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<p>Testmasters used the score on my d’s sophomore PSAT and then the score on her junior PSAT to determine whether or not she raised her score the requisite amount - or she could have used two actual SATs, had she wished to do so. She used the two PSATs so that she could attend review sessions prior to her SAT if she needed to do so.</p>
<p>Testmasters had no problem at all allowing students to use actual SATs as benchmarks.</p>
<p>I got 1930 with a pretty bad tutor. Then I changed tutors, and my score increased dramatically. Went up to 2150, with an 800 in math. So I disagree that courses are pointless. Yes, $1200 is a lot of money, but I think the 220 point increase was worth it. Obviously picking the right tutor is really important. Making generalisations about tutors as a whole might not work. A lot of people compare the SAT to a game, that with practice can be perfected. So having a coach to this game does help rather than trying to master it yourself</p>
<p>I agree with those who questioned the merit of test prep courses. My D took the SAT tests twice and showed significant improvement on the second test, +100 points. She managed this on her own through use of study manuals, vocab flash cards, and a lot of practice tests. In watching my D study, I think the key to success on test prep is to have a strong motivation to improve, consistent studying, and getting use to writing practice exams under pressure. We probably spent ~$100 on study material. </p>
<p>If students needed to be prodded to do studying through expensive test prep courses, one has to question whether they’ve got what it takes to succeed in a top college.</p>
<p>Thanks, Futureholds, I appreciate the help.</p>
<p>Some references have been made to prep classes helping in forcing kids to sit down and study. Not the case with my S. He was so blown away by his poor performance, he’s been studying every evening and weekend, using virtually ALL the self-help materials out there. I’m concerned that 1. he’ll burn out before the October retake and 2. Ziggi’s point about how bad the non-testmaker materials are could result in another unbalanced chaotic score. Your thoughts?</p>
<p>We paid for a prep course for D after her first SAT and it was well worth the money. It raised her score 300+ points in just a couple months. She’s gotten numerous awards and scholarships, plus has been accepted into all her top choice schools, so I think it was well worth the $400 investment. </p>
<p>Self-studying is great, if the kid is motivated enough to do it, but a good instructor can help a student use his/her study time more efficiently.</p>
<p>^^^^^
If students needed to be prodded to do studying through expensive test prep courses, one has to question whether they’ve got what it takes to succeed in a top college. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t assume a student is being “prodded” because they’ve chosen a prep course. There are a lot of out of class assignments that have to be completed, if he/she wants to get the full benefits. Also, a student who is actively participating in class is not being prodded. Unless, you consider all elementary, high school and college instructors to be prodding their students. :)</p>
<p>Randomthots, that’s music to my ears! If it’s not an imposition, a private message with more detail on the type of course would be welcome. I’m looking at all of them at this point.</p>
<p>You guys are so over analysing this… Its as simple as this, the SAT is in no way a measure of how successful a kid is going to be in college, NYU admits this too. Being good at SATs has no correlation to GPA. I was horrible at SATs but I am in the top 3% of my grade. I knew I needed some help, got a tutor and he got me through the SATs. That doesn’t mean I am not independent or can’t cope with college work. Suggesting that about children is ridiculous :P</p>
<p>^^^
Actually, both GPA and SATs are good predictors. A student with mediocre GPA but astronomic SAT will probably get mediocre GPA in college, but he’ll be able to handle a much more exclusive (SAT wise) school. A student with very high GPA but average SATs will also tend to get a high GPA in college, as long as he is not in a college where the average SAT is much above his. </p>
<p>There are always exceptions, of course. 
And very selective schools won’t accept a high SAT mediocre GPA student because they want to see a better work ethic than a lower GPA indicates.</p>
<p>For $750 my score shot up about 300 points. Keep in mind that not everyone who pays for these prep courses actually pay attention. Some kids have rich parents, which is the only reason why they’re there. At my class, some kids just sit and copy, others don’t do anything. Actively participating in a decent prep course will probably improve someone’s score by 200+ points. (Assuming they’re part of the majority who score <2000).</p>
<p>You know, I’m not sure about Revolution Prep giving harder diagnostic exams. I scored a 36 on their diagnostic ACT (36/36/36/35) without any prep (I didn’t even know how many questions/what sections were on the ACT).</p>
<p>To IHS76:
My son (also a math/science geek) took the ACT without any preparation and did very well, including the writing/reading sections. He found the essay a lot more straightforward than on the SAT, and the science section helped, too.</p>
<p>sadly, unlike most other people on cc, im not diligent enough to self study SATs. so for me, forcing me to attend classes actucally helps lol
but i do think that 2000+ for a 2 month program is somewhat outrageous (even if the tutor is a harvard graduate)</p>
<p>personally i hate those classes. i was forced into a reading and writing prep course last summer, and then a princeton review course in the fall. the first day of those classes is actually very helpful, but after that it’s just about how to apply it to different situations. the same principle is merely drilled into your head over and over. by the end of my princeton review class i was hitting mid-1800s as reflected by my 190 psat, but after some self study i took the real sat and got 2100. i just took a lot of practice tests, and found help from teachers when i got something wrong and didn’t know why.</p>