Students will be taught helpful strategies and develop the capacity to master the SAT test. They will be given practical experiences that train them to effectively put their knowledge to work under testing conditions. Students will amass skills and techniques from test-prep materials from College Board, Cambridge, Princeton Review, Kaplan, REA’S, Barron’s & Cliff Notes. Our course also incorporates instruction that covers the materials included in the SAT tests.
Strategies
By attacking the material methodically over the course of the entire school year, students will be well- grounded in subject matter covered by each section! It is common for our students to increase their overall score by 370 - 410 points! Truthfully, two former students have seen an increase of 590 and 620 points respectively. It is important to note that students’ scores increase in proportion to their participation in the course. Students can expect 5 hrs of homework weekly.
The course is rigorous and includes a thorough writing curriculum specific for the SAT essay. We provide targeted instruction for math, critical thinking and grammar that is crucial for the SAT.
Students will also take 5 Practice SATs throughout the summer, and write 9 SAT style essays. We provide tactics and “helps” from real SAT essay “topics/prompts” from the last 4 years used in the SAT.
This class is also fun for students since we have created competitions that give students opportunities to gain speed in critical thinking, giving instant essay responses with examples from history, science and literature; additionally competitions expose students to typical grammar and math traps and build their skills in logic, reading comprehension and quick thinking!
Students will learn:
The difference between the PSAT and SAT
The difference between the SAT and the ACT
Test-Taking Strategies such as “Plugging in” and “Back-solving”
Arithmetic Shortcuts for fractions, percents, exponents, averages, ratios
Algebra Strategies for word problems and functions
Sentence Strategies such as “red flag” and “mystery choice”
Critical Reading — learn what to read and what not to read
Vocabulary and Mnemonic Devices- students learn the words they will need using fun, powerful techniques
Personal Pace—students learn where to spend their energy in order to maximize their score and avoid wasting time.
Students will attend three simulated College Board SATs sessions and two practice tests sessions that will make them comfortable with the test style, pace, and questions. Weekly exercises also help them to develop other test-taking skills.
Additional Benefits
Additional Benefits from the SAT Preparatory Course:
1. Accurate measure of score and improvement
2. Students become comfortable with real testing conditions
3. Individualized reports highlighting strengths and weaknesses
4. Detailed test reviews to improve subject knowledge
5. Students will also learn how the test is structured and scored
6. College application deadlines