When Is the Best Time to Take the SAT or ACT (Part 2 of 2)
They say that “timing is everything.” As an SAT tutor and ACT tutor, I agree 1000%. This month, I’m writing about when to accomplish certain academic tasks, like back-to-school preparation and planning for college admissions tests. Since the latter comes with such high stakes, it’s getting two rather than just one post. This is the second (here’s the first) about timing the SAT (or ACT) – and it’s not just for parents of eleventh graders.
If you suspect your child has a learning disability, secure appropriate accommodations well before the junior year.
Thanks to Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) often receive extra time on tests. The 50% or double time is a godsend for many teens, especially on a “fast” test like the ACT. (For more about the differences between the SAT and the ACT, including how students receive on each question, read this.)
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
But the processes of securing the neuropsychiatric evaluation (especially if the school district rather than the parents are paying for it) and appropriate academic accommodations can take months (if not years). If you have an inkling that your child might have a learning disability, start those processes right away.
Two former clients confided to me, the SAT tutor for one and ISEE tutor for the other, that their children’s classroom teachers had suggested that their children were displaying signs of ADD or ADHD long before I did. After my observations, neuropsychiatric evaluations confirmed our suspicions. While I’m flattered that the parents valued my intuition enough to have their children tested, I regret that they didn't follow up on their classroom teachers’ hunches sooner. The children suffered and struggled without the proper diagnoses and treatments for their disabilities. Unfortunately, one went through the process too late to benefit from extra time.
Get the Right Help from the Right SAT Tutor the First Time
A colorful friend of my parents frequently warns that “cheap is dear,” a pithy reminder that inexpensive goods and services often cost more in the long run. While my own services as an SAT tutor and ACT tutor run nowhere near those of many Upper East Side tutoring companies, they’re also not as affordable as national chains' test prep classes or inexperienced private tutors' lessons. Nevertheless, several clients have hired me after their children’s test scores languished using those other options. When they saw tangible results quickly, they lamented that they hadn’t started with me as their children’s first ACT tutor or SAT tutor.
Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash
One family's story (you can read the testimony on Google reviews here) is a poignant reminder of "cheap is dear." The first tutor's hourly rate was lower than my own. But because the student spent six months with him and just six weeks with me, my own services as an ACT tutor or SAT tutor were less expensive overall. Most importantly, that boy’s confidence was shaken to the core during the six months his practice test scores refused to budge. I’m happy to report, however, that his story has a happy ending. After his six weeks with me, his ACT score rose 25%, gaining him admission to his top-choice university, from which he’ll graduate this spring!
Got a tip on timing the SAT or ACT to share? Drop it in the comments below. Check out the first three tips here.
Next month, we’ll begin deep diving into the process of filling out the Common Application ~ see you then!