Some things in life are just best left to luck. Or providence. Or something besides careful and meticulous planning. But the SAT is not one of those things. A little prep can help mediocre or low scores tremendously. Additionally, a few hours of test prep can pay huge dividends in college scholarships.
High scores on standardized tests can make students eligible for scholarships covering tuition and even room and board at a variety of public and private colleges.
But high scores aren’t just the result of luck. Students who score well on the SAT see the fruit of long hours of strenuous study.Often satisfactory scores are achieved only after the third, fourth, or fifth round of testing.
There are some wonderful prep programs out there. On the other hand, there are plenty of courses available that cost almost as much as a college education. Private test prep courses can easily cost thousands of dollars. So what constitutes both effective and reasonably priced test prep?
Over the years, we’ve tried dozens of different prep programs. Books and software from College Board, Princeton Review, Kaplan, and others have graced our desks.
Our favorite, by far though, has been Kaplan’s books. Twelve Practice Tests for the SAT, the SAT Verbal Workbook, and the SAT Math Workbook are all reasonably priced (and available through Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble) and lay a great foundation for the SAT. For high-scoring students trying to add a few more points to their tests, the SAT 2400 book is wonderful.
Recently, through the Homeschool Co-op, we discovered another great resource, Kaplan’s SAT Online test prep program.
Kaplan’s tests are consistently reflective of actual SAT tests. Their helpful scoring charts help students accurately project test scores. However, we have consistently seen higher scores on the real tests than on the Kaplan prep tests.
Additionally, the real tests always seem easier than the Kaplan practice tests. In other words, Kaplan prepares students by making the tests seem harder than they will actually be.
Do your high-school students a favor this summer and help them spend some time on SAT prep. Whether they are just beginning to think about standardized tests or are taking the SAT for the last time, a little preparation will be well worth the effort.
