I am planning to take the SAT’s in October, and I was wondering if I should attend an SAT class for preparation. I have been preparing using Khan Academy and the College Board blue book, but almost all of my friends are preparing though SAT classes, and I am starting to get worried that I won’t be prepared enough just by studying by myself. However, at the same time, I feel like with the new SAT’s, even those SAT classes won’t really know what they’re teaching since there aren’t enough credible sources out there beside Khan Academy and the blue book, so I don’t know if what they are teaching to their students are reliable or even pertaining to the new SAT’s. So is it worth the money to attend a class for preparation, or should I jus continue studying on my own?
I took a prep class that was supposed to have 5 sessions, I only went to 2. First of all the teachers only read from the blue book. And the problems we practiced were from the official practice tests. So basicly they made it so I couldn’t have any timed practice tests because I would have already done the problems. It was a was a waste of my time. So PLEASE research the class if you do a class.
Well, I decided to study on my own for the summer in anticipation of the upcoming SAT in October. Since the SAT is relatively new, I have had to research for good books to use for studying on prepscholar.com and other sites. I read that the blue book is not too useful because it contains four practice tests that are available online, so if a SAT prep class just uses that book, I would be unsure about if the class would be worth it. I would recommend mainly to study books, but if a class may help you, why not? I hear that the online prep program on prepscholar.com is really good since it was made by 99th percentile scorers on the SAT. I haven’t used it because of the cost, but if you want a worthy invest into SAT prep, look into that. If you decide to take the independent study route, use the new SAT Critical Reader and Grammar Guide+Workbook by Erica Meltzer, KALLIS’ new SAT prep book, and Dr. Steve Warner’s series of math books. Good luck!
I personally don’t feel that SAT prep classes are very useful, at least for me; my sentiments may only be applicable to my area, though.
To give you background:
- Most kids in my grade take SAT prep classes. Even after regularly attending these classes, the highest of their SAT scores (that I know of) is below 1250.
- The prep classes in my area just make students take practice tests that can be found for free online, and claim that they are “tutoring” students.
I personally prefer to study myself, if at all; however, this approach may not work for you, especially if your area offers good prep classes. So, as @BeaconInferno mentioned above, I’d urge you to research the prep classes you’re considering prior to enrolling in them.