i'm in college now, go gophers, and remember that the test prep was pretty expensive. depends on the person though. if you need someone to light a fire, worth it. if you have good search ability you can find lots of stuff online. personally, i'd save the money. BTW, shouldn't high school prepare you for the test? ha

 Anyone know where I can get lots of free tests online? not just the usual teasers from the test prep titans. you know, extra stuff, bootlegged. 

 I know I'll need some help on the studying part. Which test prep is best? 

also some scholarships will give you more money if you do good on the sat/act. i think it is probably worth the money now because you could save in tuition later.

Prep courses can be a valuable tool if ur willing to fork over the money for them. If you can't afford them though ask your teachers at your high school for help. Free easy resourse right there! My english teachers helped me and my score on the english section of ACT litterally went up like 9 or 10 points points because of all the little pointers she gave me!

I took one of the prep classes offered through school and did all the practice work they gave me and I still got the same score as the practice I had taken before. The books they sent you were the most valuable part. I suggest just buying the expensive prep guide. I used "The real ACT Prep Guide" and I never took SAT. The actual class was worthless information for me. The best way to improve your scores is to keep taking the test. In my area, one of the the tutor companies offered a free "proctored" practice test. That way you also have a similar enviroment to the actual test.

If you don't really want to pay for a prep class, you can use a free, online SAT prep course. One that I've heard that is helpful is INeedAPencil.com because it has lessons and practice tests that are very similar to the SAT itself. On my PSAT I got a 180 and after using INAP I got a 2100 on the SAT. I would highly recommend it. 

This doesn't really have anything to do with this, but could someone tell me what an orientation course is?

 Prep classes are expensive... if you self study i suggest the Princeton Review, that is definitely a great company.

The SAT is a game, the more you practice, they better u get at it. the best advice I can tell you is to practice as much as you can, do as many tests as you can and you can get a good score. I went to prep classess, never did the homework or anything... I went to prep classess just for the practice (i know, i'm lazy, i didn't bother looking for stuff online)... if u can't afford it, then i guess you are stuck searching...

anyways, the practice paid off, ended up with a 2300, which i'm really satisfied with.

good luck!

I didn't take any prep classes. Instead I bought the ACT book and did every test in there. I also asked my math teacher if he'd be willing to explain the questions I got wrong so I could better understand. Just get the book and see if some teachers are willing to help you understand the questions you got wrong. I ended up greatly improving my score by taking the extra step.

I took a course on SAT prep at my school.  It seemed rather disorganized but cheap ($160).  But the books were what really helped me in the long run.  I have the Official SAT Study Guide from CollegeBoard and the SAT I For Dummies.  Believe it or not, I scored 130 points higher on my second try, and I'm hoping to copy that increase on my next test.  Anyway, it really depends on the instructors you get for the prep class.  Teachers such as those from Kaplan really can make learning engaging for you.  Books (except For Dummies) can be impersonal and boring but better practice.  Personally, I would recommend a combination:  take a class to get a genaral gist of the strategies to taking the SAT or ACT, and then use the books to reinforce and practice those strategies.  I hope this helps, because that's what I need to implementing right now ! ;P 

Hey guys, I just started college so I'm finally done with all that SAT stuff. 

If i can give a word of advice, if you are in your junior or senior year it's pretty much too late to start memorizing words for the sat's.

So just relax. Remember the SAT's are a reasoning test. It's not about how much you can memorize, its about how many problems you can deduce the answer to using whats given. 

There's no need for in depth heavy study for SAT's if your already a junior/senior.  Just familiarize your self with the material and understand the concepts of what you study.  Remember it's a reasoning test.

That was for the SAT's

As for the SAT II's or subject tests as some like to call it. I would definitely recommend 1. taking as many as you can 2. use a study guide.

I say this becuase i had'nt taken math or physics for three years prior to my test. And all I did was buy a review book for the math II and Physics II and i did fairly well on both of them. 640 on the physics and 630 on the math.  That may seem like a low number but i think it's out of 800 and remember i had not had a math or physics class for three years. 

So good luck on your SAT's and I hope you get into the college of your choice.

Also about the classes being worth the money, I used another contest website like Fastweb to win a few books if you anyone wants to check it out the link is

www.SwagBucks.com

cheers,

Josh

 The best test prep for me was reading a slew of novels, keeping a diary, and doing math problems in my spare time. While I would read, I would look up words that I didn't know.  I kept a diary and proofread what I wrote and math just came easy to me so yeah. I don't recommend for anyone  but I think it was great help and it boosted my SAT score about 300 points. I had a friend who took the classes and it didn't help her but I don't think it could hurt.

SarahJ398 says ...

I think it depends on how you take tests.  I took the ACT without studing and got a 25 the first time.  I took it a second time and got a 26, also without studing.

Wow, that's awesome!!  Especially since you can't even spell studying...

It really depends on what kind of learning environment you learn best in. It also depends on whether you've taken the ACT-SAT before. If you have taken them, taking the class can help you improve in areas where you most need it. I recommend taking the class. Sometimes colleges and schools offer them so check around. It can't hurt....go for it!