AHS is offering a free SAT test for seniors who registered on October 8th.
Seniors who did not sign up before the deadline will take the ASVAB test, while underclassmen will take the PSAT and freshmen will stay home for the day.
With the test just a week away, students who haven’t done much preparation might be feeling the pressure. So what should they be doing in these last few days?
“There are practice tests that are available through College Board’s website, so [students] should definitely take advantage of those so that they know what to expect, and they’re not seeing it for the first time when they go to take the SAT,” assessment coach Meg Anderson said.
High scorers like senior Lily Rumpf have found their own strategies for SAT preparation. After scoring 1450 in March, and later 1510 in August, Rumpf found that online resources were far more useful than expensive, dedicated SAT classes, and that taking advantage of them was an absolute necessity.
“I looked up videos on YouTube and took many practice tests. YouTube has many tips and tricks, which are most often what you need to learn, plus it’s free,” Rumpf said.
Rumpf also suggests that last-minute review could make or break your SAT score.
“Cramming before tests is usually considered bad, but for the SAT I think running over everything the week or even night before is very helpful,” Rumpf said. “There’s just so much content and you may have forgotten a simple formula, so that one quick glance over can help it stay in your brain.”
In a similar vein, Anderson emphasized that even a little bit of preparation can help.
“Carve out just a few minutes each night, particularly the week before the test,” Anderson said. “You don’t have to look at it holistically and go piece by piece, I think it’s just prioritizing your time and how to use that, so really focusing on areas where you might need more help or more support.”
Students should remember that the SAT is not the end all be all, and it is just one piece of the college application puzzle.
“At the end of the day, it is an important test, but it’s one test, and it is a snapshot,” Anderson said. “There are multiple opportunities, so if students don’t love their score, they can take the SAT again, and schools look at that.”
