<p>I got an internship at the Liberty Science Center in NJ to develop a program for kids on the exhibit floor. This is 8 weeks, 5 days a week, from 9-5 every day (plus a 1 hr commute each way).</p>
<p>That leaves me with about 2-3 weeks free. My parents are afraid of the time commitment and want me to pre-learn junior year stuff and study for the SATs. I will take my first SAT in fall (I am a soph now), and my current practice test score is a 2200 (690 M, 750 CR, 760 W). The internship does sound sort of interesting (even though it's not research-based) and it will- I might as well say it- look good in college. But then again, I'm really worried about my current SAT score. :(</p>
<p>What to do? Is it possible to balance both a time-consuming internship and summer studying? Should I go to a SAT camp or do some local and less time-consuming volunteering instead? Also, any suggestions for quick, efficient ways to raise your SAT score (sort of unrelated to my main question)? Thanks in advance for your advice.</p>
<p>Do the internship. You will have PLENTY of time to take SAT tests. By the way, if you are taking the PSAT in Oct, THAT is the test you should be paying attention to for the next 5 months, as a NMF qualifying score can open many doors. I would advise you to not take the SAT until you have more math under your belt, and wait until Jan of 2010. As for preparing for both tests- Just order a copy of the Collegeboard SAT test book, read the instructions carefully about how to time your self while taking the test, and start doing practice exams by yourself. There is no need to waste $$ or time on a SAT camp or for profit test center.</p>
<p>I second menlo’s advice. I think she’s absolutely dead-on.</p>
<p>(1) Do the internship this summer. It sounds like you are interested in doing it and it could be a valuable learning experience for you. Plus it will probably make it easier for you to find another internship or even a paying job next summer, since you will actually have a “work history” and some references.</p>
<p>(2) Make sure you are prepared to take the Oct. PSAT test. Scoring well on that single test and becoming a NMF will get you a lot of attention (and possible merit money) from some schools. It would be better to delay taking the SAT until January or March; there’s not much to be gained by taking it any earlier. With more math and English (especially vocabulary) under their belts, students usually score higher.</p>
<p>(3) You don’t need to waste time and money on a SAT camp unless you know that you won’t put any effort into preparing for the SAT unless you are forced to. Just get one of the SAT prep books and take as many practice SAT tests as you can under normal test conditions (i.e., in one sitting, with time limits) so that you become familiar with the types of questions; study the answers and make sure you understand the reasoning behind them. (Familiarity with the test format is really the key to doing well.)</p>
<p>Other than that, you don’t need to be doing a lot of “summer studying.” Remember that summer is meant to be a time for taking a break from academics, trying something new/different, and just having some FUN with your family and friends.</p>
<p>Internship for the love of god! If you’re already up to 2200 on practice tests there is no need to do ANY studying in the summer. And I agree with the advice of the poster above.</p>
<p>raising a 2200 will not require a whole summer of studying.</p>
<p>Besides, this internship seems like something rather out of the ordinary. Many students can boast that they had an internship at a museum, but few can say they have had one building one:)</p>
<p>Such a point on your resume will be worth more than the little gain you would get from an SAT camp. You have plenty of time for SAT work. A whole other year, even. Plus weekends during the summer and such.</p>
<p>parents are sometimes reluctant to have kids branch out to their first summer job - feels like they are loosing thier little one. They will get over it.</p>
<p>also consider transportation - how are you getting to this job one hour away. Are your parents suppose to transport you - ie 4 hours on the road to support your internship. </p>
<p>Do the internship of course, but have lots of discussions with your parents - or better yet get other adults that they respect tell them what a great opportunity it is.</p>
<p>Seems unanimous that you should do the internship. I totally agree!
There is plenty of time to take more than one SAT and you will have one more great item to put on your college resume. But do take the PSAT in the fall for the merit scholarship reasons. And your scores are excellent to begin with. If your parents are concerned about finding time to study, set aside one or two evenings for a few hours. But, summer is time to relax your brain a bit and recharge yourself. You have so many additional opportunities to take the SATs. Regarding practicing, agree with getting books (your local bookstores and Barnes and Noble, Borders has many to choose from also). But to be more helpful, you may want to purchase a book which has the answers explained in the answer key. What use is it if you get an answer wrong and do not know why. Take the internship and enjoy your summer!</p>
<p>do internship absolutely. I hope I would have that opportunity:)
I hope you could survive in 8 weeks, long hour work, and long commute:(
good luck</p>