Congratulations! You survived the COVID-19 school year, and you’re ready to soak up that summer sun. Parents, students, and educators alike are hopefully gearing up for plenty of vacation and leisure time as a palate cleanser following 15 months of remote learning in quarantine—and it’s very much deserved! However, it’s worth remembering that tests like the SAT/ACT don’t take vacations. While we would never advise you to spend your entire summer cramming for these exams, you shouldn’t outright sleep on your test prep either. For instance, the next ACT is on July 17th, while the next SAT is scheduled for August 28th.

Time flies in the summertime! If you put off your SAT/ACT prep for too long, you risk falling behind on your college prep, requiring greater and more extensive review sessions later in the fall. Rising seniors, take note!

For this reason, we’ve gathered a few tips and suggestions to help you keep the SAT/ACT flame alive over the summer.

Tip #1: Do a Little Bit of SAT/ACT Prep Each Day

Health experts say that simply doing 15 minutes of exercise per day can boost your overall health significantly. Well, we test prep experts feel exactly the same way about the SAT/ACT! Prepping for these exams doesn’t have to be a rigorous chore; spending 15-20 minutes a day working on your test-taking strategies on a handful of practice problems is plenty of time to keep your test prep muscles active. As long as you manage to complete a little bit of SAT/ACT practice each day, you can rest assured that you won’t need to spend your early senior year frantically cramming and re-reading the same techniques you should’ve mastered over the spring.

Tip #2: Stay on Top of Your College Research

Don’t forget why you’re taking the ACT or the SAT in the first place: these exams are used to measure your college readiness. That said, if you aren’t already researching the colleges you’re interested in, how can you be sure that you’re ready for those colleges? Knowing the average SAT/ACT scores for your prospective colleges will help you develop a realistic picture of the colleges and universities most likely to offer you admissions based on your results. Moreover, learning the score averages of your top choices will enable you to hone in on which core areas require the most improvement. The more you understand the relationship between your top scores and your top schools, the better your chances of getting into a great college.

Tip #3: READ!!!

When we say “read,” of course, we’re not talking about Reddit posts or Twitter threads. Find a book in your home or your local library and, just like Tip #1, do a little bit of reading every day. If you took an SAT/ACT course over the spring, you’re already aware of the amount of reading required throughout these exams—even on the Math section! If you spend 15-20 minutes every day reading some form of print media, then you will continue to develop your critical reading skills and strengthen your ability to read carefully and selectively through the test. To keep the experience light and fun for the summer, find a book about a topic you’re interested in. Trust us: Test Day will go a lot more smoothly if you’re already accustomed to selective reading.

As the above tips demonstrate, summer SAT/ACT prep can be rewarding without being taxing. All it takes is a little bit of work each day to make sure you’re locked and loaded for testing in the fall. To learn more about how to make the most of your summer test prep, click here for a free consultation!

Or contact us today for more information on how we can support your summer prep!