College Planning Blog

Editor’s note: Periodically, I invite folks to share valuable insight into an element of the college planning process. In this installment, I am happy to introduce Karl Schellscheidt. Karl has developed a fascinating and educationally sound approach to test prep that I am happy to endorse — he actually teaches you so you can understand the tested subject matter better! Check out his video-based SAT preparation at www.ePrep.com.

How You Can Prepare for the SAT on a $25 Budget!
No, the title of this blog is not a cruel joke! You really can prepare for the SAT on a $25 budget. All you really need to do is (1) get motivated and (2) follow the advice below:

First, you need to understand the preparation methodology employed by teaching experts. It goes something like this:

1) Practice under simulated conditions;
2) Grade your practice test; and
3) Review the problems you:

• answered incorrectly;
• skipped;
• answered correctly, but with a guess; and
• answered correctly, but only after a long struggle.

Second, repeat this “practice-grade-review” cycle as many times as possible before test day. It’s that simple. The following offers a closer look at the detail and some of the logic behind this methodology.

Step 1: Practice Under Simulated Conditions
Before you begin practicing, take the time to acquire the highest quality practice SAT tests available. They can be found in The Official SAT Study Guide. Yes, The Official SAT Study Guide is the College Board’s book…you know, the big fat one with the light blue cover. It will cost somewhere around $20.

Once you have the book, you’ll be ready to take your first practice section under simulated conditions. So what exactly is meant by simulated conditions? First, if the header of the practice test says “20 questions in 25 minutes,” you should set your timer and limit yourself to 25 minutes. Don’t give yourself 40 minutes. If you do, you will not be simulating the time pressure that will exist on test day. Second, if you’re taking the practice test at home, don’t sit on a couch or in a comfortable chair while taking the test. Instead, sit at your kitchen table in a wooden chair or at a desk in a classroom after school. Doing so will help simulate test-day conditions. Finally, do not practice in perfect silence. You will not experience perfect silence on test day. Train yourself to ignore a moderate amount of background noise and commotion.

Step 2: Grade Your Test
This step is simple. Immediately after completing the practice section, grade your test using the answer key provided.

Step 3: Review
Right after grading your test–while everything is still fresh in your mind–launch into a review of the problems you:

• answered incorrectly;
• skipped;
• answered correctly, but with a guess; and
• answered correctly, but only after a long struggle.

So how do you review your problem areas listed above? Ideally, you will have formed a study group prior to completing the first practice section. Study groups should be composed of somewhere between 2 and 5 diversely talented individuals. (It may sound kind of geeky to invite someone into a SAT prep study group; but trust me, you’re going to have a really good time and you’re going to learn a whole lot!)

After your SAT study group is established, schedule a time to take a practice section in a classroom after school. When time has expired, each member should quickly grade his/her test. Note: There will almost always be someone in your group who answered a given problem correctly (without a guess or long struggle). Such person will be responsible for explaining his/her solution to those who fell short.

If no one from the study group can provide a good explanation for a particular problem, tap into the knowledge of other college-bound teenagers through an online forum. That’s right, simply go to a test prep forum and post something like, “Hey, I’ve been preparing for the SAT and I can’t seem to find a good solution to this problem. Please help.” Depending on the popularity of the forum, you should have multiple solutions within an hour.

At this point you might be thinking, “The College Board Book only costs around $20… so how do I spend the remainder of my budget?” The answer: Buy yourself a snack for the test (it’s a long one) or treat yourself to ice cream afterward. You deserve it.

Good luck!

Karl Schellscheidt is a master teacher and Princeton University graduate who co-founded www.eprep.com in 2005. ePrep currently offers the world’s only online, video-based SAT preparation courses.