<p>Ditto sewbusy’s response. </p>
<p>This girl has shown she has the stuff to get top scores, so she should make sure she knows what’s coming on the PSAT before she takes it in October, but she probably doesn’t need to do much. </p>
<p>Then she should use some time during the fall and winter holidays to try taking one or two real SATs, timed, and see how she does on the different sections. By the December holidays she’ll have her PSAT scores for guidance, too. But part of what makes the SAT and ACT tests difficult is their length, so I differ with xiggi (can’t believe I just wrote that) on the importance of doing one or two practice tests under real world timing conditions. Most high schoolers are not used to exams that last so long and need to get used that.</p>
<p>She should take both SAT subject tests right before the APs in the same subjects in May. Those tests are much shorter and easier than the APs and cover the same subjects and are prepared by the same organization. She’ll be ready.</p>
<p>Skip the early SAT I you are planning for her and let her focus on her subjects during the middle of the school year. Every month represents real intellectual growth in these years, especially for a student taking challenging classes, and ultimately the comprehensive test scores will show that. </p>
<p>She should have more time, energy and concentration for test prep after she’s gotten past the APs in early May. She can take the SAT I in June as school is either finished or winding down. She can take the ACT again at the point, too, if she wants. She will probably see her scores improve enough that it will make this approach worthwhile. </p>
<p>The downside of this approach is that you won’t know until summer just how good her scores will be and that makes it harder to think about colleges.</p>