<p>I don’t know what kind of environment dragonboy is in. In my area, there’s no pressure. Kids want to do it then parents kind of help. but nobody ever do a prep school or anything like that. I know a couple kids in middle school who just took the SAT. They did well. Their parents don’t give them any pressure. They do tons of other things as well. I don’t think they sacrificed much by taking the SAT early. They did well because they are smart. But of course “well” is based on their age. For example, they get 1700 total or something like that, you can imagine a smart 12 yo getting that without much prep. They qualify for CTY and they are very happy. As far as I know, their parents did not spend any money for it except for the books. </p>
<p>But other areas may be different. It is outrageous to know there are kids who spend hours everyday to prep. OMG. What do they get from life!!! I think if I were a parent I would definitely defy that.</p>