Nueva School • SAT · ACT · PSAT
Nueva's design-thinking curriculum explicitly teaches students to sit with ambiguity, iterate through failure, and approach problems without predetermined answers. Those are genuine intellectual strengths. The SAT and ACT are designed around the opposite of ambiguity, every question has exactly one correct answer, and the test rewards the fastest path to it, not the most creative path.
This is not a knock on Nueva's educational model. It is a description of why Nueva students sometimes encounter a specific friction with standardized testing that their academic record does not predict. The student who writes a remarkable, unconventional research paper may pause on a reading comprehension question because they can see multiple defensible interpretations of the passage. On the SAT, there is one right answer. Learning to find it efficiently, without over-analyzing, is a trainable skill, and one that Nueva students often pick up quickly once the strategy is made explicit.
Michael's trial session diagnostic is particularly useful for Nueva students because it separates content knowledge from test strategy. A Nueva student who is genuinely capable of a 1500 but is scoring 1350 because of test-strategy issues has a very different preparation path than a student who needs content remediation. Michael identifies which situation applies and builds accordingly.
The Mr. Test Prep Method™ and A-Game Access™ together support the mental shift from Nueva's open-ended problem-solving environment to the closed, timed, definitive answer format of the SAT and ACT. That shift is real, it is learnable, and it is one of the most consistent contributors to score improvement for Nueva-profile students.
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. Michael presents 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 after the agreed session cap until they are satisfied or available testing opportunities have been exhausted.
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.
Preparation timelines vary based on a student’s goals, starting point, and upcoming test dates. Some students begin as early as January of their sophomore year, particularly those with National Merit goals. Many students begin preparation during the summer before junior year, with the period after July 4th being a common starting point. Students entering senior year often begin preparation during the summer before senior year, depending on their goals and testing plans. Michael’s free trial session includes a diagnostic and personalized timeline recommendation based on each student’s individual situation.
Several test centers are available in the San Mateo and surrounding Peninsula area. Check current availability at collegeboard.org (SAT) or act.org (ACT). Bay Area centers fill 5 to 6 weeks before test day, register on the first day the window opens.
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 with 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.