The Princeton Review SAT
Table of Contents
The Princeton Review is a well-known firm that helps students to boost their scores in SAT, GRE, and other pre-college tests across US universities. Although The Princeton Review is not related to Princeton University, it certainly benefits from the prestige and reputation of the school.
The Princeton Review was set up in 1981 in New York, by two graduates who started tutoring students for the SAT, and it has grown to be one of the largest tutoring and consultancy firms in the US.
They offer tutoring, test prep, admissions counseling, and more to undergraduate students in high school across the US. This article looks at the SAT Test Prep courses available from The Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review SAT Prep courses are some of the best in the US and are famed for helping students to increase their SAT score by at least 150 points. Many students that have admissions success at Harvard, Yale, and Ivy League Schools have used The Princeton Review and their courses to get the best SAT scores.
The Princeton Review – SAT Prep
So what do The Princeton Review SAT Prep online courses offer to students? We’ve broken down each of the elements here to help you get an understanding of whether this course is for you!
Expert Instructor – When you enroll on a premium course with Princeton Reviews, you’ll be assigned a tutor that will help to guide you through the online learning and preparing for practice. You can talk to an advisor, and they will help with answering any questions you may have.
The expert instructors are also key in the learning, as they’ve recorded hours and hours of video lessons and footage, explaining different concepts to help you get the best grades possible. There are around 300 video lessons available, which range from short clips to full-length lessons, each designed to improve your knowledge and understanding.
Practice Tests and Questions – Princeton Review offers thousands of practice questions to help you focus on particular areas of your learning and improve your score. They have over 3000 practice questions, so you’ll always find fresh challenges and not be faced with the same practice questions again and again.
Unlike many other Prep Courses, they also offer three full-length practice tests with the Ultimate package and four tests with the 1400+ package. The test date is scheduled into your calendar, completed online, marked, and returned to you.
This helps to simulate the test environment, and you should see an improvement in your scores and stamina as you take more tests. Practice tests are not always offered in SAT Prep courses – so this is rare and hugely beneficial. The SAT test is long, as we explain below in this article.
Personalized Study Plan – As with many Prep courses, The Princeton Review offers a personalized study plan that shifts and adapts to your scores and needs. When you enroll, you’ll be able to select which areas you’re doing well in and which areas you need to boost your scores.
The plan will also incorporate practice questions and test data to continue to change with your needs. The plan will also adapt to your timescale, which may be a year or two months before your test. But remember, a plan is only good if you stick to it! You need to be focussed to achieve the SAT score that you desire.
Online and Live Video Lessons – Unlike many other SAT prep courses, The Princeton Review knows the importance of expert tutors sharing their knowledge directly to students. This is why they’ve invested the time in recording hundreds of videos from tutors and experts, which helps to explain different academic concepts, exam techniques, and study skills.
They also offer these lessons Live – as a direct video link from the tutor. These sessions are scheduled, and you can choose which schedule of lessons to attend so that you can fit them into your life. If you’re a student that learns best from listening and interacting, then this SAT prep course is right for you. You can also talk to an advisor 24/7 to get advice and information on your studying.
Knowledge, Skills, and Stamina – Anyone who has taken the SAT test will know how hard it really is, and the mental stamina you need to stay focused throughout.
Princeton doesn’t just help to educate you with the content; they also focus on strategies for time efficiency and brain efficiency when taking the exam. You don’t want to be worn out after the first section, and preparing properly is the key to this.
The Princeton Review provides you with a wealth of resources to improve your knowledge of the reading, writing, and language and math sections, each of which will help to boost your score. You need to know how to use a semicolon, how to solve that equation, and which adverb is best for that sentence.
If you use the resources offered by Princeton Review, you’ll soon see an improvement in your understanding of English and Maths, and you’ll be performing better on the practice questions.
Books and Resources – As many of the resources offered by The Princeton Review courses are based online, they also offer physical books to balance this out. Some learners benefit from physically having resources in front of them, such as using pen and paper methods.
The books provided include SAT Manual, 10 Practice Tests for The SAT, and The Official SAT Study Guide. These books, paired with the online and mobile resources, mean that you can take your studying with you and complete it on the go!
Choose your Package – The Princeton Review knows that every student is different and studies differently, which is why they have several packages and price points on offer.
Firstly, the cheapest all-in option is the SAT Self-Paced. This comes in at just under $300 and is great for the self-starter learner. If you can motivate yourself using the study plan and resources, then this is a great and affordable way to study. You have access to all the online materials, including video lessons, practice exams, and questions. You can access these resources for the whole year.
Next is the Ultimate Classroom. This package is enhanced with live classroom lessons, books, and prep resources. It costs just under $600. When you enroll, you can choose which schedule you’d like for your online sessions and proctored practice tests, which run for around a month with a class a week.
You can also connect with other students taking these classes. This package is great for learners that like to be part of a community and do well with extrinsic motivation. It helps you to get in that test prep.
Finally, The Princeton Review 1400+ package is the most superior. It specializes in boosting your score by 150 points to reach the higher percentile and get into the college of your dreams.
This package costs around $1,300 and boosts the number of online lessons, scheduled lessons, and practice tests. This helps with test prep for the real exam. It also provides you with 24/7 access to your tutor, so that they can help to guide you through the process, explain concepts, and provide feedback.
Score Guarantee – The 1400+ course guaranteed you with a score of 1400 or above, which is exactly what you’ll need to be considered by the top Ivy Leauge schools.
However, to qualify for this guarantee, you need to provide a previous SAT score of 1200 or above, or an equivalent PSAT score. So if you’re scoring 650 on practice tests, don’t get your hopes up with the promise of your score rising or your money back.
What is the SAT?
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test that is used to evaluate the analytical skills and academic knowledge of students. Many colleges and admissions committees use SAT scores to assess the academic level of the student applying, and whether they can cope with studying at that university. High school students are expected to work hard in preparing for this test, and it should be a positive reflection of their GPA.
The SAT is designed to measure a high school student’s academic readiness for college. It gives colleges a data comparison point to evaluate all applicants. It’s a grade that is used for colleges across the US. It will influence your application and whether you get accepted into that college.
The SAT is a long exam that takes over 3 hours to complete, so many students complete a lot of study and test prep to take the test. Students try to boost their academic knowledge, analytical skills, and exam room stamina.
The SAT has four compulsory sections, and an optional essay section; Reading, Writing and Language, Math No-Calculator, Math Calculator. There’s little time to complete each multiple-choice question, so you have to work carefully and efficiently.
Should I complete SAT Prep?
Yes! The SAT is a major exam that will impact your college application and sway your chances of getting accepted, so you should complete as many hours of SAT prep as you can. There may be some courses at your high school to help you prepare for this test, or you might find a study buddy to work with, but if you want to be a high achiever, you may need outside help.
The best way to be successful in your SAT preps is to use an online course and study system. This will provide you with the best resources available, a study schedule to keep you on track, help, and advice to guide you, many practice tests, and hopefully an excellent SAT score. In this article, we’ve looked at the SAT Prep course offered by The Princeton Review.
What score should I aim for?
The SAT is scored out of 1600 points, which is split across sections. If you want to get into an Ivy League School, you need to be in the top percentile of scorers and achieve above 1400 points. This may seem daunting, but with the right study and test prep, you can achieve it.
If you’re looking to go to a Community College or a city college like NYU or UCLA, you can be accepted with an SAT score that is closer to 1000 points. Completing practice tests and marking them is a good way to identify which areas you need to focus on, and which areas you’re excelling at already. Remember, the SAT is part of your application, and your GPA and extracurricular activities should support the score.
