Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:38     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is smart and pays attention in school, they shouldn’t need any additional prep.


Not true. Kids in the most advanced math track haven't taken the math that's on the test in a few years. Also there's something in the math that isn't taught in VA schools so they need to learn that or they will miss those questions.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 13:36     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:Do most kids start prepping for the SAT in middle school? Should you plan to have your 8th grader take the SAT to know where they stand?


Middle school is insane. My kids both prepped the summer before junior year and took the test in early fall of jr year. One took it 2x the other was one and done. The advantage of this is that it helped with the PSAT too so both did well on that too. One was NMSF the other was commended.

DS has a friend who started prep very early on - either MS or early HS not sure. I assume the parents made him. That poor kid's scores kept going DOWN.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 11:24     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Just had my sophomore take a practice test to see where he lands. He’s taking precalc this year and three APs but his score was 920..lol. He’s got a lot of prep work ahead.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 11:13     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:We had DC start after taking the PSAT 10 - pandemic contributed to some gaps the score report highlighted that we wanted help addressing. Calling it SAT tutoring rather than shoring up math skills and learning proper grammar was far more palatable to DC. DC very likely performed better in classes bc of the training - improved reading comprehension, better writing because of mastering grammar and punctuation (so same ideas were expressed better), able to handle more advanced math bc of better foundations, etc.


We also found it really helpful for our ‘24 grad with notable gaps on the PSAT in grade 10. Math class went much better after the SAT prep. And superscored SAT ended up almost 400 points higher than psat in 10th. I don’t anticipate as much improvement from my youngest who doesn’t have the same gaps.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2026 09:10     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
We had DC start after taking the PSAT 10 - pandemic contributed to some gaps the score report highlighted that we wanted help addressing. Calling it SAT tutoring rather than shoring up math skills and learning proper grammar was far more palatable to DC. DC very likely performed better in classes bc of the training - improved reading comprehension, better writing because of mastering grammar and punctuation (so same ideas were expressed better), able to handle more advanced math bc of better foundations, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 23:40     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is smart and pays attention in school, they shouldn’t need any additional prep.


If your kid is smart, they are probably taking Calculus when they are taking the SAT. They absolutely need to review algebra concepts that feature heavily on the SAT since they might have last done it in 8th or 9th grade.


If your child is in calculus and needs to review 8th grade algebra, they shouldn’t be in calculus…



Weird take


Only weird to folks who think test scores are the point of school. Some of us expect our kids to actually learn.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 21:41     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is smart and pays attention in school, they shouldn’t need any additional prep.


If your kid is smart, they are probably taking Calculus when they are taking the SAT. They absolutely need to review algebra concepts that feature heavily on the SAT since they might have last done it in 8th or 9th grade.


If your child is in calculus and needs to review 8th grade algebra, they shouldn’t be in calculus…



Weird take
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 21:37     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?


I wouldn’t do it cold. I would do a few timed practice tests then take it in June. This was helpful for my kid, as he got exactly the same score on all three practice tests and the real test; based on that, he took a practice ACT cold, where he did significantly better. Did six weeks of tutoring over the summer, then took the ACT in September of junior year. Got the score he was looking for, so that was it.

Probably could have accomplished this without the official SAT—three practice tests with same score was probably enough to see the trend lol—so if we had it to do all over again, I’d start with timed SAT and ACT practice tests to see if one is obviously better, then go from there.



I also wouldn't take it cold, but I think taking it in sophomore June is a bad idea period. The score will naturally go up some as the kid gets older. Your kid will take it enough, don't prolong the process for no reason. Also, it's not common but there are schools (Georgetown) that make you report all scores.


DC took the ACT in June (or July?) after sophomore year. Got 35 and was done. It was super nice to have it done before the craziness of junior year started in the fall.


Not there yet with DC, but what’s the craziness of junior year? I thought fall of senior year was the crazy time period.


The course load is the heaviest at DC’s school, and the pressure to do well is intense (since this is the year in which grades count the most). Senior year has been a breeze, since DC got into ED school early on after completing the application over the summer.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 18:21     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is smart and pays attention in school, they shouldn’t need any additional prep.


If your kid is smart, they are probably taking Calculus when they are taking the SAT. They absolutely need to review algebra concepts that feature heavily on the SAT since they might have last done it in 8th or 9th grade.


If your child is in calculus and needs to review 8th grade algebra, they shouldn’t be in calculus…


The SAT is a timed exam. Kids should absolutely spend time reviewing algebra if they have been doing higher level math because they need to move quickly and confidently on exam day. Scratching your head trying to remember a problem solving strategy that you haven't need to use for 2 or 3 years is not the key to high SAT math score. Math prep is easy and there a ton of resources for it.


There’s a difference between learning and just committing to short term memory long enough to take a test.

If you don’t know 8th grade algebra by the time you’re in calculus, it means you didn’t actually *learn* algebra. And you don’t belong in calculus.

Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 18:18     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?


I wouldn’t do it cold. I would do a few timed practice tests then take it in June. This was helpful for my kid, as he got exactly the same score on all three practice tests and the real test; based on that, he took a practice ACT cold, where he did significantly better. Did six weeks of tutoring over the summer, then took the ACT in September of junior year. Got the score he was looking for, so that was it.

Probably could have accomplished this without the official SAT—three practice tests with same score was probably enough to see the trend lol—so if we had it to do all over again, I’d start with timed SAT and ACT practice tests to see if one is obviously better, then go from there.



I also wouldn't take it cold, but I think taking it in sophomore June is a bad idea period. The score will naturally go up some as the kid gets older. Your kid will take it enough, don't prolong the process for no reason. Also, it's not common but there are schools (Georgetown) that make you report all scores.


DC took the ACT in June (or July?) after sophomore year. Got 35 and was done. It was super nice to have it done before the craziness of junior year started in the fall.


Not there yet with DC, but what’s the craziness of junior year? I thought fall of senior year was the crazy time period.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 17:33     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?


I wouldn’t do it cold. I would do a few timed practice tests then take it in June. This was helpful for my kid, as he got exactly the same score on all three practice tests and the real test; based on that, he took a practice ACT cold, where he did significantly better. Did six weeks of tutoring over the summer, then took the ACT in September of junior year. Got the score he was looking for, so that was it.

Probably could have accomplished this without the official SAT—three practice tests with same score was probably enough to see the trend lol—so if we had it to do all over again, I’d start with timed SAT and ACT practice tests to see if one is obviously better, then go from there.



I also wouldn't take it cold, but I think taking it in sophomore June is a bad idea period. The score will naturally go up some as the kid gets older. Your kid will take it enough, don't prolong the process for no reason. Also, it's not common but there are schools (Georgetown) that make you report all scores.


DC took the ACT in June (or July?) after sophomore year. Got 35 and was done. It was super nice to have it done before the craziness of junior year started in the fall.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 17:28     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.


I think most kids seeking NMSF prep the summer before junior year, take their first SAT in late August, then the PSAT on the regular school date. Our NMSF kid took one more SAT in November and was done.


I'd say a lot of NMSF chasers start earlier, but this is a popular path. Our kid prepped summer before Junior year, took SAT in August and September, maxed out the score on the second try, and took PSAT in October and will almost certainly be a NMSF.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 16:55     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is smart and pays attention in school, they shouldn’t need any additional prep.


If your kid is smart, they are probably taking Calculus when they are taking the SAT. They absolutely need to review algebra concepts that feature heavily on the SAT since they might have last done it in 8th or 9th grade.


If your child is in calculus and needs to review 8th grade algebra, they shouldn’t be in calculus…


The SAT is a timed exam. Kids should absolutely spend time reviewing algebra if they have been doing higher level math because they need to move quickly and confidently on exam day. Scratching your head trying to remember a problem solving strategy that you haven't need to use for 2 or 3 years is not the key to high SAT math score. Math prep is easy and there a ton of resources for it.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 16:18     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?


I wouldn’t do it cold. I would do a few timed practice tests then take it in June. This was helpful for my kid, as he got exactly the same score on all three practice tests and the real test; based on that, he took a practice ACT cold, where he did significantly better. Did six weeks of tutoring over the summer, then took the ACT in September of junior year. Got the score he was looking for, so that was it.

Probably could have accomplished this without the official SAT—three practice tests with same score was probably enough to see the trend lol—so if we had it to do all over again, I’d start with timed SAT and ACT practice tests to see if one is obviously better, then go from there.



I also wouldn't take it cold, but I think taking it in sophomore June is a bad idea period. The score will naturally go up some as the kid gets older. Your kid will take it enough, don't prolong the process for no reason. Also, it's not common but there are schools (Georgetown) that make you report all scores.


I mean…my kid was done in September of junior year, and that’s because the initial SAT provided a concrete data point that was very helpful. It was the opposite of prolonged—it was quite efficient!
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2026 14:50     Subject: How early to start SAT prep?
In China they start prepping in nursery school. And in Norway. That is why they are dominating us.