I get a lot of questions from parents about using the summer to prepare for the SAT or ACT, because they want to take advantage of a calmer period of time, when students aren’t inundated with the demands of schoolwork and extracurriculars.  

Rising Juniors 

Since both tests include Algebra 2 questions, students who have already completed Algebra 2 will really benefit from summer preparation (and taking the exam in early fall/late summer).  For students who will be starting Algebra 2 in their junior year, using the summer to get a head start on test prep might be a good idea; however, it’s important that these students to take the test after they’ve completed a chunk of Algebra 2, so they should plan to do some prep during the school year and take the SAT or ACT in December or the early spring.

Rising Seniors

For seniors, it’s really important to use the summer to review/prepare for the exam.  I’ve seen many seniors...