By Renée Euchner
As students prepare to take college admission tests, how do parents tread the fine line between being helpful and being a hindrance? Take cues from the following five experts.
Kathi Lecertua, career counselor/test coach, Borah High School in Boise, Idaho
Ben Paris, director of test preparation, Thomson Peterson’s in Lawrenceville, N.J.
Aracely Sanchez, guidance counselor, Galileo Academy in San Francisco
Joel Schwartzberg, director of SAT/ACT programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions in New York City
Rob Sweeten, math/SAT teacher, Boca Raton Community High School in Boca Raton, Fla.
1. Talk test prep to your children early and frequently
Lecertua: Do start talking to your kids early on. Talk to them in junior high about education beyond high school. Make it a family priority. Help them set long-range education goals. Be interested and involved. If parents don’t talk to their kids and don’t emphasize the value of higher education, too often the kids won’t see college or the tests as a priority for themselves.
Paris: One of the biggest mistakes that parents make is ignoring the test and assuming that their child will take care of it. Another big mistake is putting too much pressure on their child. Either problem could get you decades of strife.
2. Be supportive and understanding
Sanchez: Junior and senior years in high school are very stressful for most students. And the SAT/ACT is one of the biggest hurdles they encounter.
Paris: Parents can help by making sure that their children aren’t too busy with other activities to prepare for the test.
Schwartzberg: Studies show that despite stereotypes to the contrary, parents have an enormous impact on how their kids feel about themselves and their future. Parents are wise to show support, but not to push. Be a positive ally to your child, and you’ll help foster an environment of support, which is a great motivator. Motivate your child with confidence, not with fear.
3. Avoid pressure and threats
Sweeten: Don’t use threats. Students know the importance of these tests, and they feel immense pressure already. When parents add to this stress, it elevates test anxiety and lowers scores.
Sanchez: Definitely do not pressure your children to get the highest score possible. This may, in the end, hinder their performance on the test.
4. Communicate with your local high school or school district
Lecertua: Parents should check their student’s school to see if it offers test prep programs, either as an elective class or a session during lunch. They can also check for test prep programs in their community.
Sanchez: Parents need to be aware of test dates, deadlines and the latest information available. High school counselors can provide parents with this.
Sweeten: One of the best ways a parent can help is to communicate with their local school district. Our school district purchased a subscription to an online program that every child in the county can use.
5. Arrange for study support
Schwartzberg: Be aware of the test preparation resources available to your child: books, software, free practice tests and online question banks.
Lecertua: Students will do better with some test preparation, either in a class or with an individual coach. This help guides them and keeps them on the right track. Be careful about investing a lot of money in test prep materials if the student never uses the materials. I see that happening far too often; parents buy the books, but the kids never use them.
Sweeten: There are a multitude of companies that offer review programs, but they can be very expensive. I have seen some students use home computer programs effectively, but it does require students who are motivated when working on their own.
6. Provide a study area
Schwartzberg: Make sure your children have a quiet, comfortable study area of their own at home free from distraction.
7. Encourage students to take the PSAT/PLAN
Lecertua: Parents can help their kids get started on the right track by having them take the PSAT or PLAN [ACT equivalent] during their sophomore and junior years in high school. Taking these tests helps set the stage for thinking about some long-term educational plans. And it gives students some insight into what the tests are like, so they are more comfortable with the SAT and ACT. At the same time, these pretests provide the kids with an awareness that they probably need to spend time and effort preparing for the actual SAT and ACT.
8. Encourage early registration
Paris: Encourage your children to register as early as possible for the tests. That way they have the best chance of landing a spot at a preferred test site.
9. Check test scores at target schools
Paris: If your child is interested in specific colleges, check the test scores of students admitted to those schools. That can help you demonstrate how important a high SAT score can be.
10. Maintain privacy
Schwartzberg: Don’t compare your child’s experience and test performance to that of older siblings, friends or peers. Confidence is key in test-taking success, and anxiety regarding comparative performance can undermine a student’s confidence.
11. Encourage healthy eating
Schwartzberg: Keep your refrigerator stocked with healthy snacks. The night before the test, help your child get a good night’s rest by not making any big plans and not serving spicy dinners. Provide your child with a healthy breakfast the morning of the test. Significant amounts of sugar or caffeine for breakfast will contribute to mental crashing during the test.
12. Keep it all in perspective
Sanchez: Although high test scores are a great advantage, when selecting a student for admission, colleges do not rely solely on test scores. They will look at a student’s entire academic and social background including overall transcript and extracurricular activities.
Paris: Students [and parents] who think that a low SAT score will ruin their lives put too much pressure on themselves, which can lower their score. Help your child keep the tests in perspective.