College Prep question

[Hot Lava Mama]

Has anyone used "College Prep Genius: The No Brainer Way to SAT Success" by Jean Burk?

 

It's quite pricey. Is it worth it?

Hot Lava Mama

[Hot Lava Mama]

Or can anyone recommend a great SAT study course?

:confused:

[jibaker103]

I am going to use some of the free websites with IEW's High School Essay Intensive.

[Candid]

This recent thread makes me skeptical of the value of Ms. Burk's course:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=378387&highlight=Jean+Burk

 

I heard a talk by someone who teaches her course locally who seemed fixated on the idea of taking the regular SAT instead of the PSAT (you apparently can do this multiple times if you don't take the PSAT). While I assume she was correct in this work around I had my doubts about whether this was really an advantage (higher cost, harder math, etc.)

 

Also see another thread (that I bumped up by mistake): http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=400239

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This recent thread makes me skeptical of the value of Ms. Burk's course:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=378387&highlight=Jean+Burk

 

I heard a talk by someone who teaches her course locally who seemed fixated on the idea of taking the regular SAT instead of the PSAT (you apparently can do this multiple times if you don't take the PSAT). While I assume she was correct in this work around I had my doubts about whether this was really an advantage (higher cost, harder math, etc.)

 

Also see another thread (that I bumped up by mistake): http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=400239

 

I'm not sure I understand the point they were making about the bolded above. Were they suggesting not taking the PSAT? Or just pointing out that the SAT is available many times a year while the PSAT is only available once a year?

[Candid]

I'm not sure I understand the point they were making about the bolded above. Were they suggesting not taking the PSAT? Or just pointing out that the SAT is available many times a year while the PSAT is only available once a year?

 

No, they claimed that if you didn't take the PSAT your junior year you can substitute and take the SAT to qualify for the National Merit Scholarhsip. You have to contact National Merit by March of your junior year to do this, but you can take the SAT numerous times and have it scored to the National Merit standard.

 

I have not heard of this, but I will assume that this is correct. That exists for the student who couldn't take the test at the time PSAT is given. I looked at the College Board's website and found this: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about/missedtest.html

 

The person giving the talk (not an employee of College Prep) expressed that this seemed like the best way to go, your student could take the SAT multiple times under this exception.

 

Let's just say, I'm not sure I see the wisdom in this course of action: the SAT is longer, it has harder math, it will probably cost more. Taking it over and over could just be a total discouragement for a student. Even worse, will these multiple attempts count as SAT scores for the student or will they have to take it again for that part?

 

I didn't find this particularly wise advice. But I don't know how much was the local person's idea and how much was College Prep's thrust.

 

However coupled with Ms. Burk's unwillingness to hear the truth of being able to take APs prior to the junior year, it makes me doubt this program.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

No, they claimed that if you didn't take the PSAT your junior year you can substitute and take the SAT to qualify for the National Merit Scholarhsip. You have to contact National Merit by March of your junior year to do this, but you can take the SAT numerous times and have it scored to the National Merit standard.

 

I have not heard of this, but I will assume that this is correct. That exists for the student who couldn't take the test at the time PSAT is given. I looked at the College Board's website and found this: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about/missedtest.html

 

The person giving the talk (not an employee of College Prep) expressed that this seemed like the best way to go, your student could take the SAT multiple times under this exception.

 

Let's just say, I'm not sure I see the wisdom in this course of action: the SAT is longer, it has harder math, it will probably cost more. Taking it over and over could just be a total discouragement for a student. Even worse, will these multiple attempts count as SAT scores for the student or will they have to take it again for that part?

 

I didn't find this particularly wise advice. But I don't know how much was the local person's idea and how much was College Prep's thrust.

 

However coupled with Ms. Burk's unwillingness to hear the truth of being able to take APs prior to the junior year, it makes me doubt this program.

 

I contacted Ms Burk about AP tests at various grades and sent her the official College Board policy. She send a polite reply thanking me for the info and indicating that she was changing the info she gave out. (I wish that she'd been better researched before making sweeping statements at conference, but she does seem to have been corrected now.)

 

I'm still not sure that I see the point they were trying to make about taking SAT multiple times. Who/what is stopping any student from doing that, even if they do also take the PSAT?

 

I know that there used to be a condition on the National Merit scholarship that the student not have taken the SAT before sitting for the PSAT. But I think that is long since changed. I know that both my older kids took the SAT recently as part of a talent search. (And we kept their scores, so they will be part of the full record of scores that colleges see.)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I looked at the info in the National Merit booklet. There is a possibility of alternate qualification for consideration for National Merit. But it is written as a possibility for students who were ill, had emergencies or other extenuating circumstances.

 

I think this is a very bad thing to counsel as a routine plan of action.

 

The more I've heard from and of College Prep Genius and Ms. Burk, the more I think that she had a couple very bright kids, that she is genuinely trying to help families figure out how to navigate the testing requirements and qualify for scholarships, BUT that there is a tendency to move from specific examples to generalities.

 

I also did not see a whole lot on offer that wasn't widely available at my library or at the local used book store. I still think that a solid background in reading with a little test prep and a solid background in math with a little test prep is a far better use of time and money than just doing a lot of test prep. (In other words, I think a a student benefits more from looking up new words and making flash cards to practice with than in reading specialty books that underline "SAT Words" and gloss them on the side.)

[Candid]

I looked at the info in the National Merit booklet. There is a possibility of alternate qualification for consideration for National Merit. But it is written as a possibility for students who were ill, had emergencies or other extenuating circumstances.

 

I think this is a very bad thing to counsel as a routine plan of action.

 

Yup, I was bothered by it. The link I gave doesn't exactly say you had to have had an emergency but I assume that is why this plan was developed.

 

As I indicated, I have concerns about whether it is really a great plan for the student to do this.

 

But your post here also makes me uneasy about the perception of "gaming the system."

 

The more I've heard from and of College Prep Genius and Ms. Burk, the more I think that she had a couple very bright kids, that she is genuinely trying to help families figure out how to navigate the testing requirements and qualify for scholarships, BUT that there is a tendency to move from specific examples to generalities.

 

I also did not see a whole lot on offer that wasn't widely available at my library or at the local used book store. I still think that a solid background in reading with a little test prep and a solid background in math with a little test prep is a far better use of time and money than just doing a lot of test prep. (In other words, I think a a student benefits more from looking up new words and making flash cards to practice with than in reading specialty books that underline "SAT Words" and gloss them on the side.)

[Candid]

 

I'm still not sure that I see the point they were trying to make about taking SAT multiple times. Who/what is stopping any student from doing that, even if they do also take the PSAT?

 

 

I think in your next post, you may have connected these dots, but in case you have not let me try to communicate what I heard.

 

The idea was to not take the PSAT, contact National Merit to use the SAT instead and then take it multiple times that year to try to get the best score possible to count towards the National Merit.

[Barbara H]

Or can anyone recommend a great SAT study course?

:confused:

 

There are so many variables (current student performance, strengths, learning style, goals) that there is not a single answer to the question.

 

For both the ACT and the SAT I would suggest as a starting point getting the "real" books produced by the companies themselves. So for the SAT it is the "blue book". The best strategy is to take sample tests, analyze results, and figure out what the studene needs to learn.

 

Homeschool Buyer's Co-op has a Kaplan online course for around $50 right now. http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-test-assessment-curriculum/ This is a decent deal for a solid course, but like all of them it really depends on your student being willing to plug away at it and do the work. Some kids have more patience for test prep than others do.

[Guest Jean Burk]

Thank you for all the posts/inquiries about my program, "College Prep Genius".

 

Firstly, when I share about the "alternative testing method" that allows students to retake the SAT (several times) in lieu of the PSAT, I tell families that this is an option if your student misses it as a junior. I do not promote this nor do I tell people to purposely miss the PSAT/NMSQT since I know that the SAT is longer and harder and parents/guidance counselors must sign off on it.

 

Secondly, Next, for the comment about my "unwillingness" to think that AP courses are only for juniors and seniors, yes, in Texas it is very rare for a student to take it earlier because of the added homework (5-10 hours weekly per class) and that they usually have to either be proficient in that language or have taken very hard classes in middle school to qualify for AP courses younger than the junior year. I did change my speech to reflect the fact that all states are different and to check with yours respectfully.

 

Thirdly, I want to thank the person who said that I "must have bright kids". They are truly blessed because of God but please keep in mind that IQ has very little to do with standardized tests. Numerous Valedictorians, AP and honors students have attended my classes in the last 8 years due to the fact that they bombed the SAT. Many of my students have raised their scores 600 points, many are National Merit Scholars and many have received 200K scholarships to Ivy-League schools and this was due to learning how to take the tests.

 

Fourthly, most students don’t get the score they want on the test mainly because they don’t understand the test and how the questions are written. We teach students that the test is not about their IQ or how smart they are, but that it is a logic test and the questions are designed to trick the students. We teach them shortcuts and strategies that work on the hidden recurring patterns that that are found on the questions. The students will then work actual test questions in the classroom and then I go over each one and show them why the right answer is right and why the other four are wrong. This teaches them the critical thinking skills necessary to stop picking the wrong answers.

 

Next,I also only promote College Board questions-they are the actual test-maker and to be aware of other companies who just make up their own questions and they may not reflect the actual test.

 

Then as far as Vocabulary words are concerned, it is definitely a good idea to study them. We have a Vocabcafe book series that uses SAT level words in the context of a fun story with the definition and pronunciation at the bottom of the page. Each book contains 300 words. But keep in mind, there are 171K words in the dictionary and no one except the test-makers know which words will actually be on the test so we teach students how to figure out the word.

 

Finally, if you want to know anything about my company/product, please feel free to contact me personally.

 

Blessings,

Jean Burk

http://www.collegeprepgenius.com

[Guest Jean Burk]

Thank you for all the posts/inquiries about my program, "College Prep Genius".

 

Firstly, when I share about the "alternative testing method" that allows students to retake the SAT (several times) in lieu of the PSAT, I tell families that this is an option if your student misses it as a junior. I do not promote this nor do I tell people to purposely miss the PSAT/NMSQT since I know that the SAT is longer and harder and parents/guidance counselors must sign off on it.

 

Secondly, Next, for the comment about my "unwillingness" to think that AP courses are only for juniors and seniors, yes, in Texas it is very rare for a student to take it earlier because of the added homework (5-10 hours weekly per class) and that they usually have to either be proficient in that language or have taken very hard classes in middle school to qualify for AP courses younger than the junior year. I did change my speech to reflect the fact that all states are different and to check with yours respectfully.

 

Thirdly, I want to thank the person who said that I "must have bright kids". They are truly blessed because of God but please keep in mind that IQ has very little to do with standardized tests. Numerous Valedictorians, AP and honors students have attended my classes in the last 8 years due to the fact that they bombed the SAT. Many of my students have raised their scores 600 points, many are National Merit Scholars and many have received 200K scholarships to Ivy-League schools and this was due to learning how to take the tests.

 

Fourthly, most students don’t get the score they want on the test mainly because they don’t understand the test and how the questions are written. We teach students that the test is not about their IQ or how smart they are, but that it is a logic test and the questions are designed to trick the students. We teach them shortcuts and strategies that work on the hidden recurring patterns that that are found on the questions. The students will then work actual test questions in the classroom and then I go over each one and show them why the right answer is right and why the other four are wrong. This teaches them the critical thinking skills necessary to stop picking the wrong answers.

 

Next,I also only promote College Board questions-they are the actual test-maker and to be aware of other companies who just make up their own questions and they may not reflect the actual test.

 

Then as far as Vocabulary words are concerned, it is definitely a good idea to study them. We have a Vocabcafe book series that uses SAT level words in the context of a fun story with the definition and pronunciation at the bottom of the page. Each book contains 300 words. But keep in mind, there are 171K words in the dictionary and no one except the test-makers know which words will actually be on the test so we teach students how to figure out the word.

 

Finally, if you want to know anything about my company/product, please feel free to contact me personally.

 

Blessings,

Jean Burk

www.collegeprepgenius.com