The August SAT is less than three weeks away, and if you haven’t thought about it at all, you’re probably panicking. However, don’t!
You actually still have plenty of time to prepare, not necessarily in terms of studying, but in terms of doing the small things that will make a big difference on the test.
A few months ago, I posted about the June SAT. All of those tips remain relevant, and I urge you to take a look back at them. But, the August SAT is a different beast entirely. It is, I think, the most difficult test of the entire year because students have been out of school-mode for so long that the math seems to have slipped out of their heads, and their reading skills have not been practiced for some time. There is a reason that the school year generally starts out with review of the previous year, because most students need some time to adjust that an SAT in August just doesn’t provide.
Thus, apart from the usual tips about eating well the morning of the test, getting a good night’s sleep, etc. here are some things to think about specifically for this test:
1. Get on a better sleep schedule early.
You’ve probably been keeping strange hours this summer, staying up late and sleeping later, and the idea of having to go to a school at 7:30 in the morning to take an almost-five hour test, seems absurd. If you don’t start sleeping on a more normal, school schedule for at least a week before the test takes place, you will seriously regret it that early Saturday morning. I always tell people that the night before the night before is the most important for sleep, but in this case, the whole week is probably important.
2. Think positively.
As I suggested in my last blog, unless you’re one of those hyper-vigilant students who has been doing SAT prep all summer long, you started with good intentions, and thought to yourself, “I’ll buy a book and study for half an hour each day,” and then never opened it once. Don’t worry, lots of students have been here before. Some (albeit not most) still manage to do well. Start with some confidence that you will find yourself in this elite group, whether or not that feeling is entirely warranted, because the surest way to do badly on this test is to expect that you will do badly and then live up to your expectations. I have seen far too many students give up on this test before they have even started. You CAN sit for this long, and somehow you DO remember all that math and vocabulary. Try believing in your innate abilities.
3. Focus on one section.
If you are reading this three weeks out, you still have some time for studying. Just a fairly limited amount of time for everything that one finds on an SAT. If you are feeling overwhelmed, focus on either math, or reading, and not both. Remember, colleges do that superscoring thing, where they’ll take the best verbal score and the best math score of all your tests combined, and that will be your SAT score. If you only have time to really study for one subject, only study for one subject, and don’t worry about the other score. I don’t mean that you shouldn’t try it on the test - you might just luck out - but there is no reason to stress yourself out trying to study for both sections when you don’t have the time or mental stamina for it.
4. Remember that you have at least one other opportunity to take this test before applications are due.
Most students who follow a May/June - August - October/November testing schedule find a drop off in the August test, for the reasons I stated above. This is an opportunity to defy those odds and to achieve something remarkable on at least one section, but it is really a dry run for the next test, so that this is actually a low-pressure situation. Don’t stress yourself out, because you’ll have at least one, and maybe even two opportunities to refine that score.
5. Write about your struggles.
After the test is over, try to immediately write down some of the areas that you felt were the weakest for you, so that you remember to study those the most before your next test. One of the things the College Board seems to do (I think on purpose) is to leave you in a daze at the end of the test, so that you’re not really sure what happened. The last two sections you take are shorter and often feel more rushed, so that people tend to make more mistakes on them anyway. Add that to the fact that you want to leave, after having been there for hours, and the result is that you often want to shut down immediately. Resist that for five minutes so that you can better prepare for the next time you take the test.
Also, if you are a Junior, and not a rising Senior, DO NOT TAKE THIS TEST. It will be a waste of your time and money. If you really want to take an early test, think about it in November.
I don’t want to discourage you from the August SAT, but I do want you to be realistic about it. Go with your strengths, believe in yourself, and you’ll be fine. If you do have questions, or just want someone to talk you through everything, contact me for a free half-hour session, and I’m sure we can address all the things that you’re stressing about. Good luck!
Mr. K
Y O U M I G H T A L S O L I K E :
This is what colleges want to see in your college application essay.