Why Early SAT or ACT Preparation is More Important Than Ever
The benefit of early SAT preparation has never been higher. Students who get down to the business of college planning well before the usual "crunch time" have a heaping advantage in the college admissions game and will likely have more educational options as they investigate college programs. Traditionally, guidance counselors meet with students in January or February of their 11th grade year (usually after the seniors have finished their January applications). By this time, a large percentage of junior year grades are in, and many students have missed out on taking courses that could burnish their college resumes. Unfortunately, in those winter meetings, high school juniors also find they missed out on taking an early SAT prep course to boost their college readiness, and they totally missed the boat on earning National Merit Scholarship recognition.We believe the time to consult with a good counselor is in the fall or winter of sophomore year. That's when the counselor can help structure the spring schedule, help steer towards a productive summer, and help assess which, if any, SureSite Subject Tests) or AP exams should be taken that spring.
Sophomore year college counseling allows students who face momentous decisions on extracurricular activities to gain wisdom from the track records of hundreds of students before them. Sophomore year is also the last good chance a student has to take up an activity or add an extra layer of college preparatory activity to bolster a resume before the college application process begins. By junior year, colleges want to see that you have delved passionately into your extracurricular activities, and that you've made the most of your high school education. (Some of the best private schools force students to devote a week or more to “experiential learning” - or "learning by doing." Ivy Bound would like public school students to have this opportunity as well, by incorporating in-depth opportunities beyond school courses and the occasional academic program.
What’s The Criteria For College Selection?
If your counselor cannot do an in-depth assessment and start planning for your academic success by winter of sophomore year, seek out an independent college consultant. One good source for consultants across North America is www.iecaonline.com . We have long said that a good consultant gives the admissions value of attending a prep school and can provide a smooth transition for college-bound students.You don't need to wait until your sophomore year to begin making a college list and establishing some college prep goals. Though you don't need a college counselor in 8th or 9th grade, you still can improve your chances for academic success through good planning. Think of it this way: entering a science competition for the first time is best done as a freshman. You may not win as a freshman -- and you may not even place, but the educational experience will be well worth your effort. By your third year in the same competition, you will have learned what judges are looking for, and that academic achievement could put a first-place ribbon on your project. The same goes for artistic competitions. Since many arts programs include auditions or material submissions as criteria, preparing for competition as a freshman or sophomore can help you to avoid last-minute application mistakes like being less than 100% prepared. Situational experience matters - ask anyone in college enrollment!Now, imagine if you do earn a placement in competition as a freshman. Your sophomore year entry has an even better chance of being recognized because of your “pedigree”. The near-universal thinking among judges? “She placed third last year…she MUST be good.” So early college prep as it relates to competition is important. So is college prep for taking the SAT early:
Studying for the SAT tangentially helps one's academics. The grammar, the essay writing, and the vocabulary that a good SAT course provides are likely to help a student improve her/his English grade. What's more, these skills will help you to develop essay topics that could be the foundation for your college application and can help you to write a great personal essay -- the kind that gets you into your dream
The regimented independence that many SAT study courses provide creates a good foundation for studying when electives dominate an upperclassman's agenda. Setting time to study, take practice tests and build on critical thinking skills required to take the SATs is much more than just college prep - it's a personal statement that you are ready to commit yourself to postsecondary success!
Starting early means more chances for success. The SAT is not a one-shot deal, and multiple chances mean on SOME occasion a student fires on all “24 cylinders” and gets a turbocharged score. Plus, the personal experience of taking the test almost always leads to a better score on subsequent efforts.
Being done early allows smart assessment of colleges. When sitting on a solid SAT score by December, you can make intelligent college visits over the next few months (February and April breaks are our favorite times to visit colleges). A good SAT score means you need not visit so many “back-up” colleges. (Now that college visits carry less admissions importance, it still means you have less college research to do).
Being done early is a relief. The junior spring is often crowded with AP exams, SAT IIs, finals, sports banquets, proms, awards ceremonies, college visits, plays, girlfriends, driver education, spring fundraisers, and volunteer events. In addition to all that, the college admissions process is no easy feat - in addition to being accepted, may students have to arrange for college tuition, complete scholarship applications and ultimately make a college choice and, for all intents and purposes, a career choice! It's a challenging time! To keep the SAT out of that mix is wise.
Being done early means you can apply more strategically - without. making common application mistakes. While colleges accept October and even November score for early decision, CHOOSING that one college for an early decision application is best done based on an actual SAT score, rather than on a guess as to what that score will be. Early decision continues to be advantageous in college admissions, and early action helps with merit scholarship awards.
Nothing in the junior year curriculum directly helps SAT success (unless you attend a school with a dedicated for-credit SAT course). Thus, early preparation for the testing outside of your high school or prep school experience has no downside. And since SAT scores have never been more important, students choosing to wait should have a very good reason for the delay.
Ivy Bound offers “New Year's Boot Camps” in New York and Connecticut. This program helps students to build SAT reading skills, improve SAT essay skills, perfect their grammar, and to begin “reasoning” the SAT way. Each four-day “Boot Camp” session is open to students in grades 6 – 10, and includes 7 hours of daily teaching and a mandatory two hours of daily self-study (except on New Year's Eve, when we have a supervised party). Parents who lack a private admissions counselor have the option of a two-hour “Understanding College Admissions” consultation during the Boot Camp. If you are a parent and you would like to enroll your 6th – 10th grader in the Dec 26–29 or Dec 30– Jan 2 session, please contact Ivy Bound by clicking here.
By Mark Greenstein, Ivy Bound Tutor and Ivy Bound Founder.