Q: My son is a sophomore in high school. I have a few questions. 1) Should he begin test prep for the SAT this year? 2) How many times can he take the SATs? and, 3) if he takes it more than once, which scores do the colleges see?

A: These are important questions. Before I begin to preach, let me give you the short answers:

1. No, it’s too early.
2. As many times as he wants (but I recommend only twice).
3. Colleges will see only those scores that your son will “release” for them to see.

Now for the details: the SAT and the other nationally known test, the ACT, are important hurdles for students to clear on their way to college. But they are hurdles, not education itself. They are important, particularly when applying to the most selective colleges, but they are not the most important factor in college admissions.

The most important factor is the high school transcript, the record of which courses student has chosen to take and how he or she has done in those courses. College admissions officers are more interested in how students do semester to semester, year to year in high school, than they are in how well they do during a three-hour period on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

The SAT, while designed to be a fair test that would assess the ability of all test-takers, is not a fair test. It is culturally biased towards native speakers of American English, so if students are immigrants or live in a home where more than one language is spoken, the critical reading score will be affected. Students who are affluent can afford more coaching and prepping than their less affluent peers. The test is not a perfect instrument. It’s necessary, though, so we have to put up with it. But we should not over-emphasize it.

Prepping for the test is a good idea because students need to be familiar with the test format and need practice taking it. And yes, there are certain strategies and tricks that can be taught. But starting to do this too early can cause unnecessary stress. I say, wait until junior year to start any test prep program.

There are other ways to help your son to do well. Encourage him to study hard and take his high school classes seriously. If he does well in his math classes, chances are he’ll do fine on the math section of the SAT or ACT. The single best way to do well on the critical reading scores is to read! Encourage your son to read anything. Science fiction, sports magazines, a daily newspaper, mysteries, a biography. The more he reads, the better he’ll do in school and on the standardized tests. Simply memorizing random lists of vocabulary words doesn’t help. Over and over I have seen that students who practice reading on a consistent, daily basis do better on the critical reading section of the SAT than students who simply do test prep.

And I would limit taking the test to twice. Take it once, see how you do, then spend some months concentrating on improving your skills, and take it again. Three times, if you absolutely must. But more than that no. No one will stop a student from taking the test as many times as it is given. Some test-prep tutors actually recommend that students take the test every time it’s given!

That idea is very unhealthy. It over-emphasizes the importance of standardized testing over academic performance, extra-curricular involvement, creativity, and all the personal characteristics that make up the total human being who becomes a college applicant.

The colleges will see only those scores which the student wants to send. This is the policy called “Score Choice,” through which the College Board says it gives control over the scores to students. But some colleges say they want all scores, so can “Score Choice” be trusted? More on this in my next column.

 Have a question for Jane?  Search archives | Contact the College Counselor