Student Highlight: Thomas

“I think everything takes efficient preparation,” Thomas D. says as he explains how he balances school, work, and his social life.

Thomas is a junior at Plano East Senior High School (PESH), an officer for the National Honor Society, and second chair for viola in the orchestra. Thomas joined KD as a freshman who was ready to prep for his future college admissions tests. At the time, his main focus was to increase his score in order to apply to the University of Texas at Austin.

Now that he is a junior, he realizes that the learning environment of each college is unique. “There’s a difference between being a big fish in a smaller pond and a small fish in a huge ocean. I don’t want to go to a college because of the name. I want to go because of the atmosphere.” After a brief tour of Rice University, Thomas knew he wanted to go to a school that was mid-size.

In addition to Rice, Thomas has a range of selective universities in mind, and he plans to study microbiology as an undergraduate student. With his recent test scores, his dreams are definitely within reach! In August 2017, Thomas scored a 1590 out of a possible 1600 on his SAT® exam. He then achieved a perfect score on his PSAT/NMSQT® test in October 2017! How was he able to achieve such awesome scores so early in eleventh grade? Last year, when it was announced that the College Board® was eliminating the January SAT® exam and adding a new August test date, Thomas spoke with a KD Director and put together a testing plan. Together they decided that the summer was the perfect time for Thomas to ramp up his preparation in hopes that he would finish his college admissions testing early in junior year. The plan worked because Thomas worked the plan.

During the summer before his junior year, he practiced and perfected his skills. When asked how he prepped for his August and October tests, Thomas answered, “I just followed the recommendations that KD College Prep offered. I also went to workshops every other week, and I took a lot of practice tests.” As he went in to take his August SAT® exam, he felt very at ease.  “Once you get into the swing of things and know how to use the strategies KD teaches you, it’s one of the best feelings ever!”

Now that he is done with testing, his plans for senior year include working on college applications, visiting Rice University, and spending time with his friends. Thomas also enjoys biking, eating at unique restaurants, and reading—all of which he will have more time for now that he is finished with his college admissions testing. Congratulations, Thomas!

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