<p>I took a diagnostics test recently and got a 1680, but I am aiming for at least a 2100. I know, that's a huge gap. I'm a junior and it is late September, which means I have about 5 full months to prep for the SAT in March, and May if need be. However, I did almost next to very indecent in the math section of the diagnostic test, mostly because I forgot everything. I am currently in Calculus BC and took Geometry in the summer between 7th and 8th grade and Algebra 2 in 8th grade. My adviser thinks my math score can jump up a lot if I brush up. And of course, I need to study hard for reading and writing. I made the stupid choice of not doing SAT boot camps over the summer because I was taking H Chem to prepare for AP Chem, when I should have just started SAT prep by then, even if it wasn't SAT boot camp. Now I have SAT options and was wondering if any of you know what is the best to take to reach my goal? Please include any advice, tips, amount of outside work I need to put in?</p>
<p>C2 Education (weekly schedule):
- 2 hours math
- 2 hours reading/writing
- 1 hour lab (vocabulary)
- altogether about 11:30 - 5:30 on Saturdays (extra time for lab if need be)
- student to teacher ratio is 3:1
- same teacher works with you throughout the 6-7 months to help meet your personal goal based on your current SAT score
- practice tests every 1 or 2 weeks (not specified yet)
- cost for 6-7 months: $5,000</p>
<p>Elite Prep (weekly schedule):
- practice test every week
- testing Friday 4:00 - 7:30 PM
- class Saturday 8:30 - 1:00 PM
- 8-10:1 student to teacher ratio
- classes designated by current test score
- $460 for 4 weeks + $50 initial payment</p>
<p>Kaplan Test Prep:
- unlimited prep package
- choosing to do the Classroom option, but I can do 2 sessions a week for 3 hours each session for 5 weeks, but I can continue doing the 5 week study as many times I want after I complete my other 5 week study.
- or do you suggest not to do the unlimited package and just get the classroom package for 5 weeks only
- 12-15:1 student to teacher ratio
- everyone is merged into the same class but gets customized homework
- $1100 until December 2016 (yup, that date is correct)</p>
<p>My sister has been urging me to pay $1000 or less for SAT prep because most of her friends that scored above 2100 only self-studied for the SAT. However, I am taking 6 AP classes and play soccer, barely having the time to get my homework done, on top of starting late in the prep game. Which is why I want a more designated time for myself to study/learn and someone to push me. My parents are supportive of paying as much as $5000, but I want to know if it is worth it and if I really need it? I know that is a difficult question to ask, but I wanted to know according to your own personal experience with SAT prep and whether you felt it was worth it? Plus, any of you know if Elite Prep is better than C2 education based on the schedule I just gave you or your own knowledge of the two education centers? Both involve about 1 hour of homework a day for the program. My concern for Kaplan Test Prep is that it would be mostly repetitive of what I studied in the past 5 weeks rather than progressive because it is basically a restart every 5 weeks.</p>
<p>In addition I’d find time to do more reading - New Yorker, Atlantic grown up stuff. Reading fast and having a large vocabulary naturally is the biggest help in the CR department. If you are taking Calculus, I agree you that you ought to be able to achieve a good math score.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t spend a dime on those courses. None of them will raise your score 400 points. Self study (reviewing the math that’s actually on the SAT, for example) is the best way to go if you’re going to retake the SAT, but have you considered taking the ACT instead? Some people who don’t do well on the SAT do really well on the ACT.</p>
<p>In any case, I agree with mathmom that you should be reading a wide variety of complex literature, including fiction, such as Naomi Novik’s excellent Temeraire series, and the non-fiction magazines she mathmom recommended. Also, drop one of those APs so that you will have time to get a real education!</p>
<p>I also found those course not really worth it. Get a few prep books (probably from your local library) and work through the practice tests. Make sure you go through the answers on those you have missed. You should be able to recap your old Math skills in a few weeks. Interestingly, Math skills are usually hard to forget except for some rules. I still remember most of the middle school to high school math from 30+ years ago.
You are aiming at a 410 points increase, what is your current Math score? The CR and W section may be harder to increase the scores within a short period of time. Try to do at least one full section per day and 1-2 full times practice tests over the weekend. Forget about the prep courses. You just need to know some basic techniques other than the knowledge to answer the questions (e.g. when and how to guest, question format, etc). On the other hand, have you tried ACT?</p>
<p>Personally, I think SAT prep courses would be a waste of time and money. If you’re a good student, how much time will they spend going over stuff you already know and don’t need to hear? How much time will they spend trying to teach you silly “tricks” instead of actually how to solve the problem because they think you’re not capable of doing that? I’m assuming that you once knew geometry really well. Just review what the test prep books think you need to know, and do problems, and understand the solutions. Get the pacing down. I’m not surprised that you need to go back over it–it’s been years and geometry isn’t used much once you complete it. My daughter also had to review some geometry as she took it quite young. A student with your math background should be able to score really well in math.</p>
<p>I would suggest self-study with a good book or two. Review the math topics that you don’t feel comfortable with. Get the type of questions down and get your pacing down. Make sure to go over all questions you get wrong. Then, see how you are doing. If at that point there are particular issues you cannot resolve or types of questions you struggle with (and perhaps a question or two to your teachers at school might help) then it may be worth while to hire a decent private tutor to go the extra bit you can’t accomplish on your own. Also, do quality reading.</p>
<p>Review your precalc math. Read. Learn as much as you can in your HS classes. Do NOT let SAT prep take away time from this. Why do you feel you can/should get a 2100 on the SAT, or an average of 700 on each section? Do you have a close to perfect gpa, ie much closer to an A than a B average? If not, the SAT score that reflects who you are may not be as high as you want it to be. </p>
<p>You certainly were NOT stupid to waste your summer prepping for the SAT. Given your math placement you are likely gifted in math but it has been too long since you have needed to know the precalculus math tested for on the SAT. I know my son said the review of precalc math in his AP calc (AB I presume) class but not reviewing shoed on his math SAT test score. </p>
<p>Relax- you have next spring and again next fall to take the SAT if you wish. You are only halfway through HS by now- a lot is learned in the next year or so. If you feel the need to do prep work other than some free online practice tests do that next summer, not during the school year. It is so much more important to be involved in school, both academics and extracurricular fun stuff (which can also be academic if you enjoy it) and not cramming for this test. </p>
<p>btw- there are always going to be people who don’t need to prep to do well. It is not worth living your life to compete with anyone else, learn who you are and accept it. It is likely that no matter how elite the college you attend there will be people whose academic talent awes you in some area. You may be the one others are in awe of, particularly in math. Learning to gain knowledge and not to score highest will serve you best.</p>
<p>My youngest son did a very similar jump in his scores. I think he might have started out even worse than you. He did not prep, he did not do self study (at least not more than an hour or two)! And I know many people disagree with his method, but it worked for him. He figured, why take a bunch of practice tests when they don’t even count? He took that dang test five times, and every single time, raised his superscore by about 100 points. So he decided that since he kept improving his score with every test, he’d just keep taking it. Not for everyone, but you get better every time you take the test, since it is such a time compressed test. Combine this with self study (or prep), and I think people can raise their score quite a bit. Of course it’s a pain to keep taking it, it costs money, but especially with the math section, people’s scores can jump around quite a bit.</p>