Franklin Yard Q+A: MarySellers Conley

MarySellers Conley, a student at Westminster School in Atlanta, sits down for a Q+A with her tutor at Franklin Yard, Joohyun Kim — sharing how she earned a near-perfect ACT score and the story behind the nonprofit she’s been running since fifth grade.

So let’s start with scores. What did you get on this past test?

I got a 36 on the math section, a 36 on the reading section, and then a 35 on the English.

That’s an incredible score. You were prepping over the course of several months. What do you think were the benefits of working with a tutor versus trying to do things on your own?

I feel like with a tutor, it was really easy to identify the specific areas that I needed to work on. If you’re doing it on your own, it’s harder to identify those, and you kind of end up just studying everything. With JY, I was able to just pick out the things that I really needed to focus on.

If you were giving advice to another student, what mindset would you recommend they try to keep as they’re preparing for the test?

Just — practice makes progress. The more that you do, the better you’ll get. And on actual test day, what I kind of told myself was: there will be other tests. To not put too much pressure on it in the moment. I think that’s what helps me perform better, at least, and it really worked.

Did you have any test anxiety or nerves going in?

Yes, I think at the beginning it definitely affected me, just because I had no idea what I was going into. When I took my first one, it was at a school I’d never been to, and that made me a little more anxious. But the more I took it — I took it twice after my first time — it got a lot better.

Was there anything about the process that turned out to be different than you expected?

I really did think it was going to be this giant, stressful thing that was just weighing on me. And while it was stressful at some points, it was more manageable than I thought. It did take time out of my schedule, definitely, but the material wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected.

Was there anything you were consistently struggling with, or did it feel like steady progress overall?

Sometimes on the English sections in particular, I would be making progress, but then I would forget a small rule or something. Like, we would meet once and I would get a rule down really well, but then the next practice test I took, I would still be getting some wrong — even though I knew the rule. It was just harder to apply it in the moment sometimes.

Were those last few points a lot harder to get than the first few?

I think so. Since it’s such a small margin at the end, it’s very easy to make one small mistake and just not get those points. There’s less room for error. That was definitely an area where I felt more pressure.

What helped you get over that final hump — really finessing those last few points?

I just tried to tell myself to trust myself. If I was second-guessing a question, I reminded myself that I put in the time and the work, and I have the knowledge to do as well as I want to. Just trusting yourself when you’re actually taking the test makes a big difference.

Was there any specific kind of practice that felt the most helpful for getting there?

Not just taking whole practice tests, but doing worksheets on specific areas where I wasn’t as strong. Targeting certain topics and studying those more pointedly than just doing full tests over and over again.

Any final advice for a student who’s about to commit to several months of test prep?

Probably just that over a long timeline, consistency is really key. It doesn’t need to be a huge quantity of work — just as long as it’s consistent and focused.

Tell us about yourself beyond the test. What else is going on in your life?

Outside of school, I run my own nonprofit called The Best Little Bookmobile. It’s kind of what it sounds like — it’s a Sprinter van with built-in bookshelves, and I go to underserved communities on Atlanta’s west side and downtown and give books out to children and families there. It’s a very big part of me.

When did you start it?

I started it in, I think, 5th grade. I had a lot of help from my mom and dad in terms of getting a van. But now I can drive it myself.

Where do the books come from?

My school community and the Atlanta community have been really helpful with providing gently used or new books. Sometimes we get monetary donations, which lets us buy specific ones the kids love — graphic novels are kind of on the more expensive side, but they’re the kids’ absolute favorite.

You can follow The Best Little Bookmobile on Instagram at @thebestlittlebookmobile.

It was a privilege to work with MarySellers, and we’re so proud of what she’s accomplished — both on the test and beyond it. If your child needs support on the SAT or ACT, please reach out for your free consultation.