Tutoring For All Ages

Spring is just around the corner, and plenty of students and parents are facing the same scheduling issue: when should we schedule the SAT: subject tests? For many students taking the SAT in the spring of their junior year, the prospect of adding another barrage of tests to the to-do list is daunting, to say the least. The temptation is to push those tests to the fall and say, “with the SAT out of the way, I’ll have all summer to study for the subject tests.”

That may be true, but it also may not be the best option for you. The “right” choice varies by student, but there are a few questions you should ask yourself before deciding whether to put off the subject tests.

1. How many subject tests do I have to take? Many colleges require that every student take three subject tests on top of the general SAT or ACT, but this is not a hard and fast rule. If you have decided on your list of colleges, find out what their requirements are. If you haven’t decided, plan on taking 3 subject tests.Also note that some schools have different subject test requirements depending on whether a student is taking the ACT or the general SAT.
2. When are my subject tests offered? Not every test is offered on all test dates, so if you are taking a test which is only offered, say, for the May test, then the decision has already been made for you.
3. How many testing dates are there between now and my college admissions deadlines? If you still have to take the regular SAT and there are only two testing dates between now and your first admissions deadline that offer the subject tests you want, your choice is similarly limited. A breakdown of exactly what tests are offered on what dates can be found on the last page of the official Subject Test Preparation Booklet, available for download from the College Board’s website.
4. Will I be as busy during my senior fall as I am during my junior spring? Don’t answer this question too quickly — a lot of people are actually busier during their senior fall than during their junior year. Not only will you probably have to handle an increased workload at school, but the time-consuming college application process will be in full swing.Trying to look their best for admissions committees, people cram honors and AP classes, extracurricular activities, and college visits into their schedule, and then discover that they don’t have much time (surprise!) for extra studying. You don’t want to sabotage your subject test score because you’ve inadvertently put too much on your plate.
5. Will I really study over the summer? In the absence of teachers to grade homework or private tutors to crack the whip, even the best-laid summer study schedules tend to fall by the wayside. If this happens, you could find yourself staring blankly at a fall-subject-test question that you would have known the answer to had you taken the test in the spring, while the subject was still fresh in your mind.If you’d like to have one of our private tutors work with you to develop a summer study plan and check in on you to make sure you’re sticking to it, contact us, and we’ll be happy to meet with you to get started.
6. Do I want to take all my subject tests at once, or spread them out? The subject tests are only about an hour long each, and you can take up to three in one testing session, one right after the other. This works for some students, who just want to get the tests over with. But other students have trouble switching subjects so abruptly, and it may be better for them to take one subject per test date. If that’s the case, you’ll need to start taking tests early, in order to take all the tests you’ll need in time for your admissions deadline.