They say, “War is hell.”  For millions of students nationwide, so is the SAT.  But the truth is preparing for the SAT doesn’t have to be the painful, depressing, and terrifying experience you keep hearing about.  In fact, success on the mother of all tests is a lot easier than you think.  Here are 5 helpful tips from a Harvard guru who has taken more than a 100 SATs and PSATs, helped instruct thousands of students and experienced first hand what a great score can do for your future. 

Before you even begin to prepare for the SAT, remember that you are always more than a number on a piece of paper.  You are the sum of your life experiences, and the SAT is only one part of the admissions equation.  If you become obsessed with your score (or the scores of your friends), you are setting yourself up to go crazy.  Honestly, the world is full of crazy people already and a meltdown with a number two pencil is just no way to go.

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Have a Plan – You have plenty of time to get ready for the SAT, but if you try to hide from it and pretend it’s not there, believe me it will sneak up behind you, beat you down and take your lunch money.  Mapping out a strategy early on that fits your schedule, your learning style and your goals is essential.
2. Make a Schedule – Choosing when to take your first SAT is an important decision.  If you have AP tests in May, you probably want to take your SAT earlier in the year to avoid stress; if you are an athlete^* with a winter sport, preparing during the season may be tough.  Be realistic about your time commitments.
3. READ  – Pick up a book.  Read the newspaper (box scores don’t count).  Stop relying on SparkNotes and read the Scarlet Letter for real (you can still use SparkNotes to help).  This isn’t just about improving vocabulary and reading comprehension for the SAT; YOU SPEAK ENGLISH, this will help you for the rest of your life.
4. Don’t Burn Out – Focusing too much on the SAT is a mistake.  To most colleges, your GPA is just as, if not more, important than your SAT scores.  If you are taking mountains of practice tests and sections without reviewing them thoroughly you are wasting your time.  If you are locking yourself in your room for hours doing nothing but SAT work, you are a weirdo.  And all too often you will burn out and get frustrated.  This is a marathon, so pace yourself.
5. Block out the Nonsense – When it comes to the SAT, suddenly everyone is an expert.  There is no “easy” or “hard” month to take the SAT.  The ACT isn’t the “easier” test.  Guessing “C” isn’t better than guessing “A” or “B”.  Ignore most of what you hear since it is usually anecdotal at best.  Sorting fact from fiction is sometimes difficult, so only trust those with a solid track record and experience.  Even then, a second opinion never hurts.

^* Athletes who are hoping to get recruited should start early to give coaches solid scores to work with.  In future posts I will discuss how the academic index is used in admissions decisions for recruited athletes.

It’s almost over.  I promise.

Seniors – you have spent your entire high school careers studying, taking tests and writing essays all in the hope of getting into that dream school.   And yet there are still SATs to take and scores to improve.  Before you throw up your hands in frustration, break down and cry into your pillow, or decide that being a 6^th year senior is actually a cool idea, here are 5 essential things you can do to increase your chances of nailing a top score this fall. 

Before we begin, you might want to know why on Earth you should take the advice of some guy you have never met.  Well that’s a good question; I’m impressed.  The funny thing is at this point I know many of you are desperate — if I said that the secret to a higher score was a diet of tarantulas and Red Bull some of you might just try it.  But before you run out in search of killer spiders or try to sprout your own set of wings, take a deep breath.  Trust me, I have worked with thousands of students, train teachers how to teach the SAT and still take the test myself (as sad as that may sound).

5 COMMANDMENTS FOR THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

1. Keep Studying – Hope alone will not raise your SAT score any more than it will win you the lottery.^*  Students who take practice tests, study vocabulary, and refine techniques are much more likely to see higher scores than those who are simply hoping to sit next to the smart kid and cheat.
2. Don’t Stress – Adding pressure to an SAT only hurts your problem solving abilities.  Taking a test in the fall is no more stressful than one in the spring, and to be honest, you are now a little older and little wiser (hopefully).  Many of my students have hit their top scores in October, November and December precisely because they went in stress-free.  If they got more points great.  If not, well, they had already submitted their scores and no one would ever know about this last attempt.^**
3. Don’t Give Up – Many students think they have little chance of scoring higher on a 2^nd or 3^rd SAT attempt.  True some students don’t improve, but even just the confidence that comes with experience can have an impact.  You are taking the test again for a reason, so if you don’t believe in yourself what’s the point?
4. Don’t Cheat – As the pressure builds, students sometimes feel the urge to find any advantage they can – even if it’s dishonest.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHEAT ON THE SAT.  It’s just not worth it.  You have spent years building an academic profile and thinking that a few stolen answers will be the difference between acceptance and rejection is ridiculous.  Colleges see your scores in a range anyway and if you get caught you aren’t getting in anywhere.  You don’t want to live in your parents’ basement for the next few years. 
5. Get a Grip on Reality – Taking the SAT may seem overwhelming at times, but it’s just a bunch of English and math questions with some bubbling thrown in.  True, bubbling can be hard and the reading passages may not be your idea of a good time, but it’s just a test.  Colleges look at the whole picture, and you should too. 

^* If you have already won the lottery you are definitely luckier than the rest of us so I hope your test bursts into flames to balance out the universe. 

^** Score Choice for the SAT functions differently for particular colleges so always check on collegeboard.com for details.  In some cases there is an ethical way to avoid sending a final score even to schools who want all scores.  Email me for details.

Barnwell, P. “Literacy Accountability in a New-Media Age” Education Week. September 22, 2009.

Literacy Accountability in a New-Media Age

Vocab Videos Introduces Entertaining Videos to Improve Comprehension and Retention of Difficult SAT Vocabulary Words

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A-List Education, experts in standardized test preparation, academic tutoring and college admissions advising, announced today the launch of Vocab Videos, an entertaining and effective learning system that brings vocabulary to life. Leveraging humor, pop culture and engaging characters, Vocab Videos helps increase student understanding and retention of vocabulary words through verbal, auditory and visual cues. Vocab Videos teaches students more than 500 of the most frequently tested vocabulary words found in advanced high school English classes and on college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT.

Recognizing the difficulty many students have learning new words through conventional means, A-List created Vocab Videos after intense analysis and research. This unique teaching system employs proven educational methodologies and helps connect high school students with the content and expand their vocabulary, while entertaining them along the way.

Parodies of popular television shows such as Lost, The Office, 24 and Gossip Girl appeal to students by making the content relevant, memorable and compelling. Students develop a more sophisticated understanding of vocabulary words and usage through Vocab Videos as compared to traditional methods, such as flashcards, that only promote short-term memorization.

Scott Farber, President of A-List explains, “I’ve worked with thousands of students and have seen firsthand how beneficial it can be to infuse educational materials with elements of entertainment and multimedia. Vocab Videos gets students excited about learning and parents and teachers see the positive results. We provide the necessary tools for students to excel in the vocabulary sections of standardized tests, including the SAT, ISEE, ACT and GRE.”

Vocab Videos offers a Web-based service with subscriptions available for $9.99 per month or $49.99 for a six-month subscription. Subscribers have unlimited access to content on the Vocab Videos website, including quizzes, review materials and video clips. (DVDs of Vocab Videos will soon be available on Amazon.com.)

A-List also offers Web portal customization and licensing agreements for teachers, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations enabling them to incorporate Vocab Videos into existing curricula. Vocab Videos can be used to enhance daily curricula, assist with standardized test preparation and generally prepare students for college. Schools and non-profit educational organizations throughout the United States are successfully instituting the Vocab Videos system.

About Vocab Videos

Vocab Videos (www.vocabvideos.com) is an entertaining and effective learning system that brings vocabulary to life. Leveraging humor, pop culture and engaging characters, Vocab Videos helps increase student understanding and retention of vocabulary words through verbal, auditory and visual cues. Vocab Videos employs proven educational methodologies to help students learn more than 500 frequently tested words found in high school level English classes and on college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT.

About A-List Education

A-List Education (www.alisteducation.com) is an innovative provider of educational services for students, schools, and non-profit organizations. The company is dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals and successfully prepare for undergraduate and graduate studies. A-List’s services include standardized test preparation, academic tutoring and college admissions advising. Through private tutoring, classroom based programs and online services, such as Vocab Videos (www.vocabvideos.com) and College Essay Optimizer (www.collegeessayoptimizer.com), A-List has helped thousands of students through its unique and highly effective programs and services. Using customized curricula and proprietary materials, A-List prepares students for standardized tests such as the SAT, ISEE, ACT and GRE. A-List is also committed to helping underprivileged youth and works with several nationally recognized non-profit organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Graham Windham and Year Up.

Keywords: Vocab Videos, A-List Education, SAT, ICEE, ACT, GRE, Scott Farber, Test Preparation, Test Prep, Vocabulary

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Panel Urges Attention to Adolescent Literacy

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In School Speech, Obama says Education Key to Country’s Future

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Proposed ‘Race to Top’ Rules Seen as Prescriptive