It’s hard to keep up with the changes to admissions requirements colleges have been making in the past few days and weeks. In response to the cancellations of the SAT through May and the ACT April administration, some colleges are waiving their testing requirements for admissions to release some of the pressure students are feeling and the pressure felt by test sites to administer these exams in a compressed time frame.
The SAT is designed to test skills and knowledges that are accrued over a long time, things like vocabulary and math fluency, and these can be developed and honed beyond the hours spent in class. Not only do you not have to wait until a full-scale test prep program to start building these skills, you probably shouldn’t. Here’s a list of 5 ways you can utilize the precious summer months to build your skill and knowledge, laying the foundation for a strong performance on your next (or first) SAT in the fall.
Many test prep centers are offering free SAT and ACT practice test sessions throughout the summer and there are many reasons why students should take advantage of this opportunity. Like a dress rehearsal, these sessions replicate the real testing environment as students sit in a room with other students and take the test following the standard protocol. Through exposure to real test questions, when the time comes for the official test, students should feel more confident going into their SAT or ACT. Each student will receive a detailed score report and analysis that breaks down performance and identifies strengths and areas for improvement which will help them be more focused in their SAT/ACT prep. Finally, for students contemplating whether to take the SAT or the ACT the practice tests will give thema chance to compare their scores to determine whether they have a natural strength/preference for one or the other.
Practice makes perfect - summer is the perfect time to take advantage of this opportunity.
