Experts - or at least BTDT folks -
I’d like my daughter to take an in person SAT prep course. She’s a rising junior. I was thinking of a course that culminates in early October just before the PSAT/NMSQ because you only get one chance at that, and there is an SAT about 10 days later and I’m thinking of signing her up for that too since all the prep will be fresh and she could possibly be one and done.
I am a fan of in person classes (actually taught for Princeton Review in the dark ages of the mid '90’s - lol), so it’s not whether to take the class, but whether the timing is good and whether taking two similar tests within 10 days of each other is an OK idea.
What do you think?
My daughter took the PSAT in October and then the ACT shortly thereafter (I don’t remember the date though as it was a few years ago). She was in test prep mode so it was fine for her. I would think prepping for the same format test would be even that much easier. If your D is the kind of kid who will prepare hard for the test, I don’t see the harm in taking both close to the same time. If she can be one and done, that’s awesome!
DS took the PSAT on a Saturday in mid-October and the ACT exactly two weeks later. This was back in 2017. Did very well on both tests (NMSF and 36C). His pre-test prep work was focused solely on the ACT, but there is overlap so the prep probably helped him on the PSAT. Should work even better with the SAT. No reason not to take both tests close together. In fact, assuming your daughter is properly prepared, probably a good idea.
Ignoring the topic of whether SAT classes are good, I will say this: expecting one and done is not a good idea for several reasons. First, when the student is expecting a one and done that makes taking the test a more stressful experience which may negatively affect scores. Second, if a student does really well the first time, they can probably do even better at a later time. None of this means your daughter shouldn’t take the SAT then, just that you shouldn’t plan for a one and done scenario.
Before my students test, I always tell them not to stress over the test because regardless of how well they do, they will end up taking it again. I would like to think this relieves some pressure.
PS: The PSAT isn’t very important.
Well, technically she wouldn’t be one and done since they take the SAT for her HS standardized test in March, but it would be nice for her to be happy with her score in October
My daughter took the PSAT and ACT a week or two later as a junior, and that 35 relieved a ton of stress junior year around testing.
My middle kid did exactly that this past October and it worked out really well. She had taken the PSAT in 10th and had scored high enough that NMSF was not unrealistic with some prep, and our district GATE program offers a SAT prep class a couple of times a year, one of which is in September which was before she got busy with all of her other classes so that worked out well. She took the October SAT within a week of the PSAT… it might have been before it actually. In the end she didn’t qualify for NMSF (we are in CA with a high cutoff) but did well enough on the SAT to not have to bother with it again or with trying the ACT and was all done with testing aside from APs as she’d already done the subject tests by that point.
Our S19 studied on his own the summer before junior year for the SAT. Took it in August. Got a 1540 and decided he was done. I do think he felt very little pressure since he knew there were so many more test dates he could sit for the test if he needed them. He did not re-study for the PSAT that was the following Oct. he thought he’d be fine. Well, the problems were a bit different than the SAT and he got NMF by the skin of his teeth - one question!!
We will have our D21 follow the same plan this summer. If she needs to take the SAT again after Aug that’s just fine with her.
Oh and he also had to take the SAT again in March because one has to sit for that test at the high school for graduation. He didn’t study at all. I think he got a 1530. We never sent it anywhere as it wouldn’t have helped his superscore. He got the same math score and ten points lower on EW.