I’m a current junior and at this point standardized test scores seem to be what’s holding me back. Last year I got a 1250 on the PSAT, which seemed to be slightly above average compared to my peers. I took the SAT in November and got a 1410 this year (720 math/ 690 rw). On the October PSAT I also got a 1410 (730M/680RW). I know I definitely have the potential to reach a top score since I’m a very advanced math student (BC calc) but I don’t think what I should do next.
I signed up for prep scholar, as an in between between studying on my own (which I had been doing until recently) and getting a tutor (a pricey choice that nearly all my peers/friends seem to have taken. I feel like it’s not helping enough to boost my score ~100 points as I am hoping.
I have also considered taking the ACT, but it also seems difficult to get a top score since you need to be nearly perfect. Do you recommend me taking a practice test, or are they not accurate enough to analyze how I would actually do? (Just for reference I had been scoring in the high 1300s on my SAT practice tests).
Otherwise, any other test prep that’s recommended, for either test? I’m signed up to take the SAT in March, so I still have some time to get in some solid improvements.
Also in terms of subject tests… I took bio in 9th grade and got a 740 without studying. I also took math 2 after trig last year and got a terrible score. I am taking AP Spanish this year, so I think I could easily take the Spanish subject test, but I feel like I still need a math/chem/physics subject test to represent that side of me (I am definitely more math science). Should I take the math 2 after BC calc? Or is it a waste, should I just try the ACT and apply to schools where they are optional?
You may want to try Khan Academy prep. It is free and you can do it as intensely (or not) as you want. My daughter used it (but admittedly not that intensely) for PSAT prep and she thinks it helped.
As far as SAT or ACT, I suggest taking a practice Science section, under timed conditions. From what Ive been told by tutors, that is a section that you either understand, and do well on, easily or not. If you do well on that section, you might want to try the ACT. Of course, you could always take an entire old test to see how it goes.
@4togo4 Khan Academy is how I studied for my first SAT (november). I think it helped, but I think I focused on many topics that weren’t actual on the SAT (like many of the geometry topics), since those were the ones I struggled the most with getting to “level4”. I’ll definitely try a science section to see if ACT makes sense
Good luck! @jujunette01 Again, hopefully you’ll do great on the Science and, from my understanding, it is easier to improve your English/Math and it sounds like you’re pretty solid already.
@4togo4 I just took part of a practice test (#2 of Princeton review). Seems like I’ll stick to the SAT. I got a 31 reading (which is my worst SAT section) but a 30 on math, by far my best SAT section… I did half of a science section and got 1 wrong (out of 20) but took more than half of the time, so I would have to work on that. At this point i feel like a little improvement on my SAT would be better than my ACT…