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Every year students from various countries apply to the Ivy Leagues and other top universities in the US. These students come from different school boards and have different academic credentials, and it is extremely difficult to compare the academic grades of students from different school systems and countries. The SAT exam primarily intends to provide universities with a standardized marker to assess the academic potential of these applicants. Since the SAT score is going to be the only standardized parameter in your application file, it is crucial for you to get as high a score as possible.

The first step in your SAT prep will be to choose the right preparation mode. Depending on your aptitude and comfort level, you can choose a study option that will allow you to get the desired ‘high’ SAT score.

In this article we will be guiding you through the basics of SAT prep class and self-study for your SAT exam preparation. Also, check SAT exam dates and registration deadlines.

SELF STUDY

Students who have unpredictable schedules often choose to prepare for the SAT on their own so that they can utilize whatever free time that they can get. There are also students whose primary target is to prepare the IIT JEE, NEET and other entrance exams that are required to study in Indian colleges. For these students, preparing for the SAT exam is their “Plan B”, and so, they prefer to prepare for the SAT on their own, devoting the most of their time and attention to the Indian entrance exams.

Pros:

  1. The one obvious pro of SAT self-study option is that it is a 100% customized schedule. You can prepare for the exam at your own pace depending on your other commitments.
  2. Moreover, since you know your strong and weak areas, this self-customized routine will allow you to spend more time on your weak areas.

When pursued with commitment, the self-study method yields excellent results for academically brilliant, self-motivated and disciplined students.

Cons:At times, the very pros of the self-study method tend to become the cons.

  1. Because of the flexible schedule, a student is under no obligation to study, and as a result, often, regularity is not maintained. This results in delay in taking the SAT exam.
  2. Another big disadvantage is that there is no sense of competition in self-study. There is no way of comparing your progress with the other students who are preparing for the exam. For instance, if you score a 1400 in a certain practice test, you will not be able to know whether it is a good or bad score for that test, especially since the difficulty level of different tests are different.
  3. While preparing for the SAT exam, it’s very important to use right resources and mock tests that will help the students reach their target scores. Students taking the SAT test course on their own sometimes use internet resources and books that are not best suited for them.

As a result, very often, after taking the actual SAT, a lot of people who had done self preparation, end up feeling that they did not score as highly as they had thought they would score based on their performance in numerous practice tests. In short, while SAT self-preparation yields best results for highly motivated, disciplined and self-driven teenagers, most students struggle to maintain the pace of SAT prep on their own.

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SAT EXAM PREPARATION PROGRAM

Students who want to score 1400 or higher on the SAT mostly opt for a structured training program that provides all the necessary study material and mock tests. There are various available SAT preparation program options.

SAT CLASSROOM TRAINING PROGRAM

This is by far the most effective and productive method for preparing for any exam – be it SAT or any other exam. Some of the reasons why students tend to do better in a classroom setup are:

  1. This is a time-tested SAT prep technique which has continuously yielded high scores. Being in a classroom with other students preparing for the same exam encourages students to perform better.
  2. In an SAT classroom training program, there is a fixed schedule and a curriculum which ensures that a student focuses equally on all the skills tested in the SAT exam. The student also learns techniques, short-cuts and time saving methods which help him get better scores.
  3. The sense of competition in a classroom tends to spur students to challenge their limits and go beyond their comfort zones, and more often than not, this yields better results.
  4. Through their discussions with their classmates, students get valuable information regarding university applications, admissions process and deadlines. Very often, these interactions and knowledge sharing sessions help them finalize the colleges that they want to apply to for pursuing their undergrad.
  5. Another unique benefit that one can get out of classroom SAT preparation is getting information about the SAT test taking experiences of their classmates. This is invaluable information that one can use to prepare for the test day.

However, if you live in a city that has unpredictable traffic situations or if you do not stay near the classroom SAT training center, you will end up spending more time on the road than inside the classroom. This will, of course, be highly unproductive.

Of course, to maximize the benefits of SAT classroom training, one should pick a flexible classroom training program which will arrange for make-up classes if one has to miss a class due to unavoidable reasons and provides one-on-one doubt clearing sessions with faculty in case a student is not comfortable asking questions in class. The best SAT classroom training programs in India are the ones which provide extended post-class assistance to their students in the form of on-site libraries, SAT computer test bank, university application assistance, etc.

ONLINE LIVE SAT TRAINING

In today’s world of internet connectivity, some people opt for a mix of self study and a structured faculty-taught curriculum by going for Live online SAT preparation courses. Majority of the students opting for online study happen to be students who have hectic schedules because of their school and extracurricular activities. Their schedules prevent them from enrolling in any classroom SAT training course. The online learning module gives them the flexibility to prepare for the SAT without disturbing their schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

Pros:

  1. The biggest pro of online training module is that it allows students the flexibility of self study while providing a faculty-taught structured course curriculum and assistance in understanding the concepts necessary to crack the SAT.
  2. Unlike, the complete self-study module, the online training programs usually have class-wise break-up of content and assignments. This helps students organize themselves better and maintain a better record of course coverage.
  3. In an online SAT prep program, a student can get the advantages of a classroom program from the comfort and convenience of his home.
  4. Online SAT course live programs help students use their time most efficiently since they don’t have to spend time commuting to a classroom.

Cons: The cons of the self-study option exist to some extent in the SAT online training option as well.

  1. A student is under no obligation to attend the SAT online classes on time and to do the assignments.
  2. Moreover, since the assignments are usually for self-evaluation, the student might not be under any pressure to do well. This results in delay in taking the SAT.
  3. Though some online training programs do provide message boards and discussion forums, but the participation is again completely the student’s discretion.

To sum up, though a live online SAT training program combines the best aspects of self-study and classroom training, a student should pick the option that suits him the best. Each student is different and has different goals, aspirations, schedules and target score. So, choose an SAT prep option that gives you the maximum chance of reaching your target score!

Need Guidance for SAT Preparation?

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FAQs

There are a lot of SAT coaching institutes, however Jamboree offers the best SAT exam preparation coaching. There are multiple SAT prep modes to choose from as per your convenience.
Our digital SAT coaching program has a validity of 12 months. Within these 12 months, you can repeat all the classes if you want. Students often repeat the topics that they have difficulty with. If you have to pause your classes for any reason, you can resume or restart your classes any time within 12 months.
Score validity for SAT is 5 years.
For SAT exam preparation, one must take a diagnostic test first to know about your strong and weak areas. Also, plan to choose the best institute for SAT coaching and choose the prep mode you would be comfortable with. Jamboree offers different SAT prep modes and students can choose from those as per their requirements.