SAT prep courses?

hyeonjlee · 02-11-2009, 03:46 PM

Hi, I need advice.

My S1's college application is over (now waiting for decisions).

With S2, I am getting a head start (not like the ignoramus dumbo I was with the S1)

S2 is a high school sophomore. I think he would benefit from SAT prep courses, especially in the math area. With S1 who has not even bothered to finish a single practice test before he took one and only SAT test, I have no idea whether----

(1) SAT prep courses help

(2) If so, who provides best service - princeton review, kaplan

(3) when is the best time to start: For a chance at ROTC scholarship, we are aiming to have the whole application package done by June at the end of his Junior year

(4) what is the average length of the prep course?

(5) what form of help is available: private one on one, classroom setting instructions, etc. I don't think on-line is a good option for him.

By the way, if it matters, we live in central NJ (monmouth county to be exact).

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Fuddman · 02-11-2009, 06:46 PM

My 2 took REVOLUTION PREP. Helped a lot. Not too expensive. Make sure the kids in the class are serious about the effort. Good luck!!

mathmom · 02-11-2009, 07:12 PM

Our school offers Kaplan at a reduced price. We felt they artificially lowered scores on their baseline tests to make themselves look good. Although they were running several classes on one evening they made no attempt to group kids for targeted studying and they covered all sections every night. (Our son really only needed practice on the writing section.) In the end our son rebelled and refused to go except on nights when they gave practice tests. S2 is doing the xiggi self-study method, though I need to crack the whip on that. For my already high scoring kid it was useless - no change in the writing score at all, but over all our school went up almost 100 points on each section - so there's no question that it does work for kids with average scores. I'd do a one-on-one tutoring if I could afford it. My younger son will do the xiggi self-study method with some coaching from me if needed. Did your son take the PSAT yet?

tokenadult · 02-11-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

I have no idea whether----

(1) SAT prep courses help

They are not worth the money you pay for them. Using genuine previous SAT tests for practice will help. Learning math well will help on the math section. For learning math well, I suggest ALEKS

ALEKS -- Assessment and Learning, K-12, Higher Education, Automated Tutor, Math

which is inexpensive and allows a free trial before you decide to pay for it.

My other advice about standardized tests is this:

READ, READ

To learn how to score well on a standardized test reading section, the number one piece of advice is READ, READ, READ, and READ. Read about what you like to know more about. Read things that are fun for you. Find books and magazines about interesting topics and read them. Turn off the TV and read. Put away the video game controller and read. Read hard things, and read easy things. Read a lot.

For years, I wondered why it came so readily to mind to write "READ, READ, READ" in all capital letters like that when I give advice on this subject, as I have frequent occasion to do. Recently, I reread the section "Suggestions for Study" in the front matter of John DeFrancis's book Beginning Chinese Reader, Part I, which I first used to learn Chinese back in 1975. In that section of that book, I found this passage, "Fluency in reading can only be achieved by extensive practice on all the interrelated aspects of the reading process. To accomplish this we must READ, READ, READ" (capitalization as in original).

Best wishes for good preparation.

mathmom · 02-11-2009, 07:50 PM

And whenever Tokenadult gives his READ, READ, READ advice I pipe in and say he's right. Mathson, whose strength is math never got an 800 in math. He got B's in English. But he got an 800 every time on Critical Reading, because he reads over 100 books a year. (Lots of rereading and mostly sci-fi and fantasy.) S2 doesn't read quite as much, but did get a 75 on the CR section of the PSAT. (Equivalent of SAT 750.)

ellemenope · 02-11-2009, 08:28 PM

It also helps to go over word usage and grammar rules before the test to help on the Writing section.

stillnadine · 02-12-2009, 06:34 AM

S took a 3 week (2X a week) prep course through local CC. Cost was about $150. He went from 1080 to 1240. He has always been a very poor test taker. For whatever reason, it worked. Maybe a really good teacher? Maybe a great curriculum? Maybe more confidence? Maybe a better breakfast? I do know that he was really motivated to raise his score. He took the class very seriously. A friend, who's a goof, took the same course with him and his scores went down slightly.

lotsofquests · 02-12-2009, 08:37 AM

I think the key word is "motivated." I have a hard-working conscientious son who does extremely well in class with a high gpa. So far, I have been unable to motivate him to work on prep on his own for the ACT/SAT. (PSAT was 1850) My husband and I are considering a carrot/stick approach: if he scores 30/2000 on his own, we will give him the $99 that would pay for the CC workshop towards the bass guitar that he wants; if he is much below that he will give up his 3 Saturdays and lose the potential money and take the class. As others have said, the classes can be a waste of time if they don't focus on what YOUR student needs. Personal prep works best, if the kid will do it.

MiamiDAP · 02-12-2009, 11:07 AM

My D said that SAT prep class was total waste of time for her.

hyeonjlee · 02-12-2009, 02:12 PM

thanks for sharing your thoughts here regarding SAT prep courses.

Anybody with experience with Princeton Review or Kaplan?

anneroku · 02-12-2009, 08:06 PM

I can recommend the Kaplan SAT class, which my son took over the summer -- his score went up 270 points and ended up being very high. We were surprised that the class was so effective.

I think the quality depends a lot on the instructor, so ask around. We know a couple kids at HYPS schools who took Kaplan the previous summer with this same teacher. (We're not in your area.)

nemom · 05-21-2009, 01:22 PM

I think personal prep is good, particularly if parents can have some involvement. Get some prep books and work with your kid. Have them try just one section, then go over it. Figure out with them what the problem areas are. Come up with your own solutions. For example, if vocab is a problem, spent a few minutes every day on it. If worry over time limits is an issue, have them do a pile of practice tests with varying limits, and varying approaches to time management.

mamagx3 · 05-21-2009, 06:32 PM

I think you should read the following article from FOXNews.com:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1242...googlenews_wsj

TheDad · 05-21-2009, 07:57 PM

My D's scores went up 180 points from first SAT to second/third SAT with test prep in between. For her, it didn't pay off in admissions per se but it more than paid off in merit $$ and much that flowed from that.

Her schedule didn't accommodate regularly scheduled prep classes and I think that was a blessing in disguise. The one-on-one tutoring (ten sessions?) was focused entirely on things of benefit to her, no wasted time.

In her case, there was little problem with the material, much on the psychology of approaching the test, including time management and getting the answer the most efficient way, not the "right" way of working the problem.

She fully understands that all the SAT measures is how well you take the SAT and is of little intrinsic worth beyond that.

Fwiw, she wound up with a 1580, Math/CR. Used a PR tutor.

It didn't hurt that she is a voracious reader, per TA's advice.

befuddled · 05-21-2009, 08:44 PM

I concur on the reading comments. My son, who does not read for pleasure, has highly gifted verbal ability but couldn't break 720 on the Critical Reading section despite concerted independent study of vocab, multiple practice tests, and 8 sessions with a private tutor. I felt he was really running up hill trying to learn vocab through word study rather than reading in context over time. All the kids I know who got 800 CR (I can think of 5) didn't study, but are voracious readers. I believe the math and writing sections are something one can study for but CR is a skill best developed over time with practice. My son brought his writing score up from 560 to 770 with a modest amount of study. My daughter, who is not a terribly talented math student, brought her math score up from 610 to 750 with a year's worth of 1 x per week sessions with a tutor.