Are SAT Review Classes Worth the Cost?

By Dennis Urban on Monday, February, 10th, 2014 in ACT, college, education, Kaplan, Princeton Review, review classes, SAT, SAT classes, SAT review, State University of New York.
No Comments

  It’s easy to get carried away with SAT test preparation, and it’s not unusual for a typical family to spend over $1000 per child on SAT review. So, is it worth it? In other words, do costly tutors, review books, and review classes result in better test scores and, thus, admission into elite colleges? […]

---

 

It’s easy to get carried away with SAT test preparation, and it’s not unusual for a typical family to spend over $1000 per child on SAT review. So, is it worth it? In other words, do costly tutors, review books, and review classes result in better test scores and, thus, admission into elite colleges? This question is difficult to answer.

The best research indicates that “test preparation efforts yield a positive but small effect on standardized admission test scores,” according to a report released in 2009 by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. In fact, although many of the best-known test prep companies (e.g., Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Sylvan Learning) claim to increase test scores by over 100 points, the “average gains are more in the neighborhood of 30 points.”

The College Board, which creates the SAT exams, has conducted its own research, which shows that test preparation courses offer limited benefit. In fact, Laurence Bunin, senior vice president for the College Board, “recommends free and low-cost College Board Materials, including a $22 study guide,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Moreover, SAT prep companies like Kaplan and Princetown Review reap billions of dollars in profits annually, while charging students thousands of dollars to enroll in their comprehensive review courses. This may put students from lower-income families at a disadvantage. According to a Washington Post survey, students who come from families earning over $200,000 a year have an average SAT score of 1714, while students whose families make less than $20,000 a year have an average score of 1326.

Unfortunately, these figures sometimes force families to spend beyond their means in hope of sending their kids to better colleges, and the results can be disheartening. According to long-time SAT tutor Allison Kade, expensive SAT tutoring and review courses aren’t for everyone. She says, “you may not need to fork over tons of cash for test prep if: 1) Your kid is extremely self-motivated, already understands all the core concepts and has been successful with self-study for other standardized tests like AP exams or the PSAT; 2) Your kid doesn’t care, won’t put in the work and will potentially be a distraction to the rest of the kids taking the test.” On the other hand, she writes, you may want to spend a few bucks if “your kid cares about her score, but may not be self-motivated enough to do the studying on her own; your teen is a nervous test-taker…; or your child is struggling with core concepts and would benefit from extra help.”

But there is an alternative to the expensive tutors and review courses. Long Island Regents Prep, a teacher-owned and -operated company, offers one-day SAT Crash Courses the weekend before each SAT Reasoning Test. These courses, held at Farmingdale State College, offer students confidence, skills, knowledge, and strategies they need to excel on their SATs, all at a fraction of the cost of tutors and other courses. For more information and to register for upcoming classes, visit liregentsprep.com.

Helping High School Students Pass the Test

By Dennis Urban on Monday, January, 7th, 2013 in advanced placement review, ap exams, ap review classes, NYS Regents Exams, regents, regents review classes, regentsprep.org, State University of New York, testprep.
No Comments

Long Island Regents Prep Announces 2013 Regents and AP Review Class Schedule   Long Island Regents Prep has announced its 2013 course schedule.  Review classes for the New York State Regents Exams will take place June 8th, 9th, and 15that Farmingdale State College.  In addition, after helping hundreds of students from Nassau and Suffolk counties and […]

---

Long Island Regents Prep Announces 2013 Regents and AP Review Class Schedule

 

Now Offering AP Review Classes

By Dennis Urban on Wednesday, December, 19th, 2012 in advanced placement review, ap exams, ap review classes, State University of New York.
No Comments

We are excited to announce that Long Island Regents Prep will begin offering Advanced Placement review courses in spring 2013.  Due to the success of our Regents review program, and in response to the positive feedback we’ve received from parents and students, we are expanding our review course catalog to include the following AP subjects:   United States […]

---

• United States History
• World History
• European History
• US Government and Politics
• Psychology
• Calculus AB
• Biology
• Physics B
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science 

As with our Regents prep classes, AP review classes will be one-day, six-hour sessions held at Farmingdale State College.  Course dates and schedule will be announced shortly after the new year. In the meantime, visit Long Island Regents Prep for more information and to join our email list.  Also, find us on Twitter @RegentsPrep and on Facebook.