County
College Bound:
Preparing for the
SAT
Taking the SAT is a pinnacle event - it marks the beginning of a countdown to your high school graduation and has you thinking seriously about your college plans. Planning properly for this big event, however, is crucial to making your SAT test-taking experience a positive one.
Unfortunately, many students delay or outright avoid preparing out of dread or fear. Certainly, the stress level rises as the test date approaches. The good news is that this can be avoided! For example, the SAT can be a great help to those students whose grade point averages (GPA’s) do not reflect their true potential. Low grades can be a roadblock to college acceptance, and a great SAT score can help compensate for that. Also, many college-bound students receive financial aid from their future college and other sources based upon SAT scores.
Think of it this way – you have worked long and hard in high school to earn the best grades. Many hours have been spent writing papers, working on algebra homework, and studying for tests. You worked this hard because you know grades are important in college admission decisions. But did you know that your SAT score is critical, perhaps just as critical as your GPA? Don’t sell yourself short by lessening your chances for admission to your top school with a less-than-impressive SAT score.
So, how do you start? Gathering as much information as possible about the SAT can go a long way toward alleviating your jitters and making test preparations as efficient and productive as possible.
| Scholastic Assessment Test score averages, by state:
1987-88 to 2000-01 For Pennsylvania |
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| Year | Verbal | Mathematical |
| 1987-88 | 502 | 489 |
| 1994-95 | 496 | 489 |
| 1995-96 | 498 | 492 |
| 1998-99 | 498 | 495 |
| 1999-00 | 498 | 497 |
| 2000-01 | 500 | 499 |
|
Percentage of PA graduates taking SAT, 1999-2000: 70 |
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The SAT is comprised of two sections, verbal and math. Both sections are scored on a scale of 200-800 and then summed to determine an overall SAT score. The average for each section is 500; fewer than 20 percent of test-takers score a 600 or better on the math section, and fewer than 10 percent of students achieve a score of 600 or higher in the verbal section. You can see, then, how much of a difference an increase of 100 points in either section can make. Knowing how the test is scored, including the SAT "guessing penalty,” can help. To learn more about the test, visit the test-maker’s website at www.collegeboard.com.
Preparing yourself mentally for test day is just as important. The week of the test, go to bed at a regular hour, eat well-balanced meals – including breakfast – and make a trip to the test site two days beforehand so you don’t get lost on the morning of your test. Have your calculator and sharpened pencils ready to go so you don’t forget them. Finally, the day before the test should be a no-study day. Have fun! See a movie or relax with friends. Last minute cramming for the SAT doesn’t pay off. To avoid "freezing” during your test, practice as much as possible with full-length tests beforehand so you learn to pace yourself and "train” your body and mind to focus throughout the test.
Remember, the more preparation you put into the SAT, the greater the rewards will be. Congratulations and best of luck in college!
Editorial provided by Heather Bakondy, Pittsburgh Area Director at Kaplan Educational Centers.
