Photo Credit: CHEYENNE PINO
BY ADAM SHLOMI
Besides good grades, sappy essays, and a laundry list of superficial extracurricular, satisfactory standardized test scores are also necessary to get into college. If you’re taking the time to read this article, you probably want to go to college, so listen up.
There are a couple major ways to study for the SAT & ACT, and depending on the situation, each can be successful.
1. Cough up some dough and pay for a college specialist. There are a host of them all over suburban South Florida. You’ll waste away in classes that range from drop dead boring to mildly entertaining for a few months. But the tips and tricks that’ll be pumped into your brain will make your score shoot up. This requires less personal motivation than option two, and will probably lead to higher scores, however it’s quite costly.
2. For those who would rather fill up their gas tank for a year than pay for SAT classes there’s another great option; head over to Barnes & Noble (or Amazon) and purchase the College Board published SAT prep book. The same company that produces the SAT makes this book, so it’s the most accurate test prep. Going through this book requires an abundance of motivation, as no one will be watching over your shoulder. It will be an independent struggle, and for some, that may be harder. However, this is the closest you’ll get to the real SAT, and that’s a major advantage. This system works well for people who don’t want to waste money on a SAT class but still wish to see their scores improve. It requires a lot of internal motivation, but successfully completing the SAT review book will certainly improve your scores.
3. The last option is simple. Don’t study. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your high school days. Don’t get stressed out about which college will and won’t accept you and just be happy for now. This might seem short sighted, but it also might be more enjoyable.
Depending on the type of person you are, one of these options will certainly be the one for you, there’s no best choice. Above all, how hard you study and how much you push yourself to improve will certainly show itself on your SAT scores. You put in what you get out, and although clichés may be overused, this particular one rings true when it comes to standardized testing.
