So this is a good time to talk about prep for those oft-dreaded standardized college entrance exams.
But first I want to bring up a taboo-but-important subject: the sad truth about the unfairness of these tests, which is so plainly visible from the trenches of college counseling.
It is common knowledge that, on average, students who can afford professional prep assistance do better on the tests than students who are forced to prep on their own (usually due to financial constrictions). This in itself creates a bias toward higher-income students.
My other gripe relates specifically to special ed students. Accommodations are granted after thorough review of extensive documentation and both testing agencies require that the supporting evidence is "current." They have their own definitions of "current" and both have rejected many of my students' requests for extended time because they deemed the cognitive testing "too old." This is problematic because our district is legally prohibited from performing this assessment, which means that many special ed kids are just plain out of luck.
For the uninitiated, it seems like an easy fix: go get a private assessment! However, if you've looked into psychological testing you'll know that this can cost several thousand dollars, which brings us full circle to our bias toward higher-income students again. But I digress by talking about accommodations. I will devote a full article to testing accommodations in the future.
Right now I want to talk about test prep options.
Option #1: The big players
You've undoubtedly heard of the biggest players in this market: Princeton Review and Kaplan. They offer various formats, including classroom instruction, small group instruction, private tutoring or online self-guided prep. Be prepared to pay from $500-$2,000 for classroom or small group instruction and several thousand dollars for private tutoring. Online prep is the cheapest way to go, usually costing less than $500. Both organizations guarantee "higher scores or your money back." Also, in most metropolitan areas there are local test prep agencies that can be found either through a referral from your guidance counselor or by doing a web search.
Option #2: Private tutors
More private tutors are hanging out their shingles all the time. These can range from off-duty teachers, to grad students, to ed therapists, and any other person who chooses to present themself as an "expert." Ask around in your school community for references. Every area will have a different price range for this service so I can't make any generalizations. The benefits of using a private tutor are that scheduling is more flexible and you can have more control over finding a good personality match for your child. The downside is that you have minimal recourse if you are dissatisfied with their services.
Option #3: Buy the book
When I was a teenager my family couldn't afford to pay for tutoring or prep classes, so I used Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT
. It's cheaper and less intimidating than those monster prep guides, and was therefore the right choice for me on two counts. However, if your child is the kind that isn't intimated by the sheer massiveness of a standard study guide and also possesses adequate self-discipline to work through the book, please do consider going with that option because the preparation will be more thorough. Here are some well-respected publications:
Option #4: Just let 'em wing it
That might sound kind of irreverent, considering today's hyperfocus on achievement and competition, but I'm completely serious. I suggest this route especially for the first test administration if the student is planning to take it more than once. That way you can use the first set of scores to guide your test prep decisions (if you are going to do any prep at all). Even if your child is not going to do test prep, if they test well and/or excel academically and/or have their sights on less competitive colleges, going in cold might work out just fine.
Option #5: Skip it completely
There are at least two ways to circumvent this whole stress-inducing standardized testing meshugas. First, have your child begin their higher education at a community college. (There are so many good reasons to choose this path.) The second is to look exclusively for colleges and universities that don't require test scores. You can find a list on the FairTest website. Remember, bypassing the SAT/ACT is often a good idea for special needs students for various reasons, such as a tendency to have severe test anxiety or difficulty focusing for long periods of time, which results in unusable test scores after a long period of stress for the whole family.
Let me end by saying please, please do not feel guilty if you can't afford a tutor or expensive test prep courses. There are going to be "good match" college opportunities for your child anyway. Trust that things happen for a reason.
(Forgive my tendency to list "SAT" before "ACT," but there is a real regional favor toward one test or another and I grew up hearing almost exclusively about the SAT so it is predominant in my mind. Please don't take it to mean that I inherently recommend one over the other. Ideally, your decision will be influenced by whether your colleges of interest have a preference.)
It is common knowledge that, on average, students who can afford professional prep assistance do better on the tests than students who are forced to prep on their own (usually due to financial constrictions). This in itself creates a bias toward higher-income students.
My other gripe relates specifically to special ed students. Accommodations are granted after thorough review of extensive documentation and both testing agencies require that the supporting evidence is "current." They have their own definitions of "current" and both have rejected many of my students' requests for extended time because they deemed the cognitive testing "too old." This is problematic because our district is legally prohibited from performing this assessment, which means that many special ed kids are just plain out of luck.
For the uninitiated, it seems like an easy fix: go get a private assessment! However, if you've looked into psychological testing you'll know that this can cost several thousand dollars, which brings us full circle to our bias toward higher-income students again. But I digress by talking about accommodations. I will devote a full article to testing accommodations in the future.
Right now I want to talk about test prep options.
Option #1: The big players
You've undoubtedly heard of the biggest players in this market: Princeton Review and Kaplan. They offer various formats, including classroom instruction, small group instruction, private tutoring or online self-guided prep. Be prepared to pay from $500-$2,000 for classroom or small group instruction and several thousand dollars for private tutoring. Online prep is the cheapest way to go, usually costing less than $500. Both organizations guarantee "higher scores or your money back." Also, in most metropolitan areas there are local test prep agencies that can be found either through a referral from your guidance counselor or by doing a web search.
Option #2: Private tutors
More private tutors are hanging out their shingles all the time. These can range from off-duty teachers, to grad students, to ed therapists, and any other person who chooses to present themself as an "expert." Ask around in your school community for references. Every area will have a different price range for this service so I can't make any generalizations. The benefits of using a private tutor are that scheduling is more flexible and you can have more control over finding a good personality match for your child. The downside is that you have minimal recourse if you are dissatisfied with their services.
Option #3: Buy the book
When I was a teenager my family couldn't afford to pay for tutoring or prep classes, so I used Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT
. It's cheaper and less intimidating than those monster prep guides, and was therefore the right choice for me on two counts. However, if your child is the kind that isn't intimated by the sheer massiveness of a standard study guide and also possesses adequate self-discipline to work through the book, please do consider going with that option because the preparation will be more thorough. Here are some well-respected publications:Option #4: Just let 'em wing it
That might sound kind of irreverent, considering today's hyperfocus on achievement and competition, but I'm completely serious. I suggest this route especially for the first test administration if the student is planning to take it more than once. That way you can use the first set of scores to guide your test prep decisions (if you are going to do any prep at all). Even if your child is not going to do test prep, if they test well and/or excel academically and/or have their sights on less competitive colleges, going in cold might work out just fine.
Option #5: Skip it completely
There are at least two ways to circumvent this whole stress-inducing standardized testing meshugas. First, have your child begin their higher education at a community college. (There are so many good reasons to choose this path.) The second is to look exclusively for colleges and universities that don't require test scores. You can find a list on the FairTest website. Remember, bypassing the SAT/ACT is often a good idea for special needs students for various reasons, such as a tendency to have severe test anxiety or difficulty focusing for long periods of time, which results in unusable test scores after a long period of stress for the whole family.
Let me end by saying please, please do not feel guilty if you can't afford a tutor or expensive test prep courses. There are going to be "good match" college opportunities for your child anyway. Trust that things happen for a reason.
(Forgive my tendency to list "SAT" before "ACT," but there is a real regional favor toward one test or another and I grew up hearing almost exclusively about the SAT so it is predominant in my mind. Please don't take it to mean that I inherently recommend one over the other. Ideally, your decision will be influenced by whether your colleges of interest have a preference.)
