Is an SAT preperation course worth taking? Does it really help that much?
349166
An SAT course is worth taking if you take it enough time in advance of the test for it to be worth anything.  Also you have to be dedicated to learning when you get in there.  All too often you see students who do not take the classes seriously.\n\nIf you can't afford the classes or you're a little short on time, I recommend working on crossword puzzles to up your vocabulary skills.  And I don't mean the easy ones.  Try to work your way up to difficult/challenging as fast as possible.  The NY Times crosswords are an excellent source of SAT vocabulary.  And read.  Read anything and everything.  The newspaper, books, magazines - anything that uses full sentences with words longer than 2 syllables.\n\nAs for math, just pay attention to things around the house - like the geometry or a room or distances from point A to B and work the math in your head.\n\nMostly the SAT's test your ability to reason and articulate and deduct.  Memorization will only get you so far.\n\nGood luck!
829923
I took an SAT Prep class in high school and we took many SAT tests that had been given in the couple of years prior to my class.  And my scores always went up.  I never did take an actual SAT though, but the tests we took in that class were real SATs.\n\nJ
487711
How wrong is that???  You need to STUDY and earn a good score on your own; a doctored score means nothing, and since you are expected to actually know something about the subjects the SAT tests you on, if you do not then that lack will eventually catch up with you.  Getting into college (I assume that is what you are after) on the basis of a false score won't do you any good if you can't keep up with the workload.  Take the prep class, and buy a good study/prep guide as well.  There are several, so invest in the best one you can find; you should be able to borrow copies of other guides from your public library.  Work hard, be proud of yourself.  Don't sell yourself short, you can do it if you try.
886205
No.  A lot of the good information is given on the last day, sometimes even hints on questions.  If you attend the class it'll be more benefitial than anything.
419204
If this is the new SAT that score is not very good, considering the New SAT is out of a score of 2400. You should really consider taking a Kaplan Prep course. If not, feel free to register for free 45 days of online access to our SAT quizbank site. This site allows you customize your own quizzes for personalized Prep. You really should be shooting for anything above 600 in each section. 600 math, 600 critical reading, and 600 writing.
833222
Both my husband and I took the GRE (and scored well) and we used at-home prep materials including books and CD sample tests.  Our conclusion was that you don't really learn new material at that point, so lectures and groups wouldn't offer anything special, but sure cost a lot more than books.  The GRE wasn't like a lot of other tests where you have to find the answer, but it seemed like a lot of time there would be three possible answers and you'd find the best choice by eliminating ones that wouldn't work ... if that makes any sense.  It is a different sort of test and I though the Princeton was a good review.  It taught us how to effeciently answer so we could get through all the answers and not get bogged down in solving every problem.  Books w/CD was worth the money.  Friends who took courses didn't seem to get any more for their money, and the schedule isn't flexible.
607340
SAT's will help....I'm not sure it will matter for you though...if you have a chance of going...I wouldn't think you would seek advice at Yahoo Answers?
602148
If you can't score at least 750 on the SAT Math section then don't bother.  Otherwise, just register for it, and then beg if you have to.  You're obviously not concerned about English.
50214
Get an SAT book, and learn all the different types of question format so that when you take the real test, you will skip the tipe to read on how to correctly answer the question cause you already know, and you'll have more time to work on answering the question.\nIt might not sound as much of a help, but believe me, it helped me very much. The SAT has breaks during the exam, but all the time, i was done sooner than the others and i got a pretty damn good score.
1020509
I got 2060 on the SAT. Here's how I prepared.\n\nCritical Reading- I read lots of wordlists from sites like www.number2.com and I did many practice questions.\n\nMath- My Dad is a great Math teacher, and he helped a lot. If you know a good teacher, ask them to help you out. Do a few diagnostic test and then concentrate on your weakest areas. Keep a log of the problems you got wrong and re-do them at some point to ensure that you've honed your skills.\n\nWriting:\nEssay- Again, my Dad. Get someone who will analyze your essays critically and who will give you points to strengthen your argument.\nMC- Did lots of worksheets with my Mom.\n\nApart from this, I also did a very helpful collegeboard prep course on the net. I also did a Kaplan training class which was completely useless and I would never recommend it to anyone.\n\nBottomline- Don't worry about how long you study. Make it good study time where you get the most out of the time you spend. If you can get your parents to help or if you have a good teacher who can support you, there's nothing like it. Finally, be cool while preparing and on test day. The SAT is a minor challenge that we\nhave to face, so don't get worried or stressed and don't let it scare you.\n\nGood luck!
545696
It depends on your public school district.  If you live in a good public school district, then you don't need to send your kid to a prep school.  If you live in a bad public school district, then it is worth the money.
183596
All portions of the SAT are important. Think about it, most desirable well-paying jobs hire people with strong oral and written communications skills. It will be in your best benefit to perfect that skill no matter what you plan on doing in life.\n\nStandardize tests DO NOT dictate how well you will do in life. They may play a role as to what university you'll get accepted to, but try not to worry too much about it. Just prep for the test and do you best. if you don't get the score you want, take it again.
36678
If you are looking for a good tutor for SAT tutoring in the Atlanta area, which I surmise from your yahoo id, I reccommend "Atlanta Tutors." My daughter received tutoring for the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT from one of their tutors and her score went up quite a bit. The tutor had a degree from Berkeley and is a PhD student at Emory, so he was very qualified and professional. He had a number of useful strategies for the essay section. Their website is http://www.atlantatutors.net
879390
I took it once. It was easier than the SAT, and I didn't study.\n\nHowever, I didn't do great. If I studied and did it again, I would compleatly have nailed it. \n\nI didn't do well on my SAT and ACT, yet I am going to medical school. It doesn't make you, you make you...so don't stress out.
597827
They should help place you in classes tht will help prepare you for your furture (advance placement and college prep).  Addtionally they can be a mentor, and even someone you can turn to in a time of need.
539405
PSAT is supposed to be an easier version of the SAT. If you study for the SAT you should do fine on the PSAT. It is mostly likely the same type material. I used to work at Kaplan and the PSAT were in the same class as the SAT students.
492600
No, not really.  Go over a couple of practice tests to see - they're pretty good.  Don't panic over the essay portion, either.  Many colleges don't even count that portion.  Find out if the college(s) you're going to apply to count that before taking it.  If they don't, you're home free!