I’m a freshman right now and I want to know if it would be beneficial for me to take the SAT in the fall of 2018, when I am a sophomore. The fee isn’t too expensive and I can cover it, I want to prep over the summer for that SAT and if I do bad I can figure out which parts I need to work on for my Junior year SAT. My school also registers all sophomores for the PSAT in the spring (2019) which I can use data from to determine my weaknesses but I figured that since I have nothing to do this summer I may as well study intensively for the fall SAT. Is this a good idea??
And if I do get a good score I’ll just keep it :), one thing out of the way for my last two years of High school so I’ll be able to focus on SAT 2 Subject Tests and AP Exams / Olympiads (if i decide to do those)
It’s a much better to actually take the class first. I don’t think any freshman year classes will suffice for the SAT2s. If you’re doing Chemistry or World History or US History next year especially if they are AP do those. All those tests are easy. I’m a sophomore having done a year of Regents Chemistry and two years of AP World History I am taking both this year. Don’t get swept up in CC’s “prep culture”, just do your SAT2s when you feel like you can get 750+ easy without killing yourself. Trust me.
I would definitely not take the SAT after your freshman year. Take the sophomore PSAT that your school registers you for. It will give you a good indication of how you test for that. If you like the test and do well, prep the summer before junior year and you will be ready for the PSAT Junior year which counts for the National Merit contest. If you prep during your summer before junior year, you should be done with Algebra 2 (not sure where you are math-wise), but a better use of time. One thing you should know is that many colleges REQUIRE your entire testing history. So if you take it this upcoming fall and don’t do to well (or do well enough, but take it again and get higher) you might have to provide all the scores to certain colleges. I would only take once you have finished Algebra 2 and sophmore year (after the PSAT that your school provides). Just my 2 cents. The SAT2 and AP exams are not issues and won’t get in the way if you study NEXT summer for the sat/act.
You may be wrong about when you’re going to take the PSAT. PSAT 8/9 is given during both the fall and the spring. The PSAT 10 can be given in the spring, but it makes more sense to give it in the fall, on the same date the 11th graders take it to qualify for the National Merit program (They are the same test). Even if it’s in the Spring, that leaves plenty of time to identify and work on problem areas. While test prep can focus on those problem areas, most test prep programs are more about learning how to take the test. Do that over the summer before 11th grade, if your PSAT 10 score indicates you might be in range for National Merit. Otherwise wait for the SAT in the Spring of Junior year.