Brushing up for the SATs

Princeton High School students say practice is the best SAT preparation

By: Jessica Beym
   Students getting ready to take the SATs know that if at first they don’t succeed, they must try and try again.
   And in some instances, even a third go at the four and a half-hour test might be warranted for those who are desperate to boost their scores.
   Students from Cranbury who have already taken the test said that every minute of SAT preparation seems to help, whether it’s enrolling in a summer prep course, attending the Princeton Review, or hiring an after-school tutor.
   But when it comes time to get serious about their scores, the students said the only thing that can truly prepare a student for the test is the test itself.
   Seventeen-year-old Emily Chrai, a junior at Princeton High School, said she had much more confidence going into the SATs on May 6 than she did when she first took the test last fall. Last summer she enrolled in a basic prep course through the high school, hoping that the class would refresh her memory with the material that would be on the test.
   But when she got her results back, Emily said, she was shocked at her scores.
   "I realized I had to really keep at it and build before the test," Emily said. "The reading passages were the hardest and the longest. The first time I really had trouble trying to stay focused."
   The test, which is taken by students looking to gain admission into college, assesses students’ performance in areas of math, verbal skills — critical reading, vocabulary and grammar — and an essay writing section which was added last year.
   Satisfied with her math scores, but realizing that she needed help to boost her verbal scores and learn more about how to craft a well-written essay, Emily signed up for the Huntington Learning Center.
   Using practice SAT tests, the teachers were able to help identify Emily’s weaknesses and provide her with tools that would strengthen her knowledge and test-taking skills.
   Although she has to wait two more weeks before getting the scores back, Emily said she thinks the course helped her to boost her scores.
   Through SAT prep courses such as the one at Huntington or the Princeton Review, students are taught methods, tips and tools that are useful when taking the test, but aren’t necessarily taught in the classroom.
   Michael Stehn, 16, who first took the SATs in April and plans to take them two more times, said his study sessions with a tutor from the Princeton Review were centered around learning some of those tips that would come in handy when taking the test.
   "I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s a lot more of learning the tricks of the test than the information," said Michael, a junior at PHS. "It’s not about testing your straight intelligence."
   Through the course, Michael said, he learned different ways to solve algebraic questions so that he wouldn’t have to write out the problem longhand. He was also told to use guess and check methods, since many of the questions are multiple choice. Another tip was to skip the questions that were too difficult because points are subtracted for incorrect answers, whereas points aren’t either added or subtracted for questions that are left blank.
   Michael said when he was a sophomore, he and a number of his classmates took the PSATs prior to the SATs to get an idea of how they would fare during the real deal. But the practice test was hardly comparable, he said.
   "It was so long," Michael said. "I was there for four and a half hours, so the whole process was really grueling. In the last few sections where you have to read and look for specific things, it just gets difficult to sit and concentrate. It’s not just about the time limit, it’s about being able to endure."
   Many students who have taken the test during the fall or spring of their junior year know that there is always another chance in the fall of their senior year to retake the test before mailing scores out with their college applications.
   Kyle Barron, a junior at PHS, said that the first time he took the SATs, he kept that thought in mind and ended up not concentrating as much as he had hoped to.
   "It wasn’t as urgent then as it is now," Kyle said. "I thought college was still a year away so I wouldn’t have to worry."
   But like many other students, Kyle said he was disappointed when his first test scores came in. And although many college admission centers say that the SAT score is just one of many elements of the application, Kyle said he was still worried.
   "They say it’s just one factor, but deep down I know if I don’t get the average they’re looking for, my chances aren’t going to be as good as the next kid."
   Even though he took a four-week summer course and as well as the Princeton Review, Kyle said he needed additional help and signed up for a program taught by Princeton University undergraduates called Let’s Get Ready.
   Each week the students spent two hours going over questions in verbal, writing and math and then spent another two hours applying their skills to practice problems. The students also took sample tests every few weeks to see if their scores were improving.
   "I felt really good after I took it the second time," Kyle said. "I didn’t doubt myself saying, ‘Oh, what if I miss this question?’ I just didn’t want to worry."
   Even though he was more confident, Kyle said that the reading section, where he had to analyze long passages, was still difficult.
   "I had to go back and really concentrate on it," he said. "Math and science come easy to me."
   According to a Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions study in November, 68.6 percent of students taking the test said that they found the critical reading section to be the most difficult. The survey also showed that 52 percent of the students believed they were stronger in math and science subjects than reading and writing.
   In addition, 41 percent said that only some of the questions on the SAT were related to what they had learned in the classroom.
   Emily said that while she has written a number of essays in school and also does critical reading in her literature classes, the SAT tests in those areas were more difficult.
   "I made flashcards, did practice essays, worked on transitions, introductions and conclusions," Emily said. "Princeton is known for excelling in standardized tests so the kids try to work harder and really prepare for it. The courses definitely help because you can’t study for the SATs on your own. But you really don’t know what it’s going to be like until you take it."