Freshiee

Im a high school freshmen, when should i start studing for SAT's? and what year do i take them?

Any other additional information will help.

swans004

No, do not start studying now! You'll burn through the best prep materials well before you're taking it for "real." For now, just read as much as you can, everything from novels to newspapers. You can also start working on vocabulary - it's good for school in general, and you want to learn new words slowly over time. By the time the SAT rolls around, you'll kick butt on the sentence completions

As for the schedule, students frequently will take the PSAT for the first time in October of their sophomore year. If you don't know already, the PSAT is just a practice for the SAT. You'll take the PSAT again in October of your junior year, and this is when it counts for National Merit qualifying. You'll also take the SAT for the first time in your junior year. Many take it in the fall/winter and/or the spring. You may want to take it a final time in the fall of your senior year.

So hold off on any serious prep for now, and just focus on keeping your grades up. Come back to us in the summer before your junior year to get on track for prep for the real thing. Good luck!

PEQXC2012

Start whenever you want, I disagree with the above poster saying you'll burn out. I would just try to read as many vocab sat words as you can as well as newspapers/books.

MPD14

I dont know, i didnt start studying at all until junior year and did fairly well (1300/1600) listen, dont stress yourself with studying for the SATs, just enjoy and live your life now. People nowadays are too concerned with studying, I do agree with swans, just read as much as you can, but please for your own sake, dont start studying yet.

PEQXC2012

btw my post is coming from someone who has never studied for the SAT or any test for that matter. I am just saying what I think someone should do. :P

AtlanticXenu

Read a lot. Make sure to maintain a lot of diversity on topics, genres, etc. Make sure to read accomplished authors. Reading comprehension and vocabulary is one of the slowest competency to develop, so don't lag there.

Make sure to find some interesting activities that'll look good on your application. Start thinking about career-goals and purpose in life etc... it's not as heavy as it sounds. Once you know what you want, everything else will follow.

It's too early to start thinking about SAT though.

PEQXC2012

when did you guys who did very well (2200+) start thinking about the SAT? Middle-end of sophomore year?

elizadoo47

Just want to give you a heads-up--swans004 tells you "You'll take the PSAT again in October of your junior year..."

Well, it doens't happen like that--YOU have to ASK someone (guidance) to take the PSAT and YOU have to be on top of it and get your name on the list really fast. They only have a certain number of slots and when they are filled, they are filled.

My son wanted to take the PSAT at his schoo, but they would only allow students in the IB program to take it (even though he scored higher than all but one of the IB students as a Sophomore). He tried to sign up at some other schools but they wouldn't allow him to participate on their campuses, so he was screwed. This was in Sarasota, Florida.

So if you are turned away by guidance, make a big stink about it!

1253729

I haven't gotten an SAT score yet, but I did get a 34 on the ACT. I started to think about the SAT/ACT the summer after sophomore year. Then I took the ACT September of my junior year and got the 34.

My advice to the OP is to not concentrate on the SAT/ACT. Just relax. Don't buy prep books and do practice tests or anything. At the EARLIEST, start doing that towards the end (March at the earliest) of sophomore year. You learn a lot in HS your freshman and sophomore years. So no point preparing now. Not only will you run out of materials, you will get sick and tired of the whole thing just when its time for you to take them.

Just read books/The New Yorker/The Economist OP. No need to do vocab lists. You will pick up the vocab through the reading of challenging material. Read a diverse range of things (prose fiction, nonfiction, magazine articles from The New Yorker and The Economist), but you should concentrate on things you like. IMO, don't force yourself to read things you won't like because it won't help you. Just read stuff you find interesting.