My kid is going into senior year. She is done with SAT and focused on her college essays. Many many of her friends are taking sat again in a few weeks and they are miserable! Summer work, all the college stuff, AND SAT is too much. Kids feeling burned out before school starts.

Anonymous wrote:Would you advise a rising junior to take their SAT early and often? Or wait as late as possible to try to get a top score one and done? Blue book practice scores taken during summer after 10th grade linger around 1500-1550. From your experience, when should be the target month for the last SAT to balance top score while freeing up time for essays and other parts of the apps?

For kids who are ahead in math it makes sense to get it done after sophomore year (after precal). the math is very easy compared to calculus and it is better to get it done when they still are thinking in algebra-trig mode. Almost half of the private school is advised by the counselors there to take it after sophomore year. more than half take one more time fall of junior year; twice is enough usually for the brightest unless there is some test anxiety.

Rising junior is taking the August SAT. Plan is to take it again probably in the spring and if needed could do August before senior year as a third time. Recently did a practice ACT though and absolutely blew it away, so depending on the August SAT score might pivot and take the ACT late fall/in the spring.

Best time is summer before junior year. DCUM gave me the advise last year. I am grateful for it.

DD took the ACT the summer before junior year. It was nice to be done and not worry about standardized testing during junior year, which is probably the most stressful time in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC did it August right before senior, one and done, 1570.

Is taking 1st SAT summer before senior year considered starting late?

We asked DC to get it done earlier but DC didn’t take our advice. DC seemed confident so we let him be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on math preparedness, i.e. does your student need their junior year math class in order to have the content that will be covered in the SAT?
Being done with SAT by March/April of Junior year is ideal.

OP: she got 780 and 790 in last 2 Blue Book practice so likely won’t have to wait to learn more math. So take it sooner than later?

Terrific, definitely, get it done and dusted. By the way the spots fill up as soon as the tests dates open so you need to know when they will open the testing dates so she can jump on it. Good luck!

My DC did November and December of junior year. Prepping for November also prepped for PSAT and DC got NMSF. Multiple people I know had their students do better the second time just for having done the test twice so they elected the back to back.

Got best score December and also did one ACT to try it and did surprisingly well on that.

Done December of Junior year was good. Has not given this another thought. About to start senior year and focused on essays right now.

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on math preparedness, i.e. does your student need their junior year math class in order to have the content that will be covered in the SAT?
Being done with SAT by March/April of Junior year is ideal.

OP: she got 780 and 790 in last 2 Blue Book practice so likely won’t have to wait to learn more math. So take it sooner than later?

Anonymous wrote:DC did it August right before senior, one and done, 1570.

Is taking 1st SAT summer before senior year considered starting late?

I think it depends on math preparedness, i.e. does your student need their junior year math class in order to have the content that will be covered in the SAT?
Being done with SAT by March/April of Junior year is ideal.

Anonymous wrote:Take it in September, and make sure she preps before. Hopefully she can be done before junior year schoolwork kicks in, and not have to worry about it summer before senior year when there are essays to do. Why would you wait til later?

DC’s idea to wait til later to get closer to 1580

DC did it August right before senior, one and done, 1570.

Take it in September, and make sure she preps before. Hopefully she can be done before junior year schoolwork kicks in, and not have to worry about it summer before senior year when there are essays to do. Why would you wait til later?

Would you advise a rising junior to take their SAT early and often? Or wait as late as possible to try to get a top score one and done? Blue book practice scores taken during summer after 10th grade linger around 1500-1550. From your experience, when should be the target month for the last SAT to balance top score while freeing up time for essays and other parts of the apps?