By Kelsey Binion
<[email protected]>

Despite some schools dropping the requirement, the SAT is still a major factor in many college applications. A student’s SAT score can either open or close admissions’ doors depending on the college. Before taking the test, students have the option to seek help to perform their best. One option is the SAT prep course offered here during the fall and spring. The first of these sessions started earlier this week.

But do prep courses really help?

According to The Record, Laurence Bunin, general manager of the SAT program for the College Board, said, “Short-term commerical prep courses don’t take place of rigorous education.” Such courses, he said, “Result only in very small score improvements.”

“There is no tricks to taking the SAT and no mystery,” Bunin said, countering the test prep companies’ claims to teach “strategies to conquer the format.

“The SAT prep courses can be a cottage industry, which means that people are out there to help kids but also as a money making business. It is not cheap for parents going the private route,” counselor Rich Allen said.

Reactions from those who have taken the courses are mixed. Senior Joseph Cawley took advantage of an SAT prep course available at school. He only took the math section of the course and said it wasn’t very helpful. “The course didn’t really help. Math is my strongest point, but if I took the English and writing portion I could have done better,” Cawley said.

Senior Jordan Rolsky, on the other hand, took a class called the Princeton Review SAT prep course at Park Tudor and said she had a good experience. “I credit my high SAT scores to the class,” Rolsky said. “Every Saturday we took SAT tests from the previous year to get in the habit of taking the test. When the test day arrived, I was very well prepared and knew exactly how to manage my time. I also learned many helpful tips to solving problems.

Micki Smith, a math instructor for the SAT prep course here, said the courses were good preparation for the SAT. “I believe the course is very beneficial,” she said via e-mail. “It helps students to know the directions ahead of time, gives extra practice problems to help study for the test, teaches strategies on how to approach certain types of problems and overall gives a better understanding of what the test will be assessing. I wish I would have had a class like the SAT prep course when I was in school. I know I would have been less anxious about the test. Working through practice problems is the best way to study.”

In addition to the SAT courses, there are resources outside of school. The counseling center has an adult tutor list of private tutors.

Regardless of the method, Allen recommended that students do something to prepare for the SAT, whether it’s a course or simply logging on to the College Board Web site for resources. “It is hard to cram for the SAT,” he said. “Students have been preparing ever since first grade. They have been reading as much as possible and doing well in core classes. Go to the College Board’s Web site and take a practice test that they put out. Also, there is an SAT question of the day. Answer the question, see how you do and bookmark the questions into a file, so when the SAT comes around you can have a review.”

Like Allen, Kristi LeVeque, a critical reading and writing instructor for the SAT prep course here, said preparation is key. “Test-taking strategies and familiarizing students with the test format and content are the kind of skills that are taught in a SAT prep course,” she said. “Taking the mystery out of the SAT helps students feel more confident. Also, knowing what to expect will make students feel more prepared. I know that if I had some of the information we give the students, particularly the information about test-taking strategies and the format of the test, I would have felt much more confident when I took the SAT.

“Taking the class gives students a good idea what areas of the test will be more challenging for them, so they can concentrate on those areas in preparation for the test,” LeVeque said. “And sometimes something as simple as knowing when to guess and when not to guess can raise a test taker’s grade a few points.”