The MKHS CAP Office endorses the position that a comfort level with examination taking, and the general state of mind as well as aptitude and knowledge of subject material does have an impact on student scores. Accordingly, and with the objective to increase the comfort level of the student prior to the examination session, courses are an integral part of every student's schedule at timely intervals prior to college admissions examination offering suggestions covering what to expect and the best approach to take to the type of questions involved.
There are a number of commercial programs available in the community providing similar SAT and Act preparation course work. They range from private individual tutors to the large Stanley Kaplan/Princeton Review type organizations.
As students consider the myriad of options and whether SAT prep is worthwhile, they should be aware of the following points.
The SAT measures quantitative and verbal aptitude that is developed over a long period of time. There are no quick fixes; or easy methods which will have a significant impact on scores. Any quality preparation requires significant commitment of time and energy on the part of the individual student. Even then, the degree of success varies widely among our student.
Guarantees! Read the fine print carefully in some of those community commercial program promotional materials! Many companies state that students usually see an increase in scores, others promise more specific gains. If the promised results do not come through the refund policy usually is the opportunity to take the course again at no extra charge.
Score Increases: You should know that in most cases students will improve during the course of the testing process whether or not they take advantage of an SAT prep course. The College Board who administers the test tells us outright that the average increase is a combined 40 points a year. Since the students are growing intellectually, it is not surprising that scores increase. Each year we have some students with significant gains who have taken advantage of prep services. We also see some whose scores remain the same and a few whose scores drop. We see the same trends among those who do not take advantage of such services.
We have found a vastly improved climate when the initiative comes from students rather than parents.
Students worry a great deal about scores, and they are important. Colleges are reluctant to dip below their ranges (usually 100 points below their individual averages) for students no matter what their grades. On the other hand, there is no point in being terribly upset if one's scores are low, simply because being upset doesn't help.
Students need to do their best, practice intelligently, and then accept their scores and move on. Good grades in good courses are still the primary determination of a student's competitiveness.
Practice can improve scores. Students should become familiar with standardized testing by taking the PSAT. When students receive the results of their PSAT, they will also receive the test questions, a copy of their answers, and an answer key. Students who study this material thoroughly will be able to establish a firm understanding of any areas of weakness. For additional practice materials, we recommend 8 Real SAT's: The College Board's Official Guide to the SAT I. This guide is comprehensive, helpful, and easy to read. It contains eight complete versions of the SAT I for practice. For study guides to SAT II: Subject Tests, we recommend The Official Guide to the SAT II Subject Tests, published by The College Board.