Long-term SAT Prep for Success

East Hanover-Florham Park patch is reporting improved HSPA, AP Exam and SAT scores for students in the Hanover Park High School district over the past few years.   Director of Curriculum Maria C. Carrell attributed the increase in SAT scores to the incorporation of SAT materials into the curriculum as well as the introduction of more challenging course work at all levels of high school.  An excellent example of proactive strategizing.  Read the full article .

Regrettably, many students and parents start thinking about SATs – and preparing for the SAT  --- late in the game – sometimes a little too late.  There are many things and parents and students can well before the crunch time of junior year.   In future postings, I’ll discuss ways that students can do early SAT Prep for Writing and Math.  Today’s Topic:

Critical Reading Section of the SAT

 In a previous post, I encouraged parents to look out  for non-fiction reading opportunities.    If your son (or daughter) is a freshman or sophomore, this is a great way to expose them, at a fairly early stage, to the types of non-fiction passages that are typical of the SAT critical reading section.    Potential topics are endless, which means that your son or daughter can find materials that they are truly interested in.  Best of all, you can read alongside them (figuratively), creating the opportunity to compare your thoughts about the article.  Asking a simple question like “What do you think the main point of the article was?”  will get your child thinking critically.

Boosting Vocabulary

Every reading section of the SAT starts with a number of multiple choice sentence completion questions, which tests your child’s vocabulary.  While there is no substitute for learning words through reading (over the long term), there are many good books that list high-frequency SAT vocabulary words.   Take advantages of these, and have your student build flash cards to learn them over time.  Better yet, have them take the time to write  actual sentences using these newly learned words.

Have your child take the PSAT as sophomore.  If she scores significantly lower than either she or you had expected (or hoped for), consider starting formal SAT prep early, perhaps in the spring of sophomore year or in the summer prior to her junior year.

Think Tutoring provides K-12 tutoring as well as SAT and ACT Test Prep.  Call us at 973-593-0050 for more information on how we can help jump-start your child’s journey to high test scores.

SAT Prep -- So Many Options, So Little....

Parents who have navigated the college application process with their child can tell you that the journey is a roller coaster of emotions.   With so much at stake and so many decisions to make, you want to make sure that you and your child are making more right choices than wrong.

Like it or not, college entrance examinations (SAT and ACT) are critical elements of a student’s application.  And with schools receiving record numbers of applications, good SAT scores are more relevant than ever.   To the chagrin of many parents, the options for improving SAT scores can be as difficult to negotiate as the college selection process.  For many, this is the first major decision.

Goal Setting

Where does your child want to go to school?  What are the average (or range of) scores for students accepted to these schools?  What scores has your child previously attained on the PSAT or earlier SAT test examinations?  What scores are necessary to be considered for merit-based financial-aid or scholarships?   The answers to these questions should help you establish realistic goals for your child.   In short, what level of point increase are you targeting?  One hundred, 150, 200 or 250+ points?  Your target number of points can help you decided on the best SAT program for your child.

Establish a Score Baseline

If your student has already taken the SAT, you already have a credible baseline.  If he/she hasn’t, your SAT tutor or Prep program should administer and score an official College Board-published SAT Practice Test for your student so that you obtain baseline scores for the three sections of the test.  Score ranges from 200-800 per section.

Practice, Practice, Practice

There is one basic truth about SAT Prep – it is difficult to substantially increase scores without some type of prep, and whatever approach you take, students should plan to practice, practice, and practice.  There is no substitute.  The SAT test, fundamentally a reasoning test, throws so many types of nuanced, subtle questions at you that your ultimate success depends upon experiencing as many of them as possible.  And this experience comes through repeated practice.

Program Curriculum

Everyone wants to be an SAT tutor, but not everyone has the skills or has done the real planning to help students improve their scores.  The most successful SAT prep programs use mature and well-developed curriculums, some of which can be tailored to your student’s specific needs and goals.    It’s simply not sufficient for someone to base their qualifications on their pedigree and their own personal success on the SAT.    When you hire or enroll in an SAT Prep program, ask for the details, and certain there is sufficient meat on the bone.

Do it on your own or get outside help

Some highly motivated students can boost their scores on their own using commercially available study guides (The College Board and Barrons are both reputable sources).  These students need to have enormous self-discipline, able to regularly dedicate time to lessons and practice tests.   They should also establish realistic goals, however.  Although not impossible, rarely can a student, on their own, achieve score improvements of 150 points or more.  Such improvements usually require the help of experienced SAT prep professionals.

Private One-on-One Tutoring

Many parents and students insist on private tutors, who often will come to their homes.  But this often comes with a steep price.  Hourly rates for experienced SAT tutors start at $75/hour and can go up to $150 per hour.  Depending upon the number of subjects and hours you enroll for, the total price can range from $3000 to $7500!  Before you make this type of investment, make sure that your tutor has impeccable references and a documented track record.  Equally important, make sure that in-home (whether yours or the tutor’s) tutoring is the right environment for your student.  

Large Class SAT Prep

The most affordable option, SAT Prep classes are offered at many high schools and through private companies and can range in cost from $350 to $1000, with an equally wide range in class size – from 8 to 25, based upon the program and the enrollment level. For many parents, the relative cost is attractive, but similar to any other purchase, make sure you understand what you are buying.  Some programs do little more than provide practice tests and reviews, completely ignoring essential skills development.

Large SAT classes usually teach core strategies and with some level of skills development.  They are well-suited for students with modest score improvement goals and who lack the fundamentals of SAT test-taking strategies. But if your son or daughter needs particularly focused instruction and improvement in a single subject (a 100 point boost in math, for example), this type of program will likely have limited impact.    

Small Group

Similar to large groups, small group SAT prep (usually 4-5 students) typically affords students better access to their instructor.  This provides increased opportunities for focused question and answer, and close instructor review of specific problems.   Small group instruction typically works with a standard curriculum for all students.  Prices for small group instruction can vary from company to company, but are generally 50% higher than large group classes.

Semi-Private

Some private tutors and learning centers (such as Think Tutoring) offer specific, curriculum-based tutoring in a 2:1 student to teacher ratio.  This gives students significant one-on-one interaction with their tutor, who will use the time to instruct, review homework and practice tests and quizzes, and then direct students with guided practice.   Offered at a significantly lower price than most private tutoring, semi-private tutoring allows each student to work at his own pace, with all the benefits of private instruction. (At Think Tutoring, each student works on a specific lesson plan developed from initial baseline testing)

Student Buy In

To reach realistic goals, your student needs to commit and buy-in to any SAT prep program.  He will be doing the heavy lifting – (not you and not the instructor) so it’s important that he is comfortable with the selected program, tutor and commitment level.  To make sure that you select the right program for your student, consider the following questions:

• How will your child perform in a specific environment?
• Is she comfortable working one on one with a tutor?
• Is he comfortable with going to another person (tutor’s) house?
• Is she comfortable working with the tutor in his/her own home?  
• Will he be comfortable in a large class or is there a chance he can get lost?
• What about a learning center environment?   Will she feel comfortable here?

Regardless of the environment, it’s important that your student develops a solid rapport with his/her tutor.  Don’t be shy about having your child meet his/her prospective tutors.

Conclusion

In deciding on how to best prep for the SAT, parents and students need to consider a variety of factors – cost, format, location, instructors/tutors, and experience – and student goals.  By considering all, and weighing the pros and cons, you should able to make your first correct decision in the college application process.

Call us at 973-593-0050for more information on the SAT Prep Program at Think Tutoring.