When Should You Start Studying for the SAT?
The SAT is offered eight times a year: in March, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December. Students register for an SAT test date with the College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers the test. Students take the SAT in test centers on their own laptops or tablets. It’s important to register for a specific SAT test date as soon as it becomes available on the College Board website: local test sites fill up quickly, and it’s never a good idea to have to travel to a distant test site.
When do you take the SAT?
Most students take the SAT for the first time in the spring of their junior year, with the option to retake it over the summer or in the fall of senior year. Technically, a student can take the SAT any time after the start of freshman year. Practically speaking, I think the best time to take the SAT is as soon as possible after finishing Algebra II. It’s worth considering what the student’s schedule looks like when determining optimal dates: make sure you take into account sports, activities, class load, mid-terms, finals, and AP Exams. Once you have targeted an SAT test date, then you can determine the best time to begin preparing.
When is the best time to start studying for the SAT?
To give you some specific examples, for most of my students taking the March SAT, the time to begin studying is either right at the beginning of Christmas break or right after New Years. This guarantees at least eight weeks of solid work.
For students planning to take the August SAT, I like to get started as soon as finals are over. Summer can be a great time to prepare for the SAT without all the other classes and activities. Working around a job or internship is no problem. Unless a student is going to spend six weeks backpacking through the wilderness, we can usually figure it out.
How do you study for the SAT?
My approach involves a mix of strategies and curricula. Every student is different, and I believe it is crucial to figure out an individual student’s strengths and weaknesses in order to optimize our preparation. Every student’s brain is different too – so when it comes to strategies, it’s definitely not “one size fits all.” It’s never about getting anyone to do it my way: it’s always about finding out what works best for them.
How do you prepare for the SAT?
I like to start by meeting with my students once a week for an hour. Depending on the needs of the student, I am always happy to meet for longer periods of time or more often. We use a combination of practice problems and actual SAT practice tests to learn the content, figure out the best strategies, and hone the timing. I assign between 30-45 minutes of homework per night, and I remind students that it is important to do it when they are fresh. Slogging through SAT test prep when you are tired is never good practice: your brain’s not firing, you’re making careless mistakes, it’s taking longer to process, and it winds up producing a psychological setback – the opposite of building confidence.
My students know how important it is to get clarity on the problems they get wrong right away. The focus is on how to prevent that mistake in the future. All my students know that if they can’t figure out why they got something wrong, they should snap a picture of the problem and text it to me immediately. I’ll send them back an explanation so they can start applying that knowledge right away (and not wait until our next meeting). The more of this we do, the faster we move the needle!
Another important part of preparing for the SAT that’s often overlooked: sleep. Many of my colleagues advise their students to “get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.” I say that is not enough! My advice is to get plenty of sleep starting two weeks before the test. I think doing everything possible to make sure that you will have a “good day” on test day is crucial. If a student’s normal sleep schedule is 11pm-6am, can they get to bed by 10pm or 10:30pm two weeks out? When students tell me they are good with seven hours of sleep, my response is usually something like, “Well, if you’re good with seven, you’ll be awesome with eight!” Then I ask that they get up at their regular school-day time on the weekend before the test. If they sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, there’s no way they’ll fall asleep by 10 or 10:30pm, and then it will take them a few days to get back in sync. Our bodies and our brains love a regular schedule. I can’t guarantee all this will help, but I am 100% sure it won’t hurt.
How can an SAT tutor or coach help with SAT Prep?
As someone with years of experience teaching SAT classes and doing private tutoring, nothing comes close to one-on-one tutoring/coaching. Everything is completely customized to maximize the student’s potential. Here are just a few of the benefits:
Personalized SAT diagnostics and assessment: the process begins with pinpointing specific weaknesses in reading, writing, and math. This leads me to develop a personalized study plan
Customized SAT study plan: focusing on the areas that need the most improvement is only the beginning. I formulate a plan based on the student’s goals, pace, and learning style. Our time is spent where it will have the greatest impact.
Motivation and accountability: I’m all about engagement. I keep my students motivated, focused, and on-track.
Test-taking strategies: it’s all about boosting confidence and reducing anxiety. In addition to overall strategies, there are different ways to approach different question types. We’re going to beat the College Board at its own game by figuring out what’s the best plan of attack for each individual student.
Reading and Writing Content: we will focus on grammar skills, reading comprehension, analyzing and interpreting passages, and vocabulary.
Math Content: we will work on understanding and applying the appropriate concepts, solving problems efficiently, mastering the Desmos Calculator, and eliminating calculation errors.
What is the best way to prepare for the SAT?
Reach out for a free consultation to find out the best plan for your student. We’ll figure out the best way to reduce stress, build confidence, and develop the skills for success!
