Multiferroic

I despise standardized testing, despite being a fairly good test taker. I admit that SATs provide a general indication of academic merit: straight A students at my school score much better than people who barely pass their classes. Test prep classes are simply there to generate a large quantity of money for their companies.
Personally, I bought an ancient SAT practice book (used) last year, read through it and did some of the practice problems, then took 2-3 full-length practice tests in a kaplan SAT book of 12 tests. I scored above a 2300 the first (and only time). In contrast, my friend spent $800 on a prep course and scored an 1800.
Parents can spend as much money as they can (they earned it), but it would be much better to have invested that time and effort on establishing a firm academic background for their child, inspiring interest in learnind and perhaps a bit of academic ambition and competitiveness. Reading books is also good; vocabulary is much more easily built up through context. Make them watch Discovery Channel programs on TV.
The only thing that is worth learning specifically for the SAT is how the test makers think, which can be achieved through taking practice tests and reading the answer explanations.
Obviously, practice helps, but you don't need to spend $1000 for it. Besides, that level of parental worry and attention in high school is kind of scary. How will they function without their mummy to plan their study sessions when they do get into those high caliber schools? My parents didn't even know what the SAT was out of until I got my scores back.

viva la dana

I really didn't take any lessons..and i got a 1990 on my SATs and a 32 on my ACTs. I just bought like the SAT book and kinda taught myself. DIdn't really review THAT Much well more for the ACT then the SAT

my friends paid for lessons one did worse than me both times she took it and another just did a little higher so yeah..

coolweather

My kids' school keeps sending me advertisement for a test prep company. They use school logo, letter head and my kids'names to ask me sign up for the prep classes. I want to do something about this but I am afraid my kids will be retaliated by the the school administrators. And the school PTA works for test prep company too.

skp

I don't personally believe that ACT online tutors help, unless you have a really low score. I had a 32 the first time I took it, and after the tutoring, I got a 31. It may depend on the individual though.
However, review books that I have done on my own have really helped.

mizzou-mom

Both my kids went through a very pricey, intensive test prep course before they took their PSATs. For D it meant an extra $12,000 in scholarships over the four years and entrance into the elite scholar program at her school, which had a lot of intrinsic value. I KNOW she wouldn't have scored high enough on her SATs without the course. A VERY good return on our $800. When S rolled around, hubby didn't balk at spending the $1100 it cost and he just sneaked into the Nat'l Merit level on his PSAT. I am sure he wouldn't have scored those extra 2 points without it. He is going to a very good school on a full NM ride. He was offered many very high scholarships at various schools. I am a BIG believer in the class, IF your child will actually go to it and work at it. If they won't go, don't waste the money. BTW, we are not high income people. It was a HUGE sacrifice for us to send the kids there, but in the long run it paid off big time for us.

rosee09

I think that you should really just find the option that works best for you. For me as an independent learner I found it easy to teach myself. But if you are the type of person who needs motivation, I would recommend test prep classes because they hold you accountable and rephrase the things you can find in a book in a way that may be better applicable. For self study, I recommend the blue book, cracking the sat, and 2400 by barron's.

anonymous2012

just chill.
really, work through some math problems, read challenging books, freerice.com is amazing, etc.
i never took a prep class, but my sats went up 110 points when i retook them after just working through a math workbook.

tokenadult

Relaxing and not getting too stressed out does seem to be key.

arwen15

Yes, I actually found that doing prep the evening before taking a
mock SAT worked negatively for me compared to forcing myself
to relax, get up early, do a preset routine and then taking the mock
exam.

Hemp

Take test prep only with a private tutor; a class with other students isn't as productive as personalized attention. And take test-prep for 3 reasons: (1) to increase your ability to get into some college; (2) to increase your chances of getting into a better college; and (3) to increase your possibilities of getting more merit or financial aid. Look over a college's Dean Scholarship requirements. You'll find schools, for example, with a criteria which requires, say, an 1100 total on Critical Reading and Math in order to get $24,000 in free money. So, if your student meets all the coolege's criteria but whose SAT score is 1090, invest $800 or so to get that extra 10 points. The investment is a no-brainer.

tokenadult

I'm not sure I agree that $800 spent on test prep is a no-brainer if a gain of 10 points can be achieved for free.

Hemp

I don't know for sure, but you may be assuming there will actually be a gain if you do nothing. I would take nothing for granted. I have seen students take the test again and get lower scores. If you take the test again and gain nothing, you saved $800. But what did you lose?... Here's a bottom-line approach that's along the lines of Pascal's Wager: if you spend the $800 and don't gain any points, you lost $800; if you don't spend the $800 and gain nothing, you didn't lose anything and gained nothing; if you don't spend the $800 and you gain the 10 points, you got lucky; and if you spend the $800 as insurance for just a 10-point gain, you gained $24,000. You can play this game and hope you get lucky, or you can take a calculated risk. I would bet on the calculated risk approach.

mizzou-mom

To think that most high school kids would study hard for these tests on their own is, for the most part, naive. With my three kids, maybe two or three of their myriad of friends would actually STUDY on their own. Studying one book might be enough for naturally bright kids, but for the majority of kids, to raise your scores by 50-100 points by doing nothing won't get the desired results. Again, the kids who post on these boards are generally extremely high end, if they are telling the truth. Or, maybe my kids and their friends(all honors kids) are the slackers. Do most parents find their kids have the ambition to study hard for these tests all on their own???? With a full AP/EC/job load, the LAST thing my kids would have done was pick up an SAT book in their spare time!

arwen15

Interestingly my motivation for self study came from not wanting
any test "to own me" not necessarily to get a high score.

Its a freedom thing.... he he

Hemp

mizzou-mom: You're a realist. Kids perceive they already have too much on their plates to bother with "another test."