I'm worried - very worried

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>I'm very worried about both of my cousins (juniors in HS) chances to do well on the SAT. I told them to start studying over the summer months. They didn't study til August. I registered them to take a free Kaplan SAT exam, they did miserable. One got a 1040, if I recall. The other a 1450. Both scores a really substandard. The schools that they are interested in a typically top 40 schools by most rankings. But these scores are below the 5th percentile and perhaps the min score of all accepted applicants in these schools that they are currently interested in. That practice SAT was taken almost 2 months ago. They took another practice SAT with retired questions (from the Blue Book) and one got a 1400 (the one that received a 1450 before), and the other's score is pending. They just started to take the PowerScore course. I doubt it will help much. This has less to do with the instructor, who I'm sure is great at her job and well-versed at all the topics the SAT tests students, and more to do with their inability to study well. I don't think they know how to study in the manner many students who excel in college study. I suppose that is really the underlying value of SAT scores to admissions officers. It serves as a good predictor of how well an applicant will do in a college setting. </p>

<p>That being said, one is doing well in school. She is taking the partial IB currently. Her GPA last year was a respectable (not stellar) 3.65, if my memory serves me right. The other cousin posted a more pedestrian score - I think it was around a 3.2.</p>

<p>The other thing is that I don't think the are taking it seriously. They are used to be social and meeting friends and interacting a certain number of times each week - at least once or twice. They are invited a lot. It's really not my place to tell them not to go, but maybe I should. They other thing is that they do study for hours at a time, but I don't know how much information they are really absorbing. They've attended one class - so let's see if they can turn this around. I want them to break 2000, or at least post a 90th percentile score. If last year is a good predictor, that should be around 1950 or 1960. I would be elated.</p>

<p>I want them to take it to the next level. Any pointers? I'm thinking of scaring them to death. No more nice guy!!</p>

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<p>Show them some of the results of RD and such of the colleges that they want to attend, and point out rejected students’ SAT scores. You can say something along the lines of “If this kid didn’t get in… How do you expect to?”. That being said… That statement may either completely motivate them (depending on how committed they are to attending “Top 40” colleges) or it may cause them to give up. I think that your cousins, if serious about going to a prestigious university, will likely understand that they need to spend more time actually learning, rather than “studying” for hours on end, to no avail.</p>

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<p>Thanks. That is good advice. What do you mean by RD?</p>