<p>Which SAT prep course should I take: Princeton Review or Kaplan? Do you know any other SAT prep courses? My friend took Kaplan and scored 160 points higher on her last practice test in Kaplan than her first practice test. I was suspicious that Kaplan might made the last test too easy so we wouldn't get any money back. Do you know what the best SAT prep course is? I must improve AT LEAST 200 points on my SAT score.</p>
<p>What about Prep-Me? In this case, I won't have to waste so much time driving to the test center and worry about completing my homework. If you took Kaplan, Princeton Review, Prep Me or any other preparation (not books-I bought some), please review it. This is not just for me, but also for other CCers who are wondering a same question. Thanks.</p>
<p>The 200 point guarantee is from your first diagnostic test to your actual SAT score. But then again, they can make the diagnostic test extremely hard...</p>
<p>Don't take Kaplan. Their tests were a lot easier than the actual test. They projected 2250+ for me, and my actual score was quite a bit lower than that. My friend has told me that Princeton Review is supposed to be really good for SAT prep.<br>
Hope this helps : )</p>
<p>Loudnoises, thank you for your help. I was leaning more on Princeton Review because its course schedule doesn't conflict with mine. If I take Kaplan, I will have to sit in the classroom on school night for 4 whole hours! There will be no time for me to do my other things like ECs and homework. I am just wondering- how many points did Kaplan add to your score? I mean, how many points was your SAT score lower than Kaplan test?</p>
<p>My old scores were: 670M/700V. My post-Kaplan scores were: 690M/740V/660W, which if you convert to the old scale is about a 1390, which is only a twenty point increase. Plus, on the diagnostics I was getting 800s on the writing, which obviously didn't get on the actual test.<br>
I love Kaplan.</p>
<p>From what I've seen of the Kaplan materials, their questions are generally easier than those on the actual exams. They are especially atrocious at simulating the math questions. If you really had to choose between Kaplan and Princeton Review, I would probably recommend TPR. Your best option in almost every case, however, is a good private tutor (if there is one available in your area). A 160-point increase, while respectable, is really nothing great. Most of my students improve by at least 200 points and more.</p>
<p>Even if you are taking a Kaplan or TPR course, I would still recommend taking exams out of the Official SAT Study Guide. Self-administer these if you have to, although having someone else proctor you is always preferable. DO NOT TRUST THE SCORES YOU RECEIVE ON DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CREATED BY TEST PREP COMPANIES! They can be off by as much as 100 to 200 points from the actual scores in some cases. For a reliable scoring curve for the CB exams (the book only gives score ranges -- hint: it's not always the midpoint of the range) that have been shown to predict actual scores quite well, e-mail me.</p>
<p>Good luck. :)</p>
<p>Hey...I haven't taken a course yet but had asked the same question and got good recs for PR also. I feel very good about going with them. The class comes with 26 practice tests, so that's a pretty good amount of practice!!</p>
<p>I'm currently taking TPR course. Personally, I think the course is quite good in terms of tricks and techniques. BUT!! check with your friends in the area w/ who is a good instructor -- I am lucky to get an instructor with good experience (this is her 3rd year teaching at TPR and she got 1590 on her SAT) and a kind personality (I have up to 20 something questions everytime I go to the course, not counting the ones I have inbetween the course where I email my teacher, and she always gives me very good advice/answer (my opinion anyways)).</p>
<p>Although I kind of regret taking the course without much self-studying w/Xiggi's Method first, I still think TPR is the way to go (I'm hoping to bump my score up by 300 points.. don't know if it's doable.). Kaplan is just.. er.. bad. As stated above by many.</p>