SAT, or the “SAT Standard Reasoning Test”, is a form of standardized testing used in the United States for college admission. The colloquialism “SAT” used to stand for Scholastic Aptitude Test; later, it stood for Scholastic Assessment Test; today, the letters do not represent any particular arrangement of words.
For many individuals, gaining admission to college and acquiring a degree remains an important goal, improving self confidence, credibility and job prospects. The SAT takes nearly 4 hours to complete. The national fee to take the test ($49) is small, but the stakes which ride upon a high SAT score are high. Prospective college students make use of different SAT preparation methods, such as online tutors, private tutors, review books and online courses. This article will discuss the pros and cons of each of the aforementioned methods.
Private SAT Tutors
A private SAT tutor is an accredited individual that assists a college entrant in the preparatory study of material to help them achieve a high SAT score.
Pros of private SAT tutors:
- Accreditation. A tutor that works with students in a designated location, in person, is likely to have the official certification for their position.
- “Face-to-face” time with the student, allowing the tutor to shape their teaching style and emphasis in a manner befitting the student's way of learning.
- The ability to meet and interview individual tutors prior to choosing one – something which cannot be done as easily with online tutors.
Cons of private SAT tutors:
- Cost. The hourly rate of a private tutor may be higher than that of their online counterparts – face-time and personal investment in a student is valuable, and the costs of a location and travel time are factors that can make private tutoring more expensive.
- Set lesson times. Unlike online tutoring services, students and private tutors must work within a more rigid schedule; it is not feasible for a tutor to travel to a student's home for one hour one week, and fifteen minutes the next, or to see a student in their own office for different lengths of time according to the student's needs.
Online SAT Tutors
Pros of online SAT tutors:
- Convenience – to both the tutor and the student – of conversing remotely. Neither party has to leave their respective office or residence. This allows the student to remain flexible, engaging in extracurricular affairs.
- Online SAT tutors can help the student for shorter or longer periods of time, depending on their needs. If the student's parents are involved, tutors will often converse with the parents and work with them to improve upon difficulties the student may be experiencing.
- In today's economic climate, the overall lower costs of an online tutor makes utilizing one a viable option for many individuals and families.
Cons of online SAT tutors:
- The potential for a lower quality of teaching (which may vary in accordance with how low or high the fees are).
- A lack of “face-to-face” time, and consequently, diminished understanding of the student's weak points which are better recognized in person.
- A greater potential for false accreditation (the tutor may be competent at their job, but not certified) than would be possible for an “offline” tutor.
SAT Review Books
An SAT review book is – as the name suggests – a volume of study material in book form designed to help students prepare to write the SAT Standard Reasoning Test and gain entrance into college. This form of SAT preparation is accessible and very different than the last two methods discussed.
Pros of SAT Review Books:
- Variety. There are a number of review books from which the student can choose. They range in price, length (and accordingly, heft and size), focus, style, presentation, online additions and number of workbooks. This allows the student to choose which book best matches their manner of learning.
- (Relative) portability. For those students who learn best from books, this method allows them to study in a location of their choosing.
- Silence. Some individuals learn best with stimulation, such as speech; for those who learn simply by reading, an SAT review book allows for quietly absorbing and assimilating the contents within.
- Low cost. Review books may be costly in comparison to other types of publications, but the financial outlay is one-time.
Cons of SAT Review Books:
- They demand the student's focus. While focus is a trait that should be encouraged in students, a book can, should the student feel so compelled, simply be put down; if the student were face-to-face with a private tutor, that choice could not be made.
- A lack of support from other individuals. Though some SAT review books offer interactive extras such as DVDs or web-based features, the student must act as their own moral support unless realtime study help is enlisted.
- Size. Though, as mentioned above, a review book is relatively portable, emphasis is placed on the word “relatively” for a reason; some SAT review books are over 600 large-sized pages in length, with a weight to match.
Online SAT Courses
Online SAT courses combine aspects of review books and online tutors. They are done on the student's own time, and on the internet. An online SAT course is a web-based course that lets students prepare to write an SAT by studying material provided on account-based websites.
Pros of Online SAT Courses:
- Anytime access. This sort of accessibility allows students to peruse study material regardless of the constraints of their personal schedule.
- Convenience. A student can work their way through an online SAT course at their own pace, free of pressure to achieve understanding before they are ready.
- Choice. Students will find many courses to choose from, of varying depth, duration and cost.
Cons of Online SAT Courses
- Cost. As with the other SAT preparation methods discussed in this article, there is a fee to take an online course. However, the cost is a one-time payment and within the realm of affordability for most.
- No face-to-face with another person. Since online courses are done on the student's own time, there is no interaction with anyone else; even using an online tutor provides the student with some – albeit, indirect – contact and support. Online courses are best suited to those who work and learn well independently.
- A lack of pencil-and-paper. Because online SAT courses operate exclusively in the realm of screens and keyboards, students do not get practice writing essays by hand and filling in answers with a pencil, as they would during the real-life SAT.
- A world of distractions. Using an online tutor, a student may be tempted to “multitask” and browse other websites, but the likelihood of doing so is greatest when an online course – free of any interaction with another person – is used. In addition, most online SAT courses must be completed within a predefined window of time (weeks or months). An unfocused student may find this difficult.
There are many ways to study for an SAT. Every method has its benefits and drawbacks. The good news is that students can review the pros and cons of each one. With such diverse choices, every student will find a way to study which best matches their schedule, budget and learning style.
