Maximizing Your SAT Scores - The Prep Course Advantage

Young people today are faced with stress and challenge at every turn.  There is little wonder that mental health professionals report rising numbers of teen depression and anxiety related illnesses every year.  The pressure to achieve academic and athletic success affect most young people today and these pressures have many associated consequences.  The pursuit of perfection is driving teens to achieve this perfection in many self destructive ways.  Eating disorders, alcohol related disorders, and steroid use are on the rise.  But it is important for parents to realize that there are productive and healthy ways to channel their children’s ambitions and help them achieve the success that is so important to them.

The desire to achieve academic success and get into that perfect college or university is perhaps the driving motivator in today’s student’s minds.  Perhaps equally important is the quest for highly competitive scholarship dollars.  The road to that goal starts for most students with the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the scores gained on this test represents the cumulative work of their high school careers.  As the number of college applicants grow the more selective colleges and universities have become and the SAT has become the defining factor in who is selected.

Recognizing this trend, many students and their families are choosing a quality SAT preparation course to make the most of the testing experience and achieve higher scores.  An Ohio State University study reports that “students who took Private SAT Prep classes averaged scores 60 points higher on their SAT tests compared to those who did not take a SAT Prep class…they were more likely to get into college, and to more selective colleges.” A 60 point gain can make the difference between admission and rejection to many colleges.  Clearly, this study identifies the advantage a private SAT Prep course can offer to students today.

These prep classes offer students the opportunity to focus areas of study, identify weaknesses, gain in depth knowledge of testing methods, and reduce test associated anxieties.  Approaching the SAT as a field of study, these classes acquaint participants with the subjects tested and the same type of questions they will face on test day.  Simply eliminating the fear of the unknown offers students a great advantage.  As they take practice exams and examine subjects covered they will gain confidence as they strengthen their knowledge of both verbal and math topics that will be tested.  The prep class is their opportunity to broaden their understanding of specific topics and pinpoint any weaknesses in their subject knowledge.

Enrolling a student in a private SAT Prep class is one way to channel their ambitions for success in a way that will have valuable and long-lasting benefits.  These classes are structured to maximize information and minimize apprehension as they guide students to test day.  They can, in a meaningful way, give perspective to one of the greatest pressures facing our young people today.  These courses take the SAT from an all or nothing and intimidating pedestal to an achievable and winnable experience.  As studies continue to show the benefits to be gained, parents owe it to themselves and their children to investigate this accessible tool for academic success.