College-bound students often take the SAT near Dallas during their junior year of high school. This gives them plenty of time to retake the test before college application due dates roll around in the winter and spring of the following year.
Should rising juniors (students who have completed their sophomore year of high school) start prepping for the SAT in the summer? This all depends on the courses they’ve completed and when they intend to sit for the test.
Are Rising Juniors SAT Ready?
As a refresher, the SAT is divided into four sections: reading, writing and language, math, and essay writing. While SAT prep will cover all topics, question formats, and problems test takers will encounter on the SAT, it is beneficial to complete the following classes for maximum familiarity with SAT subject matter:
- 10th grade English
- 10th grade Social Studies
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Algebra II
The SAT is given seven times per year, with dates in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. We recommend that students begin studying a minimum of two months before their test date. If a rising junior has completed all of the above classes by the end of their sophomore year, they can consider taking the SAT as early as August. This will give them plenty of time to work with Total College Prep tutors to cement the knowledge they’ve gained in school and strive for a high SAT score.
If rising juniors have not yet completed both Geometry and Algebra II, they may want to hold off on test prep. Instead, they should aim to complete these classes in the first half of their junior year, begin SAT prep the following winter, and sit for the SAT the following spring.
Advantages of Summer SAT Prep
Junior year is often considered one of the hardest for high school students. Academic rigor increases with more advanced and AP options. Students juggle classwork and extracurricular activities with a focus on well-rounded college applications.
For rising juniors who are SAT-ready, summer is a great time for SAT prep. Relevant coursework is fresh in their minds. They haven’t started taking new classes with subject matter that may not appear on the test at all. They don’t have to add five to ten hours of studying per week to their already jam-packed schedules.
Sitting for the SAT in late summer or fall is also ideal for students who plan to take multiple AP classes (and their subsequent tests) their junior year. Regardless of when a student takes an AP class (i.e., fall or spring), all AP tests are given over a two-week period in May. As a result, most students will need to start prepping for AP season in February or March and may not have the time or bandwidth to focus on SAT prep simultaneously.
The Takeaway
Summer SAT prep is a viable option for many rising juniors. Contact Total College Prep for private, semi-private, and group SAT tutoring in Dallas and surrounding areas.