This post is written in partnership with The College Board
If you are a parent of a high school junior and/or senior you know IT IS CRUNCH TIME when it comes to prepping your teen for college. But don’t despair! The good news is there are still enough weeks left before most deadlines to get your teen prepped for the SAT and college ready. As the mom of a 16-year-old I am on a mission to demystify the process when it comes to advising your child to register for the SAT and navigate the college application process. But first things first; let’s bust some common but quite misleading myths about the current SAT.
Myth: If I don’t know the answer to a question on the SAT, I should leave it blank.
Fact: It’s better to go with your best guess! There’s no longer a penalty for wrong answers, so you have nothing to lose to go with your gut answer.
Myth: I shouldn’t take the SAT again in case I don’t do as well.
Fact: 2 out of 3 students improve their scores when they retake the SAT.
Myth: The SAT is harder if you take it later on in the year.
Fact: The College Board makes sure every version of the SAT is the same level of difficulty.
Myth: You only need to take the SAT if you want to go to college on the East Coast.
Fact: The SAT is accepted by all US colleges. Colleges and Universities do not have a preference of which College entrance exam the applicant sends.
Now that we have busted the myths- as the parent of a college bound kid- if you are still on the fence about whether not to #ChoosetheSAT, consider these facts: 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 and here are some findings to take into consideration when deciding to take 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.
There are no tricks, no games with the SAT:
-More time per question than the ACT
-Tricky or less used SAT Vocab words
-No penalty for guessing
-No Science section
-Free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy for ALL students!
– And most importantly it helps you pay your way – The SAT connects you to scholarships and merit aid that can make your teen’s dream education more affordable.
Of course once you make the decision to take the SAT (don’t forget to register by Feb 9 for testing in March 2018) there is the issue of PREPPING for it. We will discuss more about SAT Practice in another blog post but for now check out this link for our favorite . And now onto choosing the right college for your child. Once you have registered for THE SAT you can begin tackling the college application process with the help of Big Future. offers prospective college students a plethora of resources to navigate the entire college application experience.
Here are just a few of the topics they cover:
oh man I remember the SAT’s so much stress, and I was super glad when it was all over! Thankfully I did great my first time around which I think was Junior Year and I did not have to re-take them and actually got into my first choice of University but had to change schools at the last minute due to a family emergency causing me to have to remain in state. Anything that makes this stressful time easier for students and their parents is important.
These are great tips. It’s amazing how many myths there are surrounding the SAT. It’s never a good idea to leave a question blank.
While our kids are a few years away from thinking about college and the SAT’s, this is invaluable information. I will have to bookmark this for the future!
I’m thankful that you posted this about the SAT’s! So many rumors and myths are out there. It’s nice to see a lot of them debunked!
It’s really important to prepare as much as you can. It’s nice that you’re sharing these facts and myths. I hope that teens taking the test would read this!
Studying for the SAT’s can be a very stressful process. I am glad there are books and programs to help kids and their families prepare.
Good to know! I remember taking the SATs as a kid, and I was terrified. I definitely thought it was better to leave a question blank than answer it wrong. This would have been helpful when I was a kid.
I wish I would have had all of this information when my daughter was taking the SAT test last year. She was really stressed, but thankfully did well. She did take it twice and did do better on the second try, but overall did good on both of them.
My daughter took the SAT twice. i think her score improved a bit on the second round.
The SAT’s can be super stressful. Proper preparation and taking it seriously really goes a long way though.
SAT’s can be very intimidating. But they really aren’t that bad as long as you perpare!
Oh wow. These things get closer and closer so quickly. I can’t believe we’ll be prepping for SAT’s in a few short years.
I made sure I prepared for my SATs. I did not let the pressure get to me and I just remained calm and confident on that day of the exam. I hope my kids breeze through it too. It is really nothing to be scared of, as long as you prepare for it, everything will work out well.