• Home
• About Dr. Pace
• Programs
• Schedule
• Products
• Success
• Newsletters
• Contact

Dr. Pace's Updated Instructional Products

Dr. Pace's Book:
The Last of the Dragon Slayers: The Ultimate Guides to Personal Best Performance

Dr. Pace's CD:
Tests, Learning, Talent: Slaying Dragons

Vocabulary Flash Cards

Math Flash Cards:
for High School Entrance and Scholarship Tests

Grammar Flash Cards

Dr. Pace's New Book
on Amazon

Success!

For recent successes and student photos, see Dr. Pace's Newsletters. The following information, from and about former students, still holds true!

	Ingredients for a Perfect Score! Scoring a perfect 2400 on the SAT® is a rare event. So, what can account for Julie B’s perfect performance on the October 2012 SAT® test? Written by Dr. Patricia Sisca Pace, with deepest gratitude for having had the opportunity to work with Julie!
Julie B., 11th grade student, scored a perfect 2400 on the October 2012 SAT®!
Family ~ Julie and her family, especially her parents, do more than value education: they prioritize and love learning. Early Start ~ Although natural ability is essential, exposure and practice are equally valuable. Julie came to me when she was in the sixth grade, as a member of my Whiz Kids series. The ultimate goal of SAT® prep may be college entry and scholarship, but to the receptive and perceptive learner, the knowledge learned along the way is priceless. For Julie, her early exposure to the SAT® was a springboard upon which she honed her critical thinking skills, built vocabulary, mastered the rules of grammar and writing needed for the clear articulation of her ideas, and forged a path into the compelling magic of mathematics. After the Whiz Kids, and while she was still in grade school, Julie enrolled in every SAT® workshop and special program I offered for my high school students. As a sophomore, she was ready for my 25-hour course. The Whole Person ~ Julie’s parents know that all test-takers, including Julie, are more than just minds. When students enter the testing site, they are complete persons with bodies, emotions, minds, and spirits. All components can work together for the good of the whole person, or not. For this reason, it is important to show students how to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy on test day. Julie learned effective holistic techniques in my SAT® Retreat program. God ~ For those students who may possess the characteristics discussed above but who may not achieve a perfect score, I believe the answer can be found in the SAT® Retreat student workbook, in the section on trust. “All three of my children have benefited so much from Dr. Pace and her courses. She engaged them in stimulating, sophisticated learning that was far beyond what they could learn in the regular classroom setting. Her infectious enthusiasm and talent for recognizing and validating each individual student’s strengths has been an invaluable part of their education and their development as young men and women. We are so grateful to her for sharing her gifts with us!” - Joanne B., Julie’s mom

Point Increases from Dr. Pace's
Most Recent Seminars

The following list shows the point increases of students who took one of Dr. Pace’s Comprehensive SAT^® Seminars in 2012 and who agreed to have their accomplishments posted. It is important to note that point increase measures improvement; it does not indicate scores. Several of these students will likely win prestigious National Merit Scholarships, and many others have a chance to win.

This partial list shines a light on the hard-earned improvements of some of Dr. Pace’s remarkable young students who put their trust in her unique, holistic approach to the SAT^®. Dr. Pace is grateful to have had the honor to work with these students, as well as all of the other fine young people she has taught.

Ordered Alphabetically

Four Measures of Success of Dr. Pace’s Programs

1. Point Increase

Point increase is a primary measure of the success of a test-prep program

The Following Sample of Students Attended Dr. Pace's 25-hour SAT^® Academic + Retreat Seminar in the 2009-2010 school year

National Merit Winners:

• Shannon Keenan +390 point increase, Nazareth Academy
• Kyra Krass +110 point increase, Nazareth Academy
• Melanie Sweeney +160 point increase, Nazareth Academy
• KC Farrell - - 290 point increase, Mount Saint Joseph Academy

Notable SAT/NMSQT^® Point Increases by Students in the 2009-2010 School Year:

• Jessica Eng +380 point increase, Saint Hubert's
• Hannah Farrell +260 points, Mount Saint Joseph Academy
• John Doherty +310 points, Roman Catholic
• Brianna Kain +320 points, Saint Basil Academy
• Tracey Wong +220 points, Council Rock North
• James Innes +230 points, Bishop McDevitt
• Ashley Debilzen +300 points, Nazareth Academy
• Alicia Roselli +340 points, Nazareth Academy
• Patrick O’Brien +300 points, Cardinal Dougherty
  

Average Point Change: 180 point increase

• Seniors: 160 point increase
• Juniors: 182 point increase
• Sophomores: 210 point increase

Of the Catholic High School participants in Dr. Pace’s summer 2008 Combined Program: 95% showed an overall increase in total point change; 5% stayed the same—that is, between -10 and +10

Statistics on Dr. Pace’s High School Entrance and Scholarship program

The average TerraNova National Percentiles of the students who took Dr. Pace’s academic and holistic programs were two times higher than the average National Percentiles of their classmates at their parish schools.

2010-2011 School Year Samples of Success:

• Sarah Tarczewski has received a scholarship to Nazareth Academy High School and Archbishop Ryan High School.
• Sarah Rossman received academic scholarships from Mount St. Joseph's Academy H.S. and Gwynedd-Mercy Academy High School.  She will be attending Mount St. Joseph's. Sarah offers this testimonial: "Dr. Pace's High School Preparation classes gave me the overall confidence going into the test that I had done everything possible to prepare and succeed.  Her systematic approach to solving the different types of questions on the reading and math sections gave me the skills I needed to solve problems that I might have otherwise guessed at."

  Testimony:
  

  - Dear Dr. Pace, I wanted to take the time to thank you personally for helping my sister Snega Kalaparambath attain the Neumann Scholarship. We are all very proud of her and want to thank you for your review class and preparation books which most definitely assisted her in gaining this prestigious scholarship award. Thank you again and God bless!  Sangeeta Kalaparambath (Snega is an 8th grade student at Maternity B.V.M.)

  ~ "I would like to share my good news with you. I feel you are a part of my children's success. Scotty recieved scholarships to Roman ($2,000 per year), Judge ($2,000 per year) and LaSalle &(6,500 per year). He will be going to LaSalle . Thank you." Sincerely, Joan Schroeder

2009-2010 School Year

• Alyssa McFadden was accepted at Mt. Saint Joseph Academy and Gwynedd Mercy Academy. Alyssa was also invited to sit for the Neumann Scholarship. She will attend Archbishop Wood. Alyssa looks forward to being a part of their new "strings" program.
• Devin Norton will attend the Peddie School.
• Nolan Iorio will attend Holy Ghost Prep.
• Samantha Eberle was accepted to all schools she applied to.  Samantha will attend Mount Saint Joseph
• Karli Pensabene was accepted to Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

2. Scholarships

Another important measure of the success of a test-prep program is whether or not the participants are awarded scholarships.

• Mary Harkins, Principal of Archbishop Wood High School, reports that approximately 80% of her National Merit candidates have taken Dr. Pace’s SAT Retreat, which is regularly offered at Archbishop Wood.
• A group of thirty-three 8th grade students who took Dr. Pace’s Dragon Slayer Series received over $146,000 dollars in scholarship money.  Among those scholarship recipients is Christine McLane.  Mr. and Mrs. McLane wrote this letter to Dr. Pace:
  "Our daughter, Christine McLane, is a current 8th grade student at St. Cecilia School in Fox Chase. She attended your Whiz Kids program and your HSPT prep class. I wanted to inform you that Christine was accepted to NazarethAcademy and St. Basil Academy. Her performance scores and her performance ratings on the entrance exams were extremely high. She was awarded a $6,000 scholarship to St. Basil Academy due to her high scores. Christine also sat for the scholarship exam at Little FlowerHigh School and was awarded a $14,000 scholarship for her academic performance on the exam. We wanted to share this great news and to thank you for your wonderful prep classes. We feel that your guidance and instruction assisted Christine in achieving her goals. Christine will definitely be attending more of your classes throughout her high school years. Thank you so much!"
• Kyle Eng - Connelly Scholarship for 4 years, attending Archbishop Ryan
• "Thanks to Dr. Pace's SAT Retreat seminar, I learned more than how to successfully answer the test questions. As a class we were taught how to calm our nerves, gain confidence in our abilities and many other things along the way. The program is definitely a unique approach to SAT prep, which is what makes it so helpful. I truly feel the seminar gave me an edge in the college admission process and helped me gain admission to the schools of my choice.   I will be attending George Washington University in the fall on an academic scholarship, and I also received money from all the other schools I was accepted to."     - Gabrielle Geonnotti, Nazareth Academy 2010
• More testimonies are available throughout this web site.

3. Far-Reaching Effects

Students and administrators, alike, notice that the positive effects of Dr. Pace’s holistic programs extend far beyond standardized tests.

• Mary Kate Gasiewski, Nazareth Academy, class of 2010, went up 290 points on her SAT.  She offers this testimony about the far-reaching effects: " Dr. Pace’s SAT Retreat program, with its encouragement of an all-around healthy lifestyle, teaches through life lessons, lessons that will get you through not only the SAT but also through a handful of situations. The retreat helped me realize what to expect of myself mentally and how to prepare myself physically and emotionally. It taught me essential tactics that will undoubtedly help me with future problem-solving." 
• George W. Bur, S.J., President of St. Joseph's Preparatory School, Philadelphia, and founder of the Ignatian College Connection Program: "Pat's SAT Retreat program assures uncertain students that they have what it takes for the grueling SAT exam. The program encourages them to reach the peak of their potential by teaching them traditional spiritual techniques not only to reduce anxiety but also to engage the positive energies that are gifts from their Creator. Students learn, moreover, how to prepare in the weeks leading up to the SAT, just as an athlete might prepare for competition, making use of proper diet, exercise and rest. Their interest in achievement on the SAT encourages students to learn important spiritual skills that will be with them for life."
• Mrs. Sheila Amrhein says this about the broad effects of Dr. Pace’s holistic high school entrance program: "Dr. Pace charters new territory in test preparation. Helping your child identify some of the "emotional dragons" preventing personal best achievement is invaluable. This holistic approach has application in all aspects of life and it was particularly helpful to share the experience with my son."

4. Sampling of Schools

One measure of the success of a program is the number of schools that use it. The following is a sampling of schools that have used Dr. Pace’s programs:

• Saint Basil Academy High School, Fox Chase Manor, PA - Read St. Basil's letter of recommendation regarding the SAT Retreat Program
• Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, PA
• Nazareth Academy High School, Philadelphia, PA
• St. Joseph's Prep, Philadelphia, PA
• Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, Philadelphia, PA 
• West Catholic High School, Philadelphia, PA
• Villa Maria Academy, Malvern, PA 
• Rome Catholic, Rome, NY
• Cardinal Dougherty High School, Philadelphia, PA 
• The Ignatian College Connection at St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
• St. Cecilia School, Philadelphia, PA
• Holy Martyrs School, Oreland, PA
• Queen of Peace School, Ardsley, PA
• St. Martin de Porres School, Philadelphia, PA
• Presentation BVM School, Cheltenham, PA
• Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami, FL
• The Mary Louis Academy, Queens, NY 
• Fontbonne Hall Academy, Brooklyn, NY
• Saint Saviour High School, Brooklyn, NY
• Bishop Kearney High School, Brooklyn, NY
• Xaverian High School, Brooklyn, NY
• St. Joseph of the Palisades High School, West New York, NJ
• Christ the King Prep, Cristo Rey, Newark, NJ

Articles about Dr. Pace's Programs

• Dr. Pace is Featured!
  Catholic Spotlight Interview with CatholicMom.com
  "The Correlation Between Faith and Academic Excellence"
  ~posted 1/22/12~
• Intelligencer Newspaper Article
  featuring Dr. Pace's Programs! (8/11)
• "Slaying the SAT^®Dragon"
  A feature article - Catholic Standard & Times, (2/22/11)
• "Tests Measure Many Things and Prepping Can Help"
  Dr. Pace's Published Response in the Wall Street Journal (6/3/09)
• Putting God To the Test: God and the SAT^® 
  As published in the September/October 2007 issue of Momentum Magazine - the journal of the National Catholic Educational Association.
  
• God and the SAT^®: Spiritual/Academic Retreat at TMLA
  As published in the August 23, 2008 edition of The Tablet - the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Copyright 2025
Dr. Pace, Inc.

SAT ^®is a registered trademark of the College Board.
The College Board was not involved in the production of any of Dr. Pace's programs or publications, and does not endorse any of her products.

PSAT/NMSQT^® is a registered trademark of the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.