Plan, Prepare, Perform eBook Authors

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We are collaborating with a suite of experts to write, edit, and build awareness for our new book about performing much better than you ever thought possible on standardized tests.  

Plan, Prepare, Perform - How to Improve Performance on Standardized Testswas written by:

Lead Author: Mark Skoskiewicz - Founder, MyGuru

Mark graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Finance and minors in Philosophy and History. He was also an undergraduate assistant instructor with the economics department and a private economics, finance, and accounting tutor.  After completing a 6+ year career in business strategy consulting where he helped very large companies analyze and implement major strategic decisions, he attended Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.  At Kellogg, he studied Marketing and Entrepreneurship, and took a class on Education Management. Based on his experiences preparing for the ACT and the GMAT and as a private economics tutor, he founded MyGuru, a boutique provider of highly customized tutoring and test prep for individuals and small groups.

As an "average" student in high school who experienced the benefits of setting goals, long term planning, proper study habits, and effective time management in college and beyond, Mark is very interested in understanding why and how students succeed academically. He believes passionately in the power of adopting a growth mindset, displaying grit, practicing deliberately in a highly focused manner, and using specific strategies to build your intelligence.  In fact, he believes that many powerful strategic principles used by large companies to succeed in the marketplace, principles related to goal setting, analyzing facts, considering alternatives, and creating plans, can be used by students to improve their academic performance.

In addition to consistently reading, writing, and speaking with tutors and students about how to improve academic performance, he continues to educate himself in more structured ways. He is currently enrolled in a UCSanDiego online course titled "Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects" as well as a UCBerkelyX online course titled "The Science of Happiness." Finally, Mark has completed Mindset Work's Professional Development Course on the growth mindset.

Co-author: Mike Zillis, PhD - Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Senior MyGuru Test Prep Tutor

Mike holds a B.S. in Political Science, History, and Mathematics from Miami University in Ohio, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan.  He is currently an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University, but he maintains an active roster of private tutoring clients at a wide range of age and skill levels.  His particular contribution to our new book is oriented around the process of customizing a study plan to improve the studying process.  He also has an interest in understanding confidence issues and working with students to overcome them.

Co-author: Lucas Fink - SAT and TOEFL Test Prep Expert with Magoosh

Lucas holds a B.A. from Bard College. Standardized tests and English grammar are two of Lucas’s favorite things, and he’s been teaching both since 2008. Between his time at Bard College and his time spent teaching abroad, he’s tried to learn a total of three other languages. He speaks none of them well.

Editor: Ryan Haggerty - Professional Journalist

Ryan graduated Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He spent five years as a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times, and is currently a News Editor for the Northwestern University Alumni Magazine.