Winter term
January to March

Our SAT Critical Thinking course description: In this course, we will sharpen the essential reasoning skills that students need to succeed in high school and beyond. We will develop their abilities to read passages quickly and efficiently, identifying which parts are most important. We will also teach students to approach texts as critics, and not simply passive observers, showing them that understanding what an author is trying to do is only a starting point, and that true comprehension involves being able to identify the author’s successes and failures. We will place a heavy emphasis on logic and mathematical reasoning.

This description can be used for college applications and college summer programs. I routinely write letters of recommendation for students stating that they participated in a critical thinking course with Lee Academics. Our Critical Thinking Course will teach students to think with the medium of SAT questions.

Lee Academics SAT Critical Thinking Course (40 hours) includes:

• 30 instructional hours of lessons
• Up to 10 office hours
• Up to 3 proctored exams
• Access to 60+ real College Board SAT exams. It is highly advantageous to study many exams.

Reading, English

• Critical reading section – introduction to and procedure for each of the segments
• Critical reading (more in depth) – analyzing and deconstructing difficult passages with the intent of improving general critical reading skills as well as attempting to define words by context alone.
• English section – grammar, rules and tips.
• The test – How to read the test makers. Lee Academics teachers can answer questions on the SAT critical reading sections with more than 50% accuracy without reading the relevant passages. Our teachers can also get close to 50% correct without even reading the question based on certain tells.
• Essential guessing and test taking strategies (no scoring penalty for the SAT).
• Basic Introduction to the SAT – What it is, time periods, how it’s graded.

Lee Academics SAT Critical Thinking teachers:

• Mamie Lee Nicholson: My math students will have the extreme advantage of working with me on the SAT math. I already know your math skill level. I know your school math books and teachers. I will know how to teach you the SAT math based on our math experience together and my vast experience with the local school districts books and teachers. Many of you are already familiar with my style of teaching. Some of the other prep companies have multiple math instructors teaching different topics in math. Learning various teaching styles can be confusing. As in my math tutoring prep courses, I have a plethora of material to draw from to teach students concepts for the SAT. Additionally, based on a student’s school, teacher and percent earned in the math class, I will know that student’s ability level. For 3 decades, I have taught students from many of the bay area tri-city schools and private schools. Additionally, Lee Academics has also taught SAT, ACT, math, philosophy courses and Pathways to College for the James Logan High School forensics team with Dr. Tommie Lindsey. I am so fortunate to do what I love every day. I love teaching math and talking about education. It is amazing to wake up each day and shine light to those in “math darkness,” to be able to build students minds, to promote education. I am so privileged to work with so many great students, parents and educators. Many of my students become my friends. Thanks for the great adventure.

• Scott Nicholson: Scott started teaching SAT for Lee Academics as a sophomore in high school. Many of his SAT and ACT students attribute their success on the English, reading, writing and science to Scott’s teaching. Over his years of teaching, Scott has developed methods of teaching to make reading comprehension easier for students. Some students report being able to hear Scott as they take the SAT or ACT exams. Scott had a 4.7 GPA at James Logan High School. In Scott’s high school junior and senior years and as a Lee Academics instructor, Scott taught SAT/ACT at James Logan High School for Dr. Tommie Lindsey’s speech and debate team. Scott attended Rice University with a 4-year half tuition scholarship and a 2-year research fellowship before returning to California for medical reasons, finishing his degree at UC Davis. Scott is a National Merit Finalist and received many full-ride scholarship offers.

Advantages of SAT test prep with Lee Academics:

• Our instructors will teach students to understand words. We teach students to break up words into components.
• Students will learn how to analyze the meaning of these vocabulary words.
• Most classes are 10-15 students
• Our teachers will go over student’s mistakes so that they can learn the concepts missed. This will be done individually, small groups or with the main class.
• We will use many practice SAT questions in our Critical Thinking Course. We will go over your questions. For the math, Mamie will teach you the background math of each problem. This will help students to do problems of similar topics.
• Mamie has extremely detailed knowledge of the SAT. Mamie teaches all math/SAT/PSAT/ACT/AP calculus. Mamie is familiar with the teaching styles of many local math teachers. Based on who a student’s math teachers have been, Mamie will usually know about a student’s math knowledge level.
• Mamie will teach tricks and shortcuts to make math problems easier.
• Geometry is a foreign language to some students. Mamie will teach the geometry necessary for the SAT test.
• Mamie will teach a math logic in class. Some SAT problems can be logic based.

Many of Lee Academics SAT students do very well on their first try at the SAT. Work hard. Aim high. We will help you to get the score of your dreams.

SAT Critical Thinking Course cost and discounts – Please email for details.
Group rates are offered for students registering for a SAT Critical Thinking Course with concurrent enrollment of students new to Lee Academics.

ACT and SAT comparison