BELFAST — Preparation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) will be the focus of an upcoming online class through the Hutchinson Center this fall. 

The online course, Prep Matters, is designed for rising high school juniors and seniors who plan to take the SAT this fall. The course will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. - noon. The cost is $240 per session. The session runs Oct. 3–25. More information is available on the Hutchinson Center website.

The redesigned SAT has a total score made up of two parts — verbal skills and math. The average SAT score for students in Maine is 1031 total (College Board report, graduating class of 2018 all Maine schools). According to the College Board, to attain at least a C in a non-remedial college math class, a student must score 530 out of 800 on the math section of the SAT. However, only about 40% of high school students can do so.

According to the Hutchinson Center, course instructor Dr. Mary Smyth says that students need to understand the concepts, not just cram at the last minute to pass a test. For 15 years, Smyth has tutored students for the ACTs, AP Calculus, SATs and SAT subject tests. Under her tutelage, and through their own hard work, most of Smyth’s students have improved their SAT scores by 100-200 points.

Smyth has been teaching algebra through calculus at Watershed School in Camden for over a decade and has coached SAT prep for 15 years. She is a retired pediatrician and is a local expert on college admission testing.  

According to a parent of one of Smyth’s students, “Mary is the ultimate SAT coach – intelligent, patient, funny and, most importantly, she knows the SAT inside and out. Thanks to Mary’s coaching, my daughter’s score dramatically improved from the PSAT to the SAT and she now understands concepts that were confusing to her before. I highly recommend Mary Smyth to anyone looking to improve their SAT score.”

A limited number of scholarships are available. More information about upcoming UMaine professional development programs, registration and need-based scholarship applications are online. For more information or to request an accommodation contact the Early College Program, um.earlycollege@maine.edu; 207.581.8024.

About the Hutchinson Center:

The Hutchinson Center is an outreach center for the University of Maine in Orono, that serves as an educational and cultural center for the midcoast area. It is named for University of Maine President Emeritus Frederick E. Hutchinson. The mission of the Hutchinson Center is to broaden access to University of Maine academic and non-degree programs and services, lifelong learning opportunities, and professional and career development experiences using innovative approaches that increase synergy among University of Maine System entities, University of Maine departments and divisions, and that engage a wider Maine community. 

About the University of Maine: 

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant, sea grant and space grant university. It is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state's only public research university and among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast. It attracts students from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,561 undergraduate and graduate students who have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn master's, doctoral or professional science master's degrees, as well as graduate certificates. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.