Photo by Sarah Heath

Mrs. Gross teaches the PSAT class, a class focused on SAT taking strategies

Junior Alyssa Crosby anxiously sat in her desk waiting for the cue to start her PSAT practice test in front of her. As she grasped her pencil in her palm as the timer was being set, she recalled all the new test-taking tactics she had learned so she may apply them to her test. As the cue to begin the test was initiated, the sound of pencils hitting the paper filled the room as Crosby and her peers began their test.

Crosby was one of over 60 students who form Legacy’s PSAT Team. The PSAT Team class initiated this year as a hope for an increase in the school’s number of National Merit Scholars. Becoming a National Merit Scholar requires a high score on junior year’s PSAT.The highest scoring sophomore PSAT test takers were invited to join the program that extended from late spring of their sophomore year to the end of the fall semester of their junior year. Students dedicated themselves to an 18 week self-paced course during the summer and the first seven weeks of the fall semester learning PSAT strategies, vocabulary and new format in order to prepare for the exam.

“It was a good decision to take this class because it gave me valuable strategies to use on college entrance exams,” Crosby said. “It definitely strengthened my test-taking abilities.”

After students took the PSAT, they focused on SAT and ACT tests and strategies by drilling themselves with practice tests, learning new vocabulary and tackling their weak skills daily.

“I definitely see improvement [in my scores] from when I first started,” Sulia Drewery, 11, said. “[This class] definitely prepared you for the college entrance exams.”

Mrs. Julie Gross, PSAT Team teacher, believes her students have shown continuous effort throughout the duration of the program and hopes for several National Merit Scholars.

“I’m really proud of this first group of our PSAT Team. They worked extremely hard, were dedicated to the class and worked towards their goals,” Mrs. Gross said. “I’m excited to see the National Merit candidates next September and hopefully we’ll have a celebration then.”

Mrs. Gross enjoyed working with the top juniors and believed that they showed self-motivation, excitement and hard work.

“My favorite thing about teaching the class is the excitement of the students.Those kids are excited about the program because they want to do well,” Mrs. Gross said. “I just love working with excited and self-motivated students. Doing this is my passion.”