Learner SAT Tutoring Scholarship

Since I was young, tests have loomed over me. At school, in life, and even in my dreams. They appeared as dark, shadowy monsters that lurked beyond my vision. I lived in fear of them, and that fear controlled me. Quizzes got me jittery, grades gave me anxiety. When it came to school, I was quite simply a nervous wreck. One day in the twelfth year of my life, everything changed. I was in the middle of a history test, pencil in one hand, paper in the other, and a strange feeling had settled in my chest. There was something comforting in the quiet classroom, in the faint breathing of the students around me. The terrifying test I had been worrying about wasn't so terrifying after all. In fact, I'd enjoyed it. And at that moment, it hit me. Test-taking... was fun? From that day onward, my attitude towards tests completely changed. Math, science, literature-- the subject didn't matter. From the moment I sat down at my desk to the moment I turned in my test, I had fun. I took every test with a smile on my face and I refused to let my old fear control me. It must be admitted, however, I didn't ace every test I took. I may have smiled as I wrote my answers, but that didn't mean my answers were correct. I made mistakes, but I learned from them. Every misstep taught me a lesson. Through trial and error, I learned how my brain processed information and the most effective ways to study. I realized the hard way that there was more to studying than just staring at a review sheet. Flashcards, practice quizzes, and repetition techniques were the strategies that worked for me, and I used them well. As I came to high school, I began hearing a word that made even the smartest students shudder in fear. SAT, they said. Except, they didn't usually say it as much as they whispered it. I quickly learned that the SAT was a standardized entrance exam that most colleges and universities looked at when considering applicants. However, as with most standardized tests, they were a force to be reckoned with. Students spent months preparing for this exam only to receive scores that made them cry in despair. Unfortunately, being the test-lover I was, I laughed this off. I loved tests! Tests were fun for me! What was there to worry about? I had no idea how wrong I was. It was only a month ago that I took my first SAT practice test out of curiosity. When the official College Board app revealed my score, I gasped. It was appallingly low. Since then, I have been studying like a fiend. I use every studying tool I can get my hands on. I watch Khan Academy review videos, take countless practice tests, and read every review book I can. My goal is to get a score of 1350. It's a lofty goal, to be sure, but it's what I'm aiming for nonetheless. The college I'd like to get into, Liberty University, offers a full tuition scholarship, but only to valedictorians with a GPA of 4.0 and an SAT score of 1350. I'm on track to become valedictorian of my class and I already have a 4.0 GPA. The only thing keeping me from my goal is that SAT score. I will do everything I can to reach my goal, even if it means studying tirelessly for this one SAT test.