<p>My D is a sophmore, when is the best time for her to take an SAT prep course? We're thinking this summer. Thanks!</p>
<p>I'd go online, get the SAT question of the day e-mailed to her and buy the book of past sample SAT tests. They'll have all the tips she needs to practice, and she can do it a little at a time instead of launching into a course.</p>
<p>Take course this summer, take SAT in October--all as a warm up for the PSaT in the fall. I know, it sounds backwards, but if your kid can score high enough to be a National Merit Semi-finalist, there might be some scholarship $$ in it for you.</p>
<p>Take it when it interferes the least with other stuff and you have the most time to focus on the prep. The SAT question of the day is a really good idea for now (if she'll pay attention to it!).</p>
<p>I've had the SAT question emailed to her and she says she deletes it 'too stressful'. I can see her point...I guess it would be like having the IRS send me tax tips leading up to April 15! :)
I think she'll do it this summer. Her school offers it at a reasonable price, and it will get junior year started on the right foot.</p>
<p>Taking it in the summer is a good idea. It will help her with the PSATs. However, make sure as well that she keeps up with the techniques she's learned before she takes the SAT itself.</p>
<p>I would not suggest that she take the test in October. It may still be too early. The downside to taking it too early is that you cannot decide which SAT scores to send to colleges; you must send them all. The aim at this point should be to improve PSAT scores. </p>
<p>She'll learn a lot in the first semester of junior year. I would wait until January to take the first SAT. My d did that, and that was the only one she needed to take.</p>
<p>I didn't suggest my D prep in summer because she has 10 weeks off and was working 40-50 hours a week for eight of them so I wanted her to have some free time. Her course was all January and February 4-8 hours a week and she took the test in March. Most kids in her school take it in March/May junior year.</p>
<p>I'm fairly sure my D deleted the question of the day too!!!</p>
<p>Our high school offers prep courses on Sat. mornings during the school year (tough for athletes, I know, but just to give you an idea about the timing): SAT in fall, ACT Jan-Apr. The ACT course ends right before our state testing dates, which include the ACT.</p>
<p>I told my D we'd wait to see how she did on the PSAT and then decide if she needed a prep class. She tends to do well on standardized tests, and has no Ivy ambitions. DS did extremely well on PSAT without any coaching, made the first round of NMS, but that was it. We figure NMS is so rare it's not worth stressing D out to study to try to qualify for it.</p>
<p>DS did the SAT question of the day. But I think DD would just delete them.</p>
<p>For fun, have the SAT Question of the day sent to yourself, and use it as a brainteaser! See how well the old brain still functions! (and maybe get some sympathy for your kids, ha ha).</p>
<p>My D took an SAT course in the summer after her sophomore year, then took the test in October of her junior year -- and didn't have to take it again. It was a huge relief! The benefit of that approach is that most kids have more time (and mental space) to actually focus on the course during the summer, especially for athletes. There's also a benefit of knowing where you stand relatively by the spring of junior year (i.e., what colleges are realistic options). As has been pointed out, the downside is that one may gain some more knowledge and maturity to perform better later in the junior year or fall of the senior year. This is exactly the situation for my S, now a sophomore. Although he almost certainly will have to take the test again, we feel he'll gain more experience and confidence. I'm told that colleges only look at the highest scores, though that may be naive of me. It's a tough call if in fact the colleges actually look at lower scores. Anyone know what the protocol is on that? Sorry for being so long-winded.</p>
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when is the best time for her to take an SAT prep course?
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<p>Possibly never. </p>
<p>She should, of course, read avidly and learn math problem-solving. She should also do the practice SAT test that you can get at any high school counseling office (or online) and work through that under real test time limits, to learn pacing and test format. That may be all that she needs. It works for us.</p>
<p>What else do people do during the summer? </p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback. I actually did try the question of the day...got most of the verbal and none of the math. Oh, some things never change!!! FWIW, I don't believe that you have to pay $$$$ for test prep, unless there is an extenuating circumstance (severe test anxiety, LD etc.) we wouldn't do it if our school didn't offer it at such a great price: $250 for 1 month, 2 hours a day in the evening. I just don't think she'll have time during the year...she's a 3 sport athlete, community service, etccccc</p>
<p>S1 reviewed the test books beginning a month before the test, never took a full practice test and scored very well. S2 refused to even review the questions types for the PSAT taken as a sophomore warm up, said he wanted an accurate baseline, also scored very well. I often think that if I had spent a lot of $$ on "preparation" courses and they performed the same, I would have attributed it to the time wasted preparing for the test. I wonder how often that happens?</p>
<p>D never took one, did it on her own in her own time, had good job experience in the summer working on cancer research got 2290.</p>
<p>S1 never took one, but was extremely adept at standardized tests.S2 needed help with math and writing (the SAT II at that time), so we got him some private tutoring for a couple of months junior year, and D (with some learning disabilities) was tutored privately (needed the more directed help) from October -March junior year. All my kids took the SAT in March, with a retake (if they wanted, 2 did) in June. They had taken the Bio, Math Ic or World History SAT II earlier in HS, and followed with Writing (in the old days) in January and US History in May of junior year. They were all done with tutoring by March of junior year which was very helpful because if APs, Regents and spring sports.</p>
<p>This is all a very long-winded way of suggesting that you look at the junior year testing schedule available, figure out a general plan with your child and factor in the necessary prep in that way. I am of the general view that SAT and ACT testing before March/April junior year (absent special circumstances...CTY etc.) is too early and allows the college process to dominate the HS experience. I think that the schedule outlined above leaves plenty of time for academic and personal maturation AND for college planning. Clearly SAT Subject tests should be taken whenever the relevant course is completed.</p>
<p>My D took a course the summer after her sophmore year. She did tremendously on her PSAT....National Merit Finalist..then took her SAT in October of her Junior year and was done with it. This allowed her to focus on her AP Exams at the end of her Junior year. I will do the same with my younger daughter.</p>
<p>My son, who is a junior, never took an SAT prep course. Our school does not offer one (although it is available through the Department of Education in Virginia). He got a book or two and worked through the questions. He also has an excellent AP English teacher who makes copies of old SAT exams and includes them as part of a participation grade. </p>
<p>I would not sign up for a prep class until you know your daughter's PSAT score. I would hate to see you waste your money if she is a good test taker and does well.</p>
<p>Our local test preparation center will offer simulated PSAT, SAT I and ACT after the AP period. They will also offer a "persoanl analysis" from those simulated test. If the analysis is on target, we will get our DS to take a class or two. </p>
<p>Looking at the FA packages the very top schools are giving out, I think a few good prepration classes is one of the best investment.</p>
<p>Is she the kind of person who needs structure and outside pressure to be motivated? Prep courses don't offer any more benefit than studying by herself for the same amount of time would, but they provide motivation for kids who otherwise wouldn't study to study.</p>