Tina Wiles Helped College Students
A high school junior thought his ‘dream’ college was out of the question after receiving his first ACT results. How could he gain entrance with that score? And how could he afford tuition without qualifying for scholarship?
It’s a worry many high schoolers share. With college costs steadily rising, students and parents find themselves scrambling for college acceptance and scholarship opportunities, most of which rely on college entrance ACT/SAT scores. Yet students often struggle with the daunting 3-hour tests.
Enter Tina Wiles. A former Motorola engineer turned math teacher, she knows a thing or two about preparation and strategy. In fact, it’s her passion to help every high school student receive as much scholarship money as possible by raising their ACT/SAT scores.
“When I took the SAT in high school, ‘test prep’ meant a good night’s sleep and sharpening your #2 pencils!” Wiles laughs. “That was then. Now we know preparation changes everything.”
Through her years of teaching and tutoring, Wiles discovered the biggest predictors of college entrance exam success were mindset and confidence. She found students who ‘practiced’ test taking and understood the exams’ organization outperformed classmates who didn’t. This prompted Wiles’ mission to design a variety of low cost SAT/ACT prep materials.
“You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for test preparation,” she says. “Most just need familiarity and practice.” Wiles offers that through online classes, small groups, and her workbook, How to Slay the ACT. A companion to the SAT will be published later this year.
“I’ve seen it time and time again. As a student’s confidence rises, so do their scores,” she adds.
That junior mentioned above? Wiles smiles and reports his ACT score jumped 10 points. He’s now a senior headed to his ‘dream’ college next fall. In true teacher form, she credits his hard work rather than her materials and guidance.
“People always say, ‘What’s the catch?’ but I promise there isn’t one. If you’re willing to do a little work, you can succeed.”