Currently a HS sophomore, and wondering when to start studying for the SAT. I plan to take it in Junior Year, but have no idea whether I should be taking it in the fall or the spring. Should I be getting a tutor? How much time should I be spending daily? Weekly? Thanks!
A typical testing schedule should be something like this: PSAT in fall of junior year; SAT/ACT (both, ideally) in Winter & Spring; SAT Subject tests at end of Junior year; second round of ACT/SAT (if desired) in early fall of senior year; perhaps one or two additional subject tests later in fall of senior year (especially if aiming for most elite colleges). Some kids never prep for the tests. I think that you and your parents should decide whether a tutor is necessary. You probably know whether you test well or not. I advise you not to allow the tests to dominate your life. Read! Look up unfamiliar words. I was always an excellent reader, but usually inferred meanings from context. I never bothered looking words up. My verbal score went up after I decided to look words up more. Take the trouble to write properly. I see loads of posts here from high school kids who cannot bother to punctuate, capitalize, spell, or craft sentences. They might do so when they have a real assignment, but it should become second nature. There are free SAT vocabulary lists online, and you can pick up guides for next to nothing. Ask some seniors you know whether they have any “throw-aways.” Look at them, but don’t live byt them. I am very cynical about the value of paying thousands of dollars for test prep. The only testimonials you’ll hear are the success stories. These are often from kids who would have done well anyway. The kids who will get into the most elite colleges probably are not living and breathing test preparation in their junior and senior years. They are taking the most rigorous course-loads. They are participating in activities that they love, at a high level. They are doing the sort of things that will stand out on applications. If you have always struggled with Math, for instance, and feel you need tutoring, by all means seek it out, but only to improve your skills overall. Good luck!
Search this site for previous similar questions and check the multiple answers. The next years are a bit different from what they used to be with the upcoming changes to the PSAT and SAT.
Expect to read plenty of outdated advice that is no longer valid. Examples of the poor advice will contain erroneous tidbits such as … take the PSAT cold, look how you did and plan to study accordingly for the Spring and focus on presenting the SAT before the summer or in October.
Here’s the simplest advice: take advantage of your summer before the Junior year and do all you can to prepare for the 11th grade PSAT and SAT … in the same month. This year that will mean to look at two distinct sets of contents, but that is actually a blessing for most students. By all means, try to complete the SAT (or ACT) process by the end of you Jr year, with a last alternative in the Fall of the senior year.
Lastly, participate in the SAT Prep forum on CC. Ignore the “conventional” advice of adults unless they have children in the same year, or are actively monitoring the SAT. You should find all the advice you need in the SAT forum.
@kdan313 So you’re a sophomore. I am currently in the midst of the college application process, and I really felt that I was best prepared for the SAT during my senior year. I was not academically prepared in 10th grade, if you ask me. For me, the best SAT prep came with experience. I took AP English Language my junior year and I am currently taking AP English Literature, and I feel that both of those courses have helped me to become a better reader and essay writer. My teacher made us read many classic works, and by the end of the year I found that I was naturally better at English. I scored a 770 on my last practice exam for CR and a 790 for MC Writing (and I did the January SAT).
I find flash cards to work as well. They’re fun. And try to read for fun a little bit every day. Look up any vocab words you don’t know, and you’ll naturally acquire more skill.
If you feel that you want to start studying, by all means go for it! But for me, I needed to learn how to read and write better, and AP was a tremendous help. I would recommend taking the SAT in the spring of your junior year or fall of your senior year. I just think you’ll have more school experience that you can apply to the SAT.
If you want a good review book, get “The Princeton Review,” which covers all the things you need to know for the math and English sections. It’s clear and concise. I don’t think you need a tutor at all. Review books contain really good information too.
/sigh