Just Dreading this Cycle Again

[CottonTales]

@Lindagaf

I’m going off topic, but this might give perspective to the OP.

My eldest took one SAT, not including subject tests… My youngest took one SAT and one ACT and no subject tests. Both kids scored the equivalent of 34 on the ACT. My daughter hardly prepped. My son, as a dyslexic kid who struggles with punctuation and reads slowly, prepped more. Probably about ten hours total.

I’m a test prep tutor and I always try to encourage kids to consider taking one test, but for many kids, there is some kind of “badge of honor” in taking tests repeatedly, as if it’s some mandatory endurance test that’s a rite of passage.

Parents also seem to have expectations that a kid must test repeatedly. Often these kids are aiming high. When I point out that they may have to submit all scores, bad and good, they often change their tune. In my opinion, it’s best to prepare well and take the test once. Why invest all that time and money more than necessary? Never take the test officially just for practice.

These tests matter less and less. My hope, as a test prep tutor, is that I am out of a job soon, haha. Seriously, I think the tests are not worth one minute of anxiety.

^this!

I don’t get this taking test multiple times. Prep to what your needs are, take the test and be done. I bought my kiddo the ACT book, was that called the big red book? Had her study for a week to know the format and timing. Took the test and was one and done. FWIW, her top LAC mentioned her only taking it once in her acceptance. I don’t see over prepping as a necessary thing, you either know the material or you don’t. Do the prep to learn the format. But hundreds of hours of prep? Just no.