MMCF SAT PREP COURSE INTERVIEW
PART THREE - MARK McCONNELL
MMCF is busy at work, changing the lives of the youth in our community!
This month we would like to feature Mammoth High School Senior Mark McConnell.
Mark is the oldest of five siblings, is an active member of the community volunteering for Disabled Sports as a coach, helping with events held by Mammoth Track Club and of course, participating in and volunteering for MMCF events too! He has held Captain positions on both the MHS Cross Country Team and on the MHS Ski/Snowboard Teams and was on the MHS Track/Field Team as well. Mark is a member of the National Honor Society, Co-Founder of MHS Newspaper Club, participated in the Husky Cleanup Crew Club and still made time to be an integral part of the MMCF sponsored SAT Prep Course. Mark was a pleasure to have in class and while he sometimes arrived to class in his track uniform trying to juggle activities, he was a devoted member of the class and encouraged his fellow classmates to attend as well. There was a bit of a debate as to whether his grandmother’s lemon bars were better than Ms. Wehsener’s lemon bars, however his great enthusiasm and curiosity for learning were contagious.
In catching up with Mark, here is what he had to say about his experience in the MMCF sponsored SAT class and his plans for the coming years.
What are your plans for next fall? Are you going to school? If so, where
Next fall I plan on attending Purdue University. I will be majoring in Computer Science.
You took the SAT prep class two years in a row. What were the 3 main things that you learned from the course that helped you with the SAT? Do you think one year was more beneficial than the other?
I am very grateful to have been able to take the SAT prep course both my Sophomore and Junior years. I found what I took out of it were helpful notices on what I was struggling at as well as understanding how to differentiate 'trick' answers from real answers, but the most important thing I took from that course was an improvement to my pacing when taking tests.
Did your scores improve from taking the course?
My scores did improve. I took multiple practice SATs and those scores started off in the low to mid 1200s, and raised to the 1300s. On the actual SAT I got a 1310.
Some advice to incoming sophomores and juniors regarding the SAT? Would you recommend this course to other students?
I would recommend that incoming students try not to think too hard about the test. When you're relaxed you can do a much better job than if you're rushed. I would highly recommend taking the course as it helps with all testing, not just SAT prep.
Is there anything you would like to share with the MMCF audience in regards to having this course made available to you?
MMCF makes sure we have access to some very useful resources. I would take advantage of every one you can.
Thank you, Mark, for your great insights and contributions. And thank you to all the MMCF donors for supporting the youth academically in the Eastern Sierra!
