A Note from Kate
As a child, I always loved sports and fitness. I enjoyed setting athletic goals, striving to reach them, and the sweet satisfaction in achievement. As an adult, I have come to believe that commitment, perseverance, and personal responsibility are key principles by which to live, in athletics, and life beyond.
I have been a high school teacher for over twenty years, and while I have observed many high school students demonstrate the principles of commitment, perseverance and personal responsibility in their extracurricular lives, only a few seem to bring them into their academic lives. This makes sense, because adults – parents and teachers – constantly ask high school students to do things that they have not necessarily agreed to do, or want to do. Most academic work, in the eyes of the high school student, is seen as something to be done for someone else. This can lead to a lack of ownership over one’s work. The Your Score program asks students to shift that paradigm, and approach the test prep process with the same vigor and mindset as their extra-curriculars.
Like a young person takes ownership of their performance in the school play, or on the basketball court, they should take ownership of their college admissions testing preparation. When it comes to test prep, and life in general, this sense of ownership is critical to success, happiness, and the feeling of personal power.
I hope the Your Score system imparts this lesson to the next generation.
Fondly,
Kate Dowling
President, Your Score Prep
Kate Dowling is a passionate, experienced high school teacher, tutor and seasoned writing coach. Over the last 20 years, she has equipped students with the skills, techniques and strategies to achieve success in school, on standardized tests, and in life beyond the classroom. Kate holds a B.A. from Colgate University in both history and education, and an M.A.T. from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has been a public school teacher in Westchester County since 2003, where she has taught various levels of history, government, and psychology.
As a high school student, Kate was the captain of the soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams at Millburn High School in NJ. As a college student, she was the captain of the Colgate University Rowing team. She has since coached basketball, soccer, and volleyball at the high school and middle school levels. According to Kate, the best part of teaching and coaching is witnessing the determination, commitment, and intrinsic motivation of young students and athletes.
