The Specifix Prep StoryTest preparation was the Wild West. No laws, no rules, no accountability. Mostly 21st-century snake oil salesmen who knew a little about tests, even less about education, and a lot about how to prey on students' and parents' fears.
No longer. Specifix Prep is built upon the idea that helping students achieve their goals on tests such as the SAT and ACT is simply a matter of...
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Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is. Specifix Prep recognizes that being really good at taking standardized tests (which we are, by the way) is only the beginning.We studied thousands of real test questions to map out exactly what concepts, techniques, and strategies a student would need to know to rock these tests. We build our study guides around these findings. And then we created an advanced assessment that identifies exactly what a student's weaknesses are and creates a totally personalized study plan. A student can then decide whether to work with a tutor one on one (in person or online), sit in on a classroom course, or work through the personalized study plan on his or her own using our study guides.
Lastly -- and maybe most importantly -- we don't sit on our laurels. We're always refining and improving our materials. We still take the tests all the time just to be sure the advice we're giving is as effective as possible. We track our students' scores (and stick with them if they don't hit their goals). We don't have to say we're the best. Everyone says that. We push ourselves to be the best.
Lastly -- and maybe most importantly -- we don't sit on our laurels. We're always refining and improving our materials. We still take the tests all the time just to be sure the advice we're giving is as effective as possible. We track our students' scores (and stick with them if they don't hit their goals). We don't have to say we're the best. Everyone says that. We push ourselves to be the best.
About Our Team
Patrick Bock - Founder, Head of of OperationsThe founder and president of Specifix Prep, Patrick has over 17 years of experience helping students master the SAT. Originally a tutor for an international test prep company, Patrick recognized the weaknesses of the "one size fits all" approach offered by larger test prep companies. He also saw the limitations of a strictly academic approach of smaller companies.
Lastly, he recognized that a great curriculum must have the ability to determine a student's specific issues quickly and accurately, and that the traditional methods of doing so are unsophisticated and insufficient. Patrick has taken the SAT almost twenty times and has a deep understanding of the test. He is obsessed with honing his teaching skills, constantly refining and adjusting his methods so each lesson is better than the last. Patrick plans to develop 21st century assessments that better help colleges understand their students and act as accurate representations of the skills demanded by today's economy. |
Jay Casale - Director of NJ Operations
Jay believes standardized tests are proof of evil, and has worked tirelessly for over 7 years to guide his students in the fight for good. He served as a Premier Tutor and Master Trainer for one of the largest test prep companies in the world, training teachers and tutors to emulate his delivery and approach. So, essentially, Jay is an SAT Superhero, and he does not take that responsibility lightly.
Jay believes that learning to ace the SAT requires more than just the mastery of tricks and strategies, and that standardized test preparation can and should go a long way toward creating a more well rounded student. His passion lies not only with helping students to gain acceptance to college, but also to appreciate the process of learning, so that they can achieve success once there. It is this passion that brings Jay to Specifix. The unique tools and materials available to Specifix students are second to none, and allow Jay, already a master of the test, an even deeper look into the specific issues and deficiencies of a student, allowing him to focus all of his energy in the areas where the most help is needed. The perfect marriage of expertise and tools, Specifix is truly second to none, and a natural home for an SAT Superhero. |
"Hard to know where to begin. Patrick worked with my daughter on her SATS and she jumped by almost 300 points from her PSAT baseline. He personalizes his approach for each student, gets to know there strengths and weaknesses cold, and is able to concentrate study time on areas where improvement is attainable. Goes above and beyond (even sits for the SATs himself to keep up with changes to the exam) and provides support until the desired outcome is achieved. My daughter loved working with him and got in to the reach college of her choice."
-Ella A., University of Michigan, Class of 2015