Basis Independent Silicon Valley • SAT · ACT · PSAT
Basis Independent Silicon Valley's curriculum is not designed to prepare students for the SAT or ACT. It is designed to produce students who can handle rigorous university-level content years earlier than most of their peers. That is a valuable preparation, but it is a different preparation than what the SAT and ACT actually test.
The SAT and ACT test pattern recognition at speed, within a defined format, under timed conditions. They do not test the kind of deep, multi-step problem solving that Basis's physics and chemistry courses develop. A Basis student who can solve a differential equation may still get an SAT math question wrong if they over-engineer the solution when a 30-second approach was available.
Michael's preparation for Basis students is built around this specific gap: identifying the fastest, simplest path to the correct answer in each question type, and training that approach until it is automatic. The content knowledge is not the problem. The format-specific execution is. Basis students who engage with Michael's program typically improve quickly because the underlying ability is already there, what they need is the translation layer between their advanced curriculum and the standardized test's specific demands.
The Mr. Test Prep Method™ and A-Game Access™ together close the gap between academic strength and test-day performance. A-Game Access™ provides the mental preparation to perform in a clinical, timed, anonymous test environment, which is as different from a Basis classroom as it is from any other school's environment. The mindfulness and peak performance tools in A-Game Access™ are practiced in session and deployed in the actual test environment.
Preparation timelines vary based on a student’s goals, starting point, and target test dates.
Michael’s free trial session includes a diagnostic and personalized timeline recommendation based on each student’s individual situation — not a generic template.
The diagnostic produces a specific recommendation: which test gives the student the best opportunity, how far their score may be able to go, a recommended training plan, and which upcoming test dates are most strategic.
The Trial Session
The free trial on Zoom includes a diagnostic, direct work with Michael, and a follow-up call with both student and parent. The diagnostic produces a specific recommendation: which test gives the student the best opportunity, how far their score may be able to go, a recommended training plan, and which upcoming test dates are most strategic. No financial commitment until both sides agree.
Every Session
Sessions are two hours long and combine individualized coaching, structured practice, and timed work using official SAT and ACT material. Students stay actively engaged while receiving ongoing guidance and feedback from Michael throughout the session. No homework.
The Guarantee
Students who complete the agreed program and are not satisfied with their results continue at no additional cost until they reach their target score.
The Mr. Test Prep Method™ builds the execution strategies and pattern recognition that transfer directly to test conditions. A-Game Access™ is the mindfulness and peak performance system built into every session — addressing the gap between practice performance and test-day performance.
No. Michael works with students across the full range, from those starting below 1000 to those closing the gap between 1540 and 1600. The program is diagnostic-first.
The trial is a two-hour Zoom session where your student works through a diagnostic with guidance and feedback from Michael throughout. Afterward Michael calls both student and parent. The diagnostic produces a specific recommendation: which test gives the student the best opportunity, how far their score may be able to go, a recommended training plan, and which upcoming test dates are most strategic.
The trial is free with no obligation to continue.