Skip to main content

Reply to "Pre-reads and offers"

Chico Escuela posted:

My kids took both the SAT and ACT cold, then each pursued further prep on the test that they did best on (the ACT in both cases, for no particular reason I know of). 

Even if you know which test your son intends to take, I think it is worth taking without prep once to see what areas are strengths or weaknesses.  You don't have to submit all scores when you apply, and schools do not penalize applicants for taking tests multiple times.  We hired a tutor for a few focused one-on-one sessions with our kids after their first tests--no more expensive than a prep class, and they were able to hone in on things they needed to improve.  We found the tutor by asking parents of kids who had recently been through the college application process.

There are some very good free online test prep resources, as mentioned above.  If your son is disciplined enough to use them, those can be a good option. 

You also can have your son take a practice test and use that as a baseline.  It's not quite the same as actually taking the test, but saves some time and money.  Again, this requires some self-discipline (and/or a parent in the same room for a few hours with a stopwatch).

×
×
×
×