How to prepare for the new SAT and the SAT subject tests

There are many ways that a student can prepare for the SAT. The most common are alone, with a tutor, or with an SAT group class.

I have tried all 3 methods, so perhaps my experiences with preparing for the SAT will shed some light on the best ways to increase your score.

First off, I thought I could prepare for the SAT alone, but boy was I wrong! I spent an entire summer (between 10th and 11th grade) studying by myself with the collegeboard SAT guide, and the princeton review guide. My score went up by about 30 points, but it could just be due to random fluctuations. Thus, I highly discourage studying for the new SAT alone, since the results will most likely be limited, and you will only waste your time.

The next way lots of people get ready for the SAT is by taking a prep class, such as those given by The Princeton Review and Kaplan in Los Angeles. You can probably find SAT prep classes in other cities than LA, but might have to do a little more driving. I personally went for the Princeton Review class, which cost me about $1500 total. My experiences were not ALL that bad, but for the most part, I saw the class as a waste of time. Strangely enough, my score actually went down after taking this class. The SAT prep class at princeton review was very unfocused, and the teacher didn't exactly know the SAT as well as he should have. I doubt the Kaplan one in Los Angeles is any better, as some of my friends later told me it was worthless. Also I felt like I wasn't receiving individual attention for my SAT problems since the class had 20 other people in it. This brings me to my next point, and what I consider to be the best way to prepare for the SAT.

If you really want to increase your score, with a minimal amount of time (but not money), you should get 1 on 1 SAT tutoring. This method worked best for me, since the tutor focuses the attention on only ONE student (YOU!). As a warning, the prices can vary greatly for Los Angeles SAT tutoring, as the big companies can charge several hundred dollars an hour. You can find a nice comparison of SAT tutoring in Los Angeles here. Keep in mind that the higher the price, the quality of tutoring is not necessarily better. For example, tutorfox offers the lowest price tutoring of the three test prep companies, and employs all UCLA students who scored above 2200, while princeton review and Kaplan charge much more money, and their SAT tutors can sometimes be in their 30s.

Once again, I strongly recommend tutoring when it comes to preparing for the SAT.

When should you take the SAT?

There are many test dates throughout the year, but it is important to decide when exactly you should take the New SAT. A chart of SAT test dates can be found of course on the collegeboard's website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html, but I will make it clear when Juniors (11th graders) and Seniors (12th graders) should be taking the new SAT.


First of all, I recommend that students do not take the SAT before 11th grade, although feel free to take as many practice tests as you would like! During 11th grade, students should register for either the May of June SAT. What is typically done is a student will register for the May 3 2008 SAT, and will save the June 7th SAT for SAT subject tests. This is an especially good idea for students taking APs, since AP classes will not be done with material by the May 3rd SAT. Remember to register by the appropriate deadline or you will have to pay a late fee.

If however, these dates are unsuitable, then students must take the New SAT and SAT subject tests during 12th grade. The available test dates during 12th grade are: October 6, 2008, November 1, 2008, and December 6, 2008. This means if you are only taking the SAT and SAT subject tests a single time, you can avoid taking the exams on one of those test dates. I recommend you plan to take advantage of all 3 of these test dates however. Remember to plan ahead, and register to take the SAT before the deadlines pass, otherwise you have to pay the hefty $22 late fee!

SAT Subject Tests

Many people wonder what the right SAT subject tests to take are. There are quite a few to choose from, so it is very important to choose the right subject test. The collegeboard offers SAT subject tests in English Literature, History, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History, Mathematics Level 1, Mathematics Level 2, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese with Listening, French, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, and Korean.

So now the question arises, which subject test should you take? If you are good at math, I recommend you take the math II subject test. 
If you are a science person, you should take the SAT in either physics, chemistry, or biology, depending on which one you are better at. If you are an english person, consider taking the SAT in literature. It is very similar to the SAT I critical reading section. If you are good at history, consider taking the SAT subject test in World History, or US History.

The next question is how many tests should you take? The answer depends on the college you want to apply to. 
The best colleges usually require at least 2, although some colleges (ivy league) require you to report 3 SAT subject tests. In this case you should pick 3 subject tests in which you will score highest in.

How should you study for the SAT subject tests? The best way is with the official collegeboard SAT subject tests book.

Also good is the princeton review book

Tests you need to take to go to college

I thought I would start off my first post with one of the most common question asked by 11th and 12th grade high school students: What standardized tests do I need to take in high school in order to get into college?

The answer depends upon which college you want to attend. If you wish to attend a community college, you do not have to take any tests, but it certainly helps if you have passed the high school exit exam. For most colleges, including UC (University of California college system) including UCLA, UCB, and UCSD, and the most coveted Ivy League schools, you will need to take at least 2 SAT subject tests, and either the New SAT 1 Reasoning test or the ACT. 

Now the question is which test should you take, the SAT I, or the ACT? Once again it depends on the college you want to go to. In general, colleges prefer the SAT since more people apply with SAT scores, thus the SAT is a more reliable standard of measurement for colleges. The ACT has a larger prevalence in colleges in the midwest, but SAT is more popular among east coast colleges (including ivy league schools), and the UC system.