Received a Kaplan brochure from my son's high school today. Seems we can get the PSAT/SAT prep classes for the price of just the SAT class, a bargain at $599. Because he was an honors student, my son took the PSATs last year as a sophomore. When his scores are translated to the eqivalent SAT score, they put him in the 93rd percentile of all juniors, with one less year of schooling. I've been researching colleges and the majority of the schools he is interested in don't always use the SAT score as a requirement for admission. When reading up on the average student's scores at the college, his fall roughly in the middle. An analysis of this scores by the company that administers the PSATs indicates his numbers should rise when he takes it again this year, due to the extra year's knowledge.
My question: His current scores appear to be high enough to get him into just about anywhere he wants to go. The next round of PSATs will be approximately 1 year after his first, and then the SATs fall a few months after that. Do you think it's worth the money to possibly give him an extra edge or should I save it and buy one of the guidebooks that's available at a book store?
* This post was
edited 07/05/08 05:44pm by Crowe *
Can you tell me his percentile ranking? (I know that more than I know raw numbers cause numbers change from year to year)
Though you say the scores qualify, The better the scores the better his chances of both making the cut and getting a break on tuition (AKA scholarship) A few points can be worth hundreds of dollars. Unless he is going into music, where ability counts for more than grades. (Ask my daughter, Her scholarship was ability based.... Judge murmured something like "Best flute I've heard all year" and the school handed her money.. Soon she's flying from Vegas to Atlantic City to perform at a wedding.. The last wedding she performed at she played multiple rolls.. Thanks to the magic of CD's she was musician.. And thanks to a question put to her a while back by the Groom. She was also Bride (Oh, and her answer to said question)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
I don't think the prep classes are necessary unless your son is applying to an Ivy League school.
When my cousin was preparing for his PCAT, I remember him working on the PCAT exercise books you can purchase to prepare you for the test. The portion he said was the most difficult was the essay part where they would ask you an ethics question. But it was something you can't really "study" for.
When applying for colleges/universities, it is always better to have extracurricular activities, volunteer hours, and part-time job references along with good grades. It shows them you have good time management skills and will be able to keep up with the hectic schedule and still do well.
I don't know whether I'd spend the money. Two of our four took the PSATs as sophomores as your son did and they did very well. They were fine and got in everywhere. The other two just took the tests as juniors - they did less well, but they should have They got in too. At the time our high school did offer Saturday morning SAT prep for free. No idea if your son's high school does that, but that would be a viable alternative.
Although college acceptance criteria differs from school to school, unless he wants to go somewhere that accepts only the top 5% (and I think that refers to the SATs and class ranking in his high school,) I would imagine he would be fine. Honors classes were weighted at our girls' high school when it came to class rank. If your high school offers college level courses for certain students as seniors, have him take them if he is recommended. Those we did have to pay for but it was worth it. We knew we were having three in college at the same time (poor planning on our part ) so whatever $599 would translate to in 1985-88 dollars would have been too much. Tuition, books, room and board were bad enough. But...we did it.
I agree strongly w/ the extracurricular comment.
Pat
May the road rise with you, the wind be always at your back.
Wa8yxm, he scored in the 93rd percentile. Class rank at last check was 8th out of 412. His junior year classes are all honors & A/P, with two A/P math classes (stats and calculus). He's an Eagle Scout, wrestled, plays the guitar, is in the AV club, stage crew for school music show, competed in school talent show, works with a group of other kids at our local access TV station writing, acting in, and producing a show, and will be a counselor's "helper" for lack of a better word at an Aviation Camp and a Lego Mindstorms camp. No paying job yet but has done some volunteer stuff-he should have his license in a week, which will help with that. Wants to study Aerospace Engineering and he's not interested in any of the IVY league schools. Right now top of the list is Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ in Prescott, AZ, Rochester Inst of Tech, Rensallear (sp?) Inst of Tech, Syracuse Univ, Worcester Polytechnic Inst, GA Tech, and maybe Case Western. Schools may change once we start working w/guidance. The list has been comprised from our research plus recommendations from co-workers (I work for a defense contractor).
With that resume, why would you even consider the course? He's fine.
Have you visited all those schools on your list? We always found that important. If you visit SU, we can meet you!
Visiting schools and having interviews w/ admissions used to be very important, but things certainly may have changed. Some schools just speak to a student and others say bad things. I mean the school atmosphere, not the interviewers The son of one of our friends was highly recruited by Cornell - he went once and wouldn't even see admissions - he saw that no one he passed was smiling. He ended up elsewhere and loved all four years.
Yes, you should spend the money. On some prep course. I have no knowledge of Kaplin, but any that prepares him would be good. The questions on the SAT all follow the same sort of areas. And that is why a prep course helps. I have been through this three times.
Admission and scholarship, at most colleges are based on a fomula, SAT times GPA. Four years at 25k per year, what's another $600. If he raises his score a bit maybe he gets a partial or full ride. Well worth it. As for all of the other great things he has done, (and my hat is off to him) it only really counts in a tie-breaker. Bottom line is SAT X GPA and your ability to pay JMHO
Again, three times through this I wish you the best!
By reading his extra-curricular activities, he should be able to handle the work load. I remember when I was in school, us engineering students envied the business, arts and social science students because the majority of them didn't have classes on fridays. The only students who were in the student lounge on fridays were either in engineering or bio-chemistry students. Those were the days.
Good luck to your son in his studies!
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They got in too. At the time our high school did offer Saturday morning SAT prep for free. No idea if your son's high school does that, but that would be a viable alternative. 
