<p>I despise standardized testing, despite being a fairly good test taker. I admit that SATs provide a general indication of academic merit: straight A students at my school score much better than people who barely pass their classes. Test prep classes are simply there to generate a large quantity of money for their companies.
Personally, I bought an ancient SAT practice book (used) last year, read through it and did some of the practice problems, then took 2-3 full-length practice tests in a kaplan SAT book of 12 tests. I scored above a 2300 the first (and only time). In contrast, my friend spent $800 on a prep course and scored an 1800.
Parents can spend as much money as they can (they earned it), but it would be much better to have invested that time and effort on establishing a firm academic background for their child, inspiring interest in learnind and perhaps a bit of academic ambition and competitiveness. Reading books is also good; vocabulary is much more easily built up through context. Make them watch Discovery Channel programs on TV.
The only thing that is worth learning specifically for the SAT is how the test makers think, which can be achieved through taking practice tests and reading the answer explanations.
Obviously, practice helps, but you don't need to spend $1000 for it. Besides, that level of parental worry and attention in high school is kind of scary. How will they function without their mummy to plan their study sessions when they do get into those high caliber schools? My parents didn't even know what the SAT was out of until I got my scores back.</p>
<p>I really didn't take any lessons..and i got a 1990 on my SATs and a 32 on my ACTs. I just bought like the SAT book and kinda taught myself. DIdn't really review THAT Much well more for the ACT then the SAT</p>
<p>my friends paid for lessons one did worse than me both times she took it and another just did a little higher so yeah..</p>
<p>My kids' school keeps sending me advertisement for a test prep company. They use school logo, letter head and my kids'names to ask me sign up for the prep classes. I want to do something about this but I am afraid my kids will be retaliated by the the school administrators. And the school PTA works for test prep company too.</p>
<p>I don't personally believe that ACT online tutors help, unless you have a really low score. I had a 32 the first time I took it, and after the tutoring, I got a 31. It may depend on the individual though.
However, review books that I have done on my own have really helped.</p>
<p>Both my kids went through a very pricey, intensive test prep course before they took their PSATs. For D it meant an extra $12,000 in scholarships over the four years and entrance into the elite scholar program at her school, which had a lot of intrinsic value. I KNOW she wouldn't have scored high enough on her SATs without the course. A VERY good return on our $800. When S rolled around, hubby didn't balk at spending the $1100 it cost and he just sneaked into the Nat'l Merit level on his PSAT. I am sure he wouldn't have scored those extra 2 points without it. He is going to a very good school on a full NM ride. He was offered many very high scholarships at various schools. I am a BIG believer in the class, IF your child will actually go to it and work at it. If they won't go, don't waste the money. BTW, we are not high income people. It was a HUGE sacrifice for us to send the kids there, but in the long run it paid off big time for us.</p>
<p>I think that you should really just find the option that works best for you. For me as an independent learner I found it easy to teach myself. But if you are the type of person who needs motivation, I would recommend test prep classes because they hold you accountable and rephrase the things you can find in a book in a way that may be better applicable. For self study, I recommend the blue book, cracking the sat, and 2400 by barron's.</p>
<p>just chill.
really, work through some math problems, read challenging books, freerice.com is amazing, etc.
i never took a prep class, but my sats went up 110 points when i retook them after just working through a math workbook.</p>
<p>Relaxing and not getting too stressed out does seem to be key.</p>
<p>Yes, I actually found that doing prep the evening before taking a
mock SAT worked negatively for me compared to forcing myself
to relax, get up early, do a preset routine and then taking the mock
exam.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Take test prep only with a private tutor; a class with other students isn't as productive as personalized attention. And take test-prep for 3 reasons: (1) to increase your ability to get into some college; (2) to increase your chances of getting into a better college; and (3) to increase your possibilities of getting more merit or financial aid. Look over a college's Dean Scholarship requirements. You'll find schools, for example, with a criteria which requires, say, an 1100 total on Critical Reading and Math in order to get $24,000 in free money. So, if your student meets all the coolege's criteria but whose SAT score is 1090, invest $800 or so to get that extra 10 points. The investment is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>I'm not sure I agree that $800 spent on test prep is a no-brainer if a gain of 10 points can be achieved for free.</p>
<p>I don't know for sure, but you may be assuming there will actually be a gain if you do nothing. I would take nothing for granted. I have seen students take the test again and get lower scores. If you take the test again and gain nothing, you saved $800. But what did you lose?... Here's a bottom-line approach that's along the lines of Pascal's Wager: if you spend the $800 and don't gain any points, you lost $800; if you don't spend the $800 and gain nothing, you didn't lose anything and gained nothing; if you don't spend the $800 and you gain the 10 points, you got lucky; and if you spend the $800 as insurance for just a 10-point gain, you gained $24,000. You can play this game and hope you get lucky, or you can take a calculated risk. I would bet on the calculated risk approach.</p>
<p>To think that most high school kids would study hard for these tests on their own is, for the most part, naive. With my three kids, maybe two or three of their myriad of friends would actually STUDY on their own. Studying one book might be enough for naturally bright kids, but for the majority of kids, to raise your scores by 50-100 points by doing nothing won't get the desired results. Again, the kids who post on these boards are generally extremely high end, if they are telling the truth. Or, maybe my kids and their friends(all honors kids) are the slackers. Do most parents find their kids have the ambition to study hard for these tests all on their own???? With a full AP/EC/job load, the LAST thing my kids would have done was pick up an SAT book in their spare time!</p>
<p>Interestingly my motivation for self study came from not wanting
any test "to own me" not necessarily to get a high score.</p>
<p>Its a freedom thing.... he he</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>mizzou-mom: You're a realist. Kids perceive they already have too much on their plates to bother with "another test."</p>
<p>To answer a question above, referring to my experience in my generation as well as the experience of young people I know today, a lot of the high-scoring students score high because they are curious and they read on their own beyond what is assigned for class. They don't study FOR THE TEST as such, other than being aware what the question formats are for each test they take (which is information in the test information booklet given out for free to high school students all over). I suppose if a student feels he or she still has time for independent reading even while involved in challenging classes and time-consuming sports or other extracurricular activities, that then you could conclude that the student is smart. But I don't offer a conclusion about how students become able to do that. Maybe reading independently for years makes them more efficient in doing assigned reading and saves them time while doing schoolwork. Anyway, I'm not seeing in this thread that paying big money for a test preparation course is a BETTER guarantee of a high score than simply reading lots of library books, which is all I did in my day that appeared to get me ready for my PSAT and my SAT.</p>
<p>Tokenadult's response is well stated and makes a mound of sense; however, those students who don't fit this terrific profile need help. Spending big bucks works in most cases, particularly when the student perceives a need and wants the help. I would suggest a willingness to acknowledge the benefits of tutoring as opposed to throwing in a rhetorical device - the word GUARANTEE - as if to suggest, and I underscore SUGGEST, that paying serious money is a bad move. It's not a bad move when you have a student with the right attitude to want to succeed. Otherwise, forcing an unwilling student into such a program is too often self-defeating because the focus is on the parents' priorities, not the student's.</p>
<p>I am a self-proclaimed "lazy" student. I took a class because I couldn't get self motivated and my score went up 170 points. I think if you can practice on your own, you should be ok. If you can't, take a class.</p>
<p>You are very much the exception, which is probably what you wanted to read. Do NOT take a class. Get a private tutor, pay the freight, and don't look back. If you're not in this college game to win, you're losing.</p>
<p>Hemp, you have to be careful as to whom you hire as a private tutor. My nephew went this route and while my sis raved about how prestigious and expensive this guy was, he was actually not very good(he never once took a mock test!), and my nephew saw no results. They then spent less $ for a canned class and he went up enough for scholarship levels at his colleges. The canned classes know the tricks and ropes and have been at this for a long time. However, I will agree that a private tutor that is really good at it would be preferable, if you can afford it....</p>