Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are an integral part of a student’s academic journey. In many ways they constitute a summative assessment of what a student has learned throughout middle school and highs school. Moreover, studies show that these tests predict not only college grades but also various forms of post-college success.
Despite the importance of these exams, however, too often students wait to prepare for them only shortly before they are scheduled to take them. This is because they mistakenly believe they won’t need things like English grammar rules or math concepts from algebra and geometry once their classes are over. Yet come junior year, they are often disappointed to find that these subjects have reemerged, often in more advanced forms, on standardized tests—the same tests that significantly impact their academic careers.
An alternative approach to waiting and getting a rude wake-up call is to start preparing early. This is not only to gain the proverbial “head start” on the tricks and traps unique to the exams, but also to ensure that essential skills and knowledge are maintained, and that any deficiencies in the content assessed (mathematics, reading, scientific reasoning, verbal/logical reasoning, writing) can be identified and remedied earlier rather than later. Common examples of such skills are the ability to do the following:
- Interpret and analyze data presented in tables, graphs, and diagrams.
- Draw conclusions from scientific experiments and to evaluate scientific hypotheses and arguments.
- Model mathematical equations from a range of word problem contexts.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and offer expositions on a variety of texts, from fiction and poetry to essays and scientific articles.
- Analyze, interpret, and manipulate language-based information to draw valid conclusions, identify relationships between concepts, and solve problems through critical thinking and sound argumentation.
- Write effectively using clear, concise prose that conforms to standard English conventions.
Given the range and rigor of such requirements, we at Great Expectations College Prep encourage students to connect with us early, ideally during middle school, before the need to brush up on these skills becomes urgent and challenging. Using preparatory exams like the PSAT 8/9, HSPT, or ISEE, GECP tutors and counselors can diagnose strengths and weaknesses and create a tailored prep plan to strengthen and hone essential skills, ensuring they are maintained throughout high school in preparation for the SAT and ACT. To learn about this preparatory program and get started with one of our expert instructors, call us at (888) 917-PREP (7737) or email us at contact@gecollegeprep.com.
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