Franklin & Brentwood, TN  ·  Williamson County  ·  Nationwide Online

SAT Prep
in Franklin, TN

Private, one-on-one SAT prep coaching built around the digital adaptive test your student will actually face — not the one from five years ago.

17+ Years Coaching ACT & SAT
200+ Families Served
100–200 Typical Point Gain
1540 Real SAT Score from a More Than Standard Student

The Score Came Back.
Now What?

Most parents contact me right after a score comes back. And when they do, it's usually one of two situations.

Situation one: Their student is a strong student. Good GPA. Works hard. Never struggled academically. Then the SAT comes back and they're staring at a number that doesn't look anything like who that student is in the classroom. The student is rattled. The parent is confused.

Situation two: They've already been through prep. Worked the practice tests, put in the hours, felt good going into test day. Then the real score came back — sometimes significantly lower than anything they'd seen in practice. Nobody can explain why.

Why Most SAT Prep Doesn't Stick

  • Watching isn't learning. Video courses show a skilled test-taker solving problems. That doesn't transfer to a student who needs to solve them on their own under real pressure.
  • Nobody corrects the actual error. Students get questions wrong but never understand the specific reasoning mistake that caused it — so they keep making it.
  • The adaptive format requires strategy, not just content. Knowing the material isn't enough. Students need to understand how Module 1 performance shapes Module 2 difficulty — and how to position themselves intentionally.
  • No mental game coaching. Nobody teaches these students to think like an elite athlete under pressure. No Conqueror's Mindset. No identity work. No confidence foundation. That gap costs points every time.
How the Digital SAT Actually Works
Module 1
Reading & Writing — same for every student. Performance here determines the difficulty of Module 2.
Module 2
Adapts based on Module 1 — harder path if your student did well, easier path if they struggled. Harder path = higher scoring ceiling.

Math M1
Same two-module adaptive structure — Module 1 sets the difficulty for Math Module 2.
Math M2
Again — harder module means a higher score range is accessible. Most students don't know this going in.

The goal: Perform well enough on Module 1 that Module 2 is the hard version — because that is the path to the higher score range. Getting there requires knowing the test, not just the content.

How More Than Standard Works

Day one looks different than what most students expect. Before we ever open a test, I spend time getting to know them.

Their interests. Their sport. Their church life. Their dreams — what they want to study, where they want to go. I ask how they feel about tests in general and how they feel about the SAT specifically.

I ask them to rate their confidence on a scale of 1 to 10. And I ask how important God is to them, and whether they believe he actually cares about something like a test score.

Then we work on the foundation before we touch the test. I teach them how to defeat anxiety and build real confidence — not the fake pump-up kind, but the kind that holds up under pressure when the hard Module 2 shows up.

We talk about the power of their words. How as a man thinks in his heart, that's who he becomes. How the tongue is like the rudder of a ship. How elite athletes approach high-stakes performance — and how students can build that same mindset going into a standardized test.

After that, we dig into the test itself.

College Board generated over $185 million in profit in 2023 alone — on nonprofit status — while holding more than $2 billion in cash and investments. They are very good at what they do. Knowing who built this test is part of knowing how to beat it.

01

Rapport & Foundation

Get to know the student — their life, their confidence level, their relationship with God. Build the mindset foundation before touching a single test question.

02

Know the Opponent

College Board is Goliath — over $185M in annual profit, $2B+ in reserves, thousands of employees. The test is built by professionals. We study it like a film scout before we compete.

03

Section-by-Section Mastery

Weekly sessions covering Reading & Writing evidence-based reasoning, grammar rules, and Math — including strategies for both the calculator and no-calculator modules.

04

Adaptive Module Strategy

Students learn how to pace Module 1 intentionally — because getting the harder Module 2 is the goal, not just finishing. That takes strategy, not speed.

05

Timed Practice & Review

Practice under real test conditions. Every wrong answer reviewed until the student understands the exact reasoning error — not just that they got it wrong.

06

Full Dress Rehearsal

Before the official test, students run a complete full-length SAT under timed conditions. No surprises on test day. No first-time experiences in the actual exam room.

What I Actually Teach

The SAT Reading and Writing section is not a traditional reading comprehension test. Every question has one demonstrably correct answer and three demonstrably wrong ones. Students who learn to prove the right answer from the text — rather than guess based on what sounds right — score significantly higher than students who rely on instinct.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

Evidence-Based Answer Selection

Every Reading & Writing answer is provable from the passage. Students learn to stop relying on gut feel and start anchoring every answer to specific textual evidence — the way the test is actually scored.

Grammar Without the Guesswork

The SAT grammar questions test a specific and learnable set of rules: punctuation, agreement, modifier placement, transitions. Students learn the exact rules that appear on the test and stop guessing.

Math — Concept Over Procedure

The SAT Math tests algebraic reasoning, data analysis, and problem-solving — not just arithmetic. Students learn to work efficiently through both modules, including on the no-calculator section, by understanding the math at the conceptual level.

Module 1 Pacing Strategy

Most students rush Module 1. That's a mistake. Students learn to pace Module 1 so they're positioned to get the harder Module 2 — which is where the higher score range opens up. Intentional strategy, not just speed.

What Results Actually Look Like

The national SAT average is 1024. There is a lot of room to move from that number with the right preparation and the right mindset going in.

A 1400 puts a student in the top 6% nationally. That changes the scholarship conversation at most schools. A 1500 or higher puts a student in the top 1% — and changes it at nearly every school.

What Leads to the Best Results

Students who improve the most aren't the ones who practice the most — they're the ones who understand every question they got wrong and why. Practice without review is just repeating errors with confidence.

Starting early matters too. Students who begin prep with more than one test date ahead of them have room to assess, adjust, and come back stronger. Most students in Williamson County take both the ACT and the SAT, then focus their final prep on whichever test produced the higher starting score. A diagnostic session early in the process can tell you which direction to go.

1024 National SAT average — significant room for improvement with real preparation and real strategies
1400 Top 6% nationally — the score that changes the scholarship conversation at most schools
1540 One of the highest SAT scores achieved by a More Than Standard student from Williamson County

Is This Right for Your Student?

Not every student is ready for this, and that's worth saying plainly. Here's how to know.

This works well for students who…

  • Want to understand the test, not just memorize tricks
  • Are willing to review errors and understand why they happened
  • Have a real target — a school, a scholarship, a specific score goal
  • Will practice consistently between sessions with real materials
  • Have enough time ahead of them to take the test more than once
  • Have parents who are engaged and invested in the process

This is a harder fit for students who…

  • Are looking for a shortcut that bypasses the work
  • Have a test in two weeks with no foundation yet
  • Aren't bought in — here only because a parent required it
  • Won't review wrong answers or apply the methods taught
  • Aren't ready for the investment that premium coaching requires

I'll work with any student who shows up. But a student who won't do the work will improve less than they're capable of — and that's on the table from day one.

Matt Hallock
SAT & ACT Coach · Franklin, TN
17 Years
200+ Families
800 SAT Math

About Matt Hallock

I have been teaching the SAT for 17 years. Seven of those years I spent working for one of the top test prep companies in New York — a company that trained me to teach this test at the highest level, not just score well on it.

The Story That Actually Matters

When I first applied for that position, I told them honestly: there's no way I can teach the SAT math section. They handed me a diagnostic test anyway.

I scored an 800 on math. Which, for the record, was better than my 750 on English — and I was the guy who said he couldn't teach math.

I had scored a 1340 on the SAT in high school — decent, nothing I was proud of. But somewhere between taking the test as a teenager and sitting down with it as an adult, something clicked. I understood it at a completely different level. That moment told me something about what I was built to do.

My Real Resume

Look at the scores. Look at what parents say. The results are the resume.

See the Results

Schools We Work With

Students from these schools and more have worked with More Than Standard for SAT prep in Franklin, Brentwood, and across Williamson County, TN.

Franklin High School Ravenwood High School Independence High School Centennial High School Brentwood High School Page High School Summit High School Nolensville High School Battleground Academy Christ Presbyterian Academy Franklin Classical School Williamson County Homeschool Fairview High School Spring Hill High School Online / Nationwide

The Honest Version

If your student is willing to do the work, and you start with enough time, there is a real path to a significantly better score. I have seen it happen too many times to doubt it.

What I do not offer is a guarantee based on time and effort I cannot control. What I do offer is instruction at a level that is genuinely different from what most students have access to — specific, precise, built on 17 years of understanding exactly how this test is constructed and what it takes to perform well on it.

I also do my best to help every student encounter God in such a life-changing way that they remember this as more than test prep. A settled confidence. A sense of who they actually are. That is always the real goal — the score is the outcome, the student is the point.

What You Actually Get

  • Personalized instruction built around your student's specific gaps and target score
  • Real teaching on the digital adaptive format — not recycled paper-SAT strategies
  • Section-by-section mastery: evidence-based reading, grammar rules, math at the conceptual level
  • Adaptive module strategy — how to intentionally position for the harder Module 2
  • Detailed review of every practice test — every error explained, not just marked wrong
  • Guidance on test timing, scheduling, and whether ACT or SAT is the better fit
  • Support on extended time accommodations if applicable

One More Thing

Many families in Williamson County don't know whether to do the SAT or the ACT. I can help you figure that out easily — I'll supply practice tests from each so your student can see where they land without having to burn an official test date. If you're not sure which test to prioritize, let me know, and we'll come up with a plan.

And if at any point you have a concern or a frustration — tell me. I want to hear it. I'd rather you be honest with me than quietly unsatisfied.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A typical student working with More Than Standard gains 100–200 points. The highest SAT score achieved through this program is 1540. Results depend on starting score, the amount of time available, and whether the student applies the methods taught between sessions.
Most students in Williamson County take both and then focus on whichever produced the higher starting score. The SAT rewards evidence-based reading and precision reasoning. The ACT rewards speed and science reasoning. A short diagnostic can show which test gives your student the better starting position — and that matters a lot.
The current SAT is fully digital and adaptive. It has two sections — Reading and Writing, and Math — each broken into two modules. If a student does well on Module 1, Module 2 gets harder, but the scoring ceiling rises too. Most prep materials on the market were built for the old paper test. This program teaches the format your student will actually face.
A few reasons. Most programs use materials not calibrated to the digital adaptive format. Many use tutors who are good test-takers but haven't been trained to teach the test to someone else. And almost none address the mental side — confidence, mindset, and how a student performs when the pressure is real. That's usually what's missing.
Yes, and this is one of the areas where I spend the most time early in the process. I teach specific strategies for defeating anxiety and building genuine confidence. We look at how elite athletes approach high-stakes performance. For students of faith, we go deeper into what Scripture says about identity and capability. Test anxiety is real, and it's addressable.
I've written letters on behalf of students who were initially denied extended time and had their appeals approved after submitting my letter. Extended time must be applied for and approved through College Board before test day — it cannot be added last minute. If your student has a legitimate need and has been denied, reach out and let's talk about it.
Both. I work with students locally in the Franklin and Brentwood, TN area, as well as with students nationwide online. The process is identical either way.
At most Tennessee universities, a 1200+ starts to open doors. A 1400 puts a student in the top 6% nationally and makes them competitive for merit scholarships at selective schools. A 1500+ is genuinely elite. I help students understand the specific score they need based on the schools they're targeting — not just a vague "higher is better" goal.

Let's Talk About Your Student.

A free consultation call is 30 minutes. No obligation. I'll listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly what I think I can do for your student.

Schedule Your Free Consultation

Let's Talk About Your Student.

Fill out the form and I'll be in touch within 24 hours. Or call or text directly — I'm a real person, and I actually answer.

Phone / Text
Service Area
Franklin, Brentwood & Williamson County, TN — plus Online Nationwide
Investment

Premium, one-on-one coaching priced to reflect 17 years of experience and real results. Reach out for current rates — and ask about the free 30-minute consultation call.

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