Carolyn Scanniello (owner/instructor)started our SAT business in 1990. She is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a BA in History and a Masters of Education specializing in learning disabilities. She has tutored SAT preparation skills individually and in small groups for over 25 years. Carolyn created our unique curriculum, provides all instructor training and lectures occasionally on the subject of SAT/ACT preparation. She also personally conducts all GRE preparation sessions.

Chris Scanniello (instructor)started with our organization in 2009. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering. After 11+ years in the semiconductor industry working as a software engineer, he is returning to student instruction. He was a private tutor in both high school and college. He conducts all sections of the Regular and Honors SAT and ACT classes (group and individual) as well as works with students in all other classes offered.

Melissa Radtke (instructor)started with our organization in 2008 and conducts the Critical Reading course. She is a graduate of State University College at Potsdam with a BA in American History-Magna Cum Laude and an MA in American History from Syracuse University. Additionally, she has an MA in History Museum Studies from Cooperstown Graduate Programs and completed the Virginia Department of Education Career Switcher Program at the University of Virginia. After holding several museum leadership positions, she began to teach in the Chesterfield County School system specializing in social studies and language arts. During 2006-2007, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year.

Chris Perry (instructor)started with our organization in 2009. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a BS in Business Administration. Chris has over 10 years of business experience and is currently employed as a buyer in the auto industry. He has corporate training experience and conducts the Pre-Strategy Math Skills Review course.

Anne Brinkley (business manager)started with our organization in 2000. She is a graduate of Radford University with a BS in Criminal Justice and a concentration in Psychology. After working in the retention department of a financial services firm, she began planning and creating our class offerings and schedules. She works with students and parents in customizing our classes to fit their needs and priorities. Additionally, she handles our credit card processing activities.

 FAQ's    

• What is unique about CSS Tutoring?

Answer:  We restrict our classes to small groups of students which helps us individualize our course content. We offer "Honors" level preparation for those who have scored above the 1200 mark on a recent SAT math and critical reading combined score or the ACT equivalent. We encourage most students to take our basic seven hour instructional course (all homework is completed outside of class). Instead of keeping students for long periods of time, we have found that instructing them and letting them do the practice outside of class seems to work well with busy student schedules. We also can offer some flexibility if classes must be missed if we know in advance and can make arrangements for make up. We offer additional individual tutoring for those students who have completed an individual package or a group class. Individual tutoring packages for those who prefer to do their entire preparation individually are also offered. We will customize instruction to fit any need. 

• How does the PSAT differ from the SAT?

Answer:  The PSAT is two hours and ten minutes with five sections and the SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes with ten sections. The SAT is longer than all of the graduate school admission exams with the exception of the MCAT(medical school admissions test). The format is the same as the PSAT(just more questions on the SAT) except that the PSAT does not include the essay that is located as the first section on the SAT. It also does not include all the math concepts that appear on the SAT nor does the PSAT have an extra, experimental section like the SAT. The Critical Reading sections are exactly the same level and format on either the PSAT or the SAT as are the Writing Skills Sections. The junior year PSAT is important for National Merit Scholars and for anyone seeking scholarships of other types as it often serves as the starting point for some scholarships. (The sophomore year PSAT is only practice and does not count for scholarships in most circumstances). For regular students, the PSAT is practice for the real event, the SAT. 

• When should I prepare for the SATs?

Answer:  I recommend that most students take a class before the junior year PSAT test date (October). The PSAT can serve as a practice forum for all the strategies learned in the course. Since PSAT results do not go to colleges, students will have an opportunity to review their performance before taking an actual SAT. Most colleges use the best combination of scores from any number of test dates. Check with individual colleges about specific program requirements. Also note that the junior year PSAT is the official PSAT for National Merit and other merit based scholarships offered by companies, etc. as explained above.  

• If I do not prepare before the junior year PSAT, when should I take a class?

Answer:  You should take a class that concludes right before the first SAT you are registered to take. Preferably, students should choose as a first test one of the test dates that offers the Question and Answer Service so that performance can be reviewed.  Not all test dates have the question and answer service available.The Student Answer Service does not include the booklet of questions, only a list of which questions are right and which are wrong. Check with www.Collegeboard.com for the Question and Answer Service test dates. Typically they offer this service in January, May and October. The ACT also provides a TIR (Questions and Answers). Taking a test without instruction is only advisable if a student already has a strong history of strong standardized test performance. Knowledge of SAT test taking strategies is a strong component of success on the test. Students who wait for the Spring tests often have conflicts with sports, prom, AP exams, etc. It is difficult for a student to balance activities plus SAT/ACT prep. 

• How predictable is the PSAT of SAT performance?

Answer:  The PSAT is only about 2 hours long, does not have an essay, and since 2005 does not include all math concepts that can appear on the SAT. The PSAT is probably less predictive of actual SAT performance than it has ever been, in my opinion, because of the absence of all possible math problems and the much shorter length. It is still a good place to practice strategies in a real test setting and to learn how to manage the time. The PSAT also may indicate a stronger ACT score if math and writing skills are higher than critical reading. 

• What should I do after the first test is taken?

Answer:  Wait for the results and schedule the next test to allow time to review the results of the first test. We offer follow up/review groups to build on previously learned skills for those who need that or just need review. At this point, many students will schedule individual sessions to go over results and plan for further review if needed. We are only an e-mail away if you have questions. 

• Should I take the ACT?

Answer: Every student should consider the ACT if standardized testing is not a strong point. We highly recommend taking a full ACT practice test in the summer before junior or senior year to determine the suitability of this test for each student's needs. Most colleges will use scores from either the ACT or the SAT for admission. Go to www.actstudent.org to find the practice test under the "test prep" tab. The ACT is a 3 hour and 30 minute test consisting of 4 sections. For some, the ACT is a good choice. Vocabulary is not important on the ACT and the reading comprehension section is a smaller portion of the overall score than it is on the SAT. Most colleges will use either score so there is no reason not to consider this test if the SAT is weaker than students need for the college of their choice. Since students have not taken a pretest like they have for the SAT a practice test should be considered before investing time and money into preparation for this test. The practice test can be obtained from most guidance offices as part of the registration materials available for the ACT. There is significant overlap between this test and the SAT so most students do not need as much strategy preparation, just a review of the differences and some practice. Since most students in this area of the country do not take the ACT until after they have taken the SAT our ACT classes are targeted towards this group. We do not repeat information the student has learned in the SAT classes. We do remind them of some of the strategies from the SAT class without the detailed examples from the SAT class. This approach keeps the student from bearing the expense of two complete courses that have considerable overlap in strategies.