<p>My D is a Junior and scored over 1200 on the SAT math and verbal ..but just barely. We are considering one of those expensive courses to boost her score, possibly above the 1250 which is the merit cut-off at many schools. She is a varsity athlete of average ability and has great EC's and a couple leadership roles, 3.8 WGPA and top 10%. Overall, a pretty well rounded candidate. The dilemma... According to folks at College Board; of the students who scored what she did on math, 50% scored higher the second time around.. but only by 6 points. As regards the critical reading, 50% score higher, but again, only by 6 points. Conversely these prep people.. the big ones, and you know who they are, guarantee a substantial improvement as a result of thier courses. They claim a 100 point jump in the overall math/verbal is not unusual for students who rank in the top 25% of thier class.
I assume many of you folks out there have invested in these courses and that your S's and D's were pretty competitive academically to begin with. Is it worth the costs? What were your results? More importantly my D is very busy, but she is willing to take one of these courses. However, I'd hate to heap this on her while creating, what may be a false expectation, that her score will improve substantially. And finally with a 1250 cut off for merit, isn't it far more likely that those receiving merit will have scored SUBSTANTIALLY higher than that 1250.. I mean why chase 1250 if in reality you need a 1400? Any advise would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Short answers:</p>
<ol>
<li>The $800-$1200 classes from PR, Kaplan, et al are pretty much worthless.</li>
<li>The guarantee is MOSt definitely worthless.</li>
<li>The Improvement in scoring will be proportional to the investment in practice. There are NO miracles</li>
<li>All you need is a couple of books and a bit of dedication.</li>
<li>Consider suscribing to the TCB online course</li>
</ol>
<p>This said, if free time is a rarity AND money is not a huge issue, consider hiring a tutor. While the generic classes are highly questionable, there is a value in hiring a COMPETENT tutor who can pinpoint weaknesses and recommend a course of action. Compared to the group classes, this is a MUCH better investment. </p>
<p>My recommendation is to invest some TIME in self-prep, and if no improvements are coming, then interview several tutors. When looking for tutors, you do NOT have to eliminate tutors associated with the companies organizing group classes. There is a world of difference between the level of tutors. Just make sure to evaluate the qualifications and experience of the tutor. In this regard, stay away from high school teachers who teach the SAT on the side ... as far as you can!</p>
<p>It's probably worth a try, but don't get your hopes up too much, My D got all scores in the low 700's on her first try. There was a specific scholarship she was going after that required a 20 pt increase in just one of those subtests. (the scores were damn good - - she wouldn't have even bothered if not for the scholarship.) I hired a tutor for just that subject and she dillegently worked on that subject alone. What happened? Her score in the target subect dropped by 30 points, and one of the other subjects (no studying) when up by 10 points (statistically insignificant) and the third subject went up by 70 points (no studying.)</p>
<p>Kind of a bummer. I can't say the kid didn't try though. </p>
<p>I do think it's worth a shot. You just have to be realistic.</p>
<p>I vote for a good tutor as well. My son had 2 tutors--one for math and one for English--and his score first time out of the box fully exceeded our expectations. Because he was our first, we thought he HAD to take the SAT more than once. He did take it 3 times, but only improved his score 10 points on verbal.</p>
<p>My junior D just took the SAT after working with 2 tutors--and scored so well based our knowledge of her grades, other standardized test scores and what we saw as her maximum potential scores that she will not bother to take it again.</p>
<p>The tutors were able to pinpoint her weaknesses and work on those, as well as teaching her invaluable testing strategies.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Hi Xiggi- Why the caution as regards high school teachers? I am examining some private tutoring as well and would be curious to know why I should stay away from HS teachers in that regard. As far as the expensive course, I would think the structure of a classroom oriented course would help some students. I'm thinking some students might be more engaged in that venue vs. a self-study type environment. Xiggi, I know your methodology revolved around highly motivated self study, coupled with a total immersion in practice testing. Certainly no one can argue with your results, but perhaps a different path was followed with similar successful results by others. I will hire a tutor because I believe, perhaps as you may, that there may be a reluctance to ask questions in a class that is rolling along vs. a one on one tutored situation. Money IS a consideration but .. I'll spend it if the investment will pay dividends, so to speak, assuming it has for some CC members. Not much we won't do for our kids I guess.</p>
<p>NG, my hesitation about HS teachers is based on the fact that people teach what THEY know. Despite being based on similar material, the SAT test is very different from a high school test. Just think about how different a SAT essay is from a typical HS essay assignment, or how different a math exercise is where a HS teacher expects you to show your work and work through the problems. Successful SAT test takers need to develop different reflexes and some are quite contrary to a HS "mentality." In so many words, the SAT is NOT an extension of high school. It is for that reason that I recommend finding tutors who would be happy to recognize the differences. </p>
<p>The group classes do have one benefit: a forced participation of 20 to 30 hours. Their downfall is that they are based on helping average students earn an average score. The typical tutor does not have the time --nor the qualifications--to help the students at either end of the range. The qualifications to teach such classes are truly minimal. You can read the recruiting material of PR or Kaplan to ascertain this.</p>
<p>Please understand that I am not belittling tutors in general. As in any profession, there are really good ones and there are charlatans. Since there are no licensing or minimum qualifications requirements, customers are left to rely on the recommendation of others. </p>
<p>For the record, when preparing to interview tutors, there are many steps you can do help the process --and save some money. For instance, having a number of practices tests and related scores ready for review will be helpful. This will help the tutors evaluate the weaknesses, and allow you to ask them about their plans to correct the weak spots. You may also get a few samples of the high school for comparison. It makes no sense to do this after the classes start. Make sure to check the tutor materials for typos and presentation. </p>
<p>Lastly, do not hesitate to ask and CHECK the references. Successful tutors will have no problems in sharing their history.</p>
<p>I agree with everything that Xiggi has said. </p>
<p>I am not keen on the classes either. True, you can say it is a structured situation that forces the kid to study but I don't think they yield great results and I think there is a sense of "I'm doing something" about the SATs. These classes cannot be geared to individuals. They also have to work with a range of students' abilities on the SATs. I would not spend the money on those courses. My kids would not have had the time to fit in another structured activity anyway.</p>
<p>I believe the best preparation is the Xiggi method of practicing the tests a lot and also going over the answers (I'm totally simplifying the method here). Through practice, often scores DO rise. As well, I would have the student self study strategies in SAT prep books. But mostly have them do practice tests under timed conditions and reviewing the answers. A lot of the SAT is learning how to take the test. </p>
<p>However, I think that a private tutor is also a good option if you have they money, even if for six sessions. A private tutor can examine the student's individual weaknesses with regard to the test and zero in on what they need to do in an individualized way that no class ever could. Also, for better students or students who score above average on the SATs, the courses tend to deal more with average scorers, and are less helpful for these kids. A combination of some private tutorial sessions with timed practice tests that are scored and gone over afterwards, should be effective. </p>
<p>I also agree that a teacher may not be the best SAT tutor. Just because they know math or English, doesn't mean they truly know the in's and out's of the SAT like someone who has trained in how to prep for the SAT. </p>
<p>My own kids took a practice test in the fall. Then they did several practice tests. One did it all on her own and one had several sessions with a tutor. In both cases, their V/M scores rose 200 points from the fall practice test to their second spring test date (each took it twice in spring).</p>
<p>Nightingale, I had the same dilemna with my Junior D. I opted out of the expensive courses after hearing from now Senior students who took them last year that they were not worth it. Very expensive, large groups of students, and the extensive time committment. Thing is that with a large group of 30/40 students who are not all at the same level, there is no way there can be individual concentration on particular areas where a student may need the most help. The only benefit that these Seniors found is that they were forced to do many practice tests, whereas the instruction was a waste of time.
What we decided is for my D to take the online collegeboard course and work with the books. Ofcourse this requires self discipline, which was a bit lacking in the beginning. However my D now puts aside 30mins to 1hr a day on this and it's working. The online course is inexpensive and great. She can choose to concentrate on those areas where she's weaker and skip others where she's strong. And it's working as we see a steady increase in scores. In addition, I've enrolled her in a tutoring group once a week, with 2 friends who are at the same level. Math really is the easiest area in increasing the scores, through practice and recognizing repeating problems. This is also working as she's now getting scores over 700, aiming for consistent 730-750s when she was around 640 -660 at first. This increase has happened over a 2 month time period.
Perhaps you could consider a small group of 3 or 4 students who are at a similar level for the tutoring, to bring the cost down. Your D could find out at school which of her classmates would be interested in such an arrangement.</p>
<p>There are two separate issues: whether the student is willing to invest the time and has the discipline to invest the effort; and what the gaps are in the student's knowledge. If it is a question of gaps alone, self-studying will improve the score. The student can look in particular at the breakdown of the scores and see which area s/he was weakest in and address these weaknesses.</p>
<p>If the problem is one of discipline, hiring a tutor rather than attending a class is the best answer. The tutor will force the student to spend the time, and, what's more, will notice if the student is not paying attention. The tutor will also address the student's specific weaknesses instead of trying to address those of 20-30 students of varying abilities. The individual tutor may or may not come cheaper than the class. I would second Xiggi's caution regarding hiring teachers. They teach what they know. And they should not be teaching to the SAT test.</p>
<p>Sometimes, It's just blind luck or lack thereof. My first sitting of the SAT's with very little study were:</p>
<p>Verbal: 740; Math 720; Writing 690</p>
<p>The literature the collegeboard sends with the exam scores tells you that people with your grades X% did X points better; Y% did Y points worse and on average you can expect your scores to change by Z points. All the literature I got said all three scores were most likely to drop.</p>
<p>So on my second sitting I decided not to to pre-request the scores to be sent to my colleges, just in case. I studied a little thinking I could possibly do a little better.</p>
<p>My second scores were:</p>
<p>verbal: 800; Math 700; Writing: 800</p>
<p>I was amazed. It also cost Dad $57 to send out my test scores.</p>
<p>I am a firm believer of the xiggi method. Familarize yourself with it. It is on the SAT forum. My S just got his scores from the Dec test. He got a 800 W, 800 M, and 760 CR on his first (and last) try. My D got a perfect score three years. ago. All they did was use the blue book (it was red for my D). We tore it into sections. They did a timed section of about 25 minutes each two or three times a week for a couple of months.</p>
<p>The overall SAT scores at our highschool jumped 100 points (1600 scale) the year after they made a Kaplan course available at very low cost (and free to some). So on the whole, I think they do work especially for average scorers. That said, they were criminally worthless on the essay section. They gave my son zeros with no comments on practice essays that were perfectly servicable. I do think if you are disciplined you can improve scores on your own at a fraction of the cost and time.</p>
<p>Another vote for xiggi's posts. But I do see that a tutor who approaches things from xig's method might be just the thing to provide an overlay of structure and compliance if it's needed. Just give them a chair and a bullwhip and follow xig's advice.</p>
<p>Our son never took any SAT prep classes so I have no first hand experinces. ETS claims that tests scores do not typically improve that much from even with prep classes. However if a student's math section scores are lagging it would seem that prep classes could be of some help. I am not sure if the verbal section is so amenable to coaching.</p>
<p>originaloog:</p>
<p>even ETS has now gone silent on their claim that the SAT is not "prep-able"...Indeed, CB is selling prep books (er, study guides) like mad.</p>
<p>Another vote for the xiggi method for diligent kids, or a tutor (and bull whip from Texas), for those needing a little "encouragement".</p>
<p>The math tutor approach worked for my daughter. We did interview several math tutors, asking specifically how they would help her prepare for the math section. The one we picked basically quoted the "Xiggi gospel" word for word, and he turned out to be a wonderful help for my daughter. Her scores rose significantly, and so did her overall math grades in school. Like Originaloog, I think it would be harder to "prep" someone, even with a private tutor, for the reading and writing sections. But math, definitely do-able.</p>
<p>DS got a 690CR/800M/730W. 6 months and AP English later and after focusing on the CR and studying at least 10 hours using the CB online tutorial (about 70 bucks?), he took the test again and scored........... 680CR/800 M/ 750W. Oh well. :( Went down 10 points on the test that matters and up 20 on the test that NOBODY seems to care about.</p>
<p>Nightingale, don't worry. Your daughter is only a junior, so she has plenty of time to retake the SAT. I got a 1940 as a junior (1300 M+CR), but boosted it to a 2030 on my second try (1350 M+CR). You don't need an expensive course either. I know this kid who spent a $1200 dollars on an SAT course and his scores stayed exaclty the same. Although my increase doesn't seem like much, I did it without prying open my parents' wallets. </p>
<p>I think that SAT courses help people who have low scores and want to boost them up to respectibility. Your daughter already has good scores, so your best bet would be to invest in a review book. As for the average 6 point increase on the Math and CR sections, you shouldn't put too much emphasis on that. When I took the SAT for the first time, the score report said that I had less than a 50% chance of improvement. I studied and improved by 50 points, which is what you are hoping that your D improves by. I recommend the Princeton Review SAT book for good guessing tips and the big College Board blue book for practice tests.</p>
<p>I hope that this info helps you in some way.</p>
<p>As fas as tutors.. How long do you folks think a session with a tutor should last? Is an hour too short? Is two hours too long?</p>