<p>I'm a sophomore right now, and since our family just moved here from Asia a few years ago, no family member has experience with taking the SAT and such. So I want to know when the good time is to do SAT prep. Also, my family thinks that SAT prep class is crucial to do well, but is that true? Do I need to take prep class? And again, when?</p>
<p>If you’re self-motivated and focused, I’d say don’t bother spending money on prep classes. I tried talking my son into taking the prep classes, but he convinced me he would do well on his own. So we spent maybe $65 (on Amazon) on a few test prep books (including CDs with practice tests). He worked on them for about 3 months, testing himself along the way to see how his score improved. He began at 2200, ended at about 2350, which is about the max improvement you can reasonably expect. (He scored 2400.)</p>
<p>Test prep books we bought: Official SAT Study Guide, Kaplan SAT Premier with CD, Kaplan 12 Practice Test, Barron’s SAT with CD.</p>
<p>Also remember to prep a bit for the PSAT if you haven’t taken that yet.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Like the post above, taking an SAT prep class is not necessary for success. However, it can definitely help. Most of us don’t want to spend weekends doing SAT/ACT practice tests and taking a class forces you to stay on top of studying. I personally did not take a prep class and I improved my score by over 300 points through sustained and regular practice. About when to start? Definitely by the start of your junior year, if not earlier.</p>
<p>I highly recommend the Official SAT Study Guide, Princeton Review, and Barron’s as a starting point. Remember, take the tests with a purpose. Scrutinize every mistake you make and try to think how you can avoid them in the future.</p>
<p>As a side note, take the SAT at LEAST twice. Most people do better on their second try.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>This summer would be the best time to prepare for SAT. You should dedicate a lot of time in doing practice tests. Try your local library first. In average, people take SAT twice. However, you should always plan to take it once. There is no reason to expect a retake if you have thoroughly prepare for it and get the target score at your first attempt. Never take a test without preparation. You should have reached a plateau in practice score before taking the real test. If you cannot get your expected score, then you should practice some more and then retake it. Practice means doing the practice test and then go through the answers of the one you’ve missed.
Test prep class is not essential as you can also find the information from any prep book. My D get much more improvement from the practice tests. It depends on your current standing, you may need more than a couple prep books. My D went through 20-30 practice test for SAT over the summer after sophomore.
Again, treat every attempt as your only/last attempt. Retake the test only when it is necessary. Otherwise, it is just a waste of time and money.</p>
<p>All of your suggestions sound good. I already have ‘the blue book’ from CollegeBoard, but I keep putting off starting to practice from it. I guess I’ve got to make a dedicated time slot for practice and prepare and such. My biggest challenge in the SAT is the CC and vocab because I have not been exposed to a lot of obscure vocab before, I struggle to know the meaning of the words, or even know which to eliminate. Any suggestions on that?</p>
<p>Starting the summer after sophomore year is fine. You want a three a solid months of study and then you can take the test around October.</p>
<p>You do not need to take an SAT course, but if your family can afford it, then why not? It will only help and it forces you to study–for some students this is necessary. </p>
<p>As for learning vocabulary, you can focus on learning common Greek and Latin roots. Learning one root can help you remember the meaning of as many as ten or more words. Here is a sample list, and you can certainly find more on the internet if you look: <a href=“https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx2.htm”>https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx2.htm</a></p>
<p>And also, try to come up with ways to remember words more easily. For example, facetious and funny both start with ‘F’, and they both have a similar meaning, so this has always helped me remember the definition of facetious, which means “not serious.”</p>
<p>Best of luck, and if you have any more questions then feel free to let me know!</p>