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Now that we have discussed why you should have your student take the SAT and how to prepare for the SAT, the next step is to REGISTER FOR THE SAT.  The next opportunity to take the SAT is March 10, 2018. The regular registration deadline is February 9 which means you need to get registered right now.

Some Common Questions/Concerns From Parents When Registering Their Students for the SAT

How many times should my teen take the SAT?

We recommend students test at least twice, once in the spring of their junior year and once in the fall of their senior year, and no more than four times. 67% of students who test again improve their score the second time.

I have heard my student shouldn’t take the test twice in case they don’t do as well.

2 out of 3 students improve their scores when they retake the SAT.  And here’s more good news: Research shows that students who spend 20 hours on Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy gain an average of 115 points from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT.

I have heard the SAT is harder if you take it later in the year.

The College Board makes sure every version of the SAT is the same level of difficulty.

I have heard the SAT is only really important if your teen wants to go to an East Coast school.

The SAT is accepted by all US colleges. Colleges and Universities do not have a preference of which admissions test the applicant sends.

I am still nervous the SAT may not be the right choice for my teen.

Following all spring 2017 SAT administrations, the College Board surveyed 113,945 students who completed the test. The majority of students had positive reactions to the SAT.

• 70% of students said they were tested on the reading, math, and writing skills they’re learning in school.
• 6 in 10 test-takers report they had enough time to finish the exam.
• More than 80% of students reported feeling confident going into the SAT.

I hope that this three post series on the SAT has been helpful.   There are a plethora of SAT resources on collegereadiness.org and college planning tools on bigfuture.org to help parents and students navigate the college admissions process.  

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored blog campaign I am working on the next few months with The College Board and OM Media Group.