The SAT Crisis
While the title is overly dramatic, to the parent of a High School Junior, this is panic season. Regretfully, there are no remaining options but to cram if a student has waited this long to prepare for the SAT. If that is the case with your student, I highly recommend Kaplan resources. These study aids are available in CD, book, and class form. The huge study book usually comes with a CD for computer practice which is invaluable. The workbook contains many practice exercises in verbal and math work. Doing those exercises as many times as possible is the way to success. Memorize and work diligently on the 3500 word “frequently used vocabulary” list. They are not kidding when they say that those are the most frequently used words in the verbal section. The painful news is that national verbal scores have declined steadily since the test began in 1913. The test itself has been “modified” more than six times to “accommodate” students with verbal deficiencies and yet nationwide, students continue to average about 420 out of 800 possible on the verbal section. Fifty-two percent is a failing grade in any subject. Noting the lack of verbal skills, the SAT of 2005 will introduce a required essay section, increasing the need for verbal skills to master the test. I also think that the Kaplan study courses are valuable. They are also pricey. Some schools and area community colleges offer courses in SAT and ACT cramming. If you need a better score, this intensive study increases the standard score by about 200 points if the student is motivated to do the work the class requires. Another good resource is the Princeton Review. The workbook is similar to Kaplan’s but a little less user friendly. One of my reasons for recommending Kaplan is that it deals directly with “traps” found in the SAT and besides identifying them, gives students ways to deal with those traps. Of course, Kaplan has a web site: www.kaplan.com.