvement from her control group to the group that received extremely organized SAT prep courses. A similar 115 point improvement was achieved from tutoring as reported by the College Board, which administers the SAT.
How is the NCCF helping and how can a student apply for a scholarship?
This program costs $1,950 for students. All non-scholarship NCHS students are eligible for a 10% discount. For any student in financial need, the New Canaan Community Foundation has generously agreed to provide partial or full scholarships for any juniors at NCHS. We have already had 14 students sign up for scholarships.
To apply for this scholarship, any student or parent should speak to their guidance counselor about this great opportunity. Different levels of scholarships are available but the NCCF will meet 100% of need for each student.
What does this program mean to the community?
I asked members of the team who helped to make this project a reality what benefits they see this program providing for students:
Principal William Egan said “I believe this program will be incredibly beneficial for our community. The ability to help some people that I may not even know that needed to be helped and make an impact on their lives and college outcomes is very rewarding. I would also like to thank Leo for bringing this program to fruition. I would also like to thank the New Canaan Community Foundation for generously helping these students and Carnegie Prep for making this program possible.”
Susan Carroll, Director of the College and Career Center at NCHS said “I am impressed by how quickly we worked to pull this initiative together. From Leo’s initial query, to getting Carnegie Prep on board and then to have the always generous New Canaan Community Foundation involved is a testament to small town know-how. To offer ALL NCHS students an opportunity to improve standardized test scores that may be useful for college admissions and scholarships and to do so in a way that no one would be denied that opportunity because of finances is a win for NCHS. ”
Lindsay Reihl, Guidance Counselor at NCHS said “The partnership between NCHS and Carnegie Prep has been a fantastic initiative! The ability to offer scholarships and discounted rates on test prep to students is invaluable, and will help many to enhance their test taking skills while achieving their academic goals.”
Lauren Patterson, President and CEO of the NCCF said “This program is not just about improving test scores—it’s about giving all students an equal opportunity to pursue higher education and build a brighter future, regardless of their financial background. Every student deserves access to quality support, and the New Canaan Community Foundation is proud to help through this initiative” –
Jerry Carnegie, Managing Partner, Carnegie Prep said “We’re always excited to partner with local schools to expand access to our test prep services. The cool part of standardized testing these days is that the content tested is now very much aligned with the math and reading skills that students learn in high school. As a result, more so than ever, our tutors and teachers can work in parallel with local schools and teachers to help students master the skills necessary for success both in school and on the SAT and ACT. We’re all working towards the same goal and this partnership with NCHS is a reflection of that new reality.”
How do officials hope to impact the community?
The goal in making this program was to both improve test scores across the board to enhance the value of an NCHS education in the eyes of colleges and also level the playing field for all students regardless of financial situation. The SAT is so important for college applications; this means that no student should be disadvantaged in this already very difficult, stressful process. New Canaan is a generous, education-oriented community and there is no reason that every student, regardless of their financial situation, should not have an equal opportunity to receive top quality SAT tutoring.
[Leo Mikkola-Patel, author of ‘The Grazing Ram’ periodic opinion column, is a member of the New Canaan High School class of 2025.]