You have been given a lot of bad advice about the SAT. I know it’s bad advice because I took most of it and regretted it. As a motivated college-bound student, you deserve to know how to succeed at the test that could change your life. So I've listed the bad advice for you and given you what many professional SAT tutors say is good advice.

1. Don’t study for the SAT because it is a test of what you know.

Not! This is the biggest lie that anyone will ever tell you about the SAT. Think about it. If it was truly a test of what you know, then you wouldn’t be able to significantly raise your score by studying. I was disappointed with my first score, so I studied all summer and boosted my score by 290 points (out of 2400)! And I’m not the only one. Just google the thousands of stories of people raising their SAT scores by 200, 300, or even 600 points! This proves that the SAT is just a test of how well you take the SAT, and anyone can improve at it.

2. Don’t let SAT prep get in the way of homework.

Yes, you should do your homework, but this advice feeds the false belief that studying for the SAT should take secondary priority. Let’s say that your GPA and SAT scores are of equal weight in the college admissions process (though this is often not the case). Most students spend 60+ hours a week in class and on homework to maintain their GPA. But most of them don’t even spend 60+ hours studying for the SAT in total. This is a huge discrepancy! While I’m not suggesting you replace all your homework time with SAT prep, you need to create an effective study plan.

3. Take the SAT just to see how you do.

I did this at the end of my Junior year. Absolute waste of money! You can get a good idea of what your score is by taking an official college board practice test. Then you can set a realistic goal for your final score. You’ll want to take the SAT twice after you have done the necessary preparation. This way you’ll save money and avoid looking like a try-hard with multiple SAT exams on your score report.

4. Take the SAT as a senior because that’s when you’re the most prepared.

I did this, too. Horrible mistake. This left me studying for the SAT and applying for colleges at the same time! Besides the intense stress that comes with each, I was trying to choose which colleges to apply to without knowing my SAT scores. To make matters worse, some of the schools I wanted to apply to recommended taking two or three SAT subject tests! My lack of time to prepare for them destroyed my chances of getting into some schools that I would have liked to go to.

Don’t worry about not being “smart enough” to take the SAT. Even sophomores do well when they’ve prepared, but only ones with the will to succeed. If that doesn’t sound like you, take the SAT during October and November of junior year. This gives you time to sign up for December if you didn’t do well in October and it frees you up to study for SAT subject tests and AP exams at the end of junior year. If you missed that window, you’re not screwed. Just commit to at least three months of consistent preparation, and sign up for the next two consecutive testing dates after that. Don’t drag it out over two school years like I did.

5. Take the SAT because it’s easier than the ACT.

It doesn’t matter which one is easier because colleges don’t see your raw score. They see your scaled score which is based on how everyone else did. You should pick the one that you’re better at relative to all the other test takers. The ACT may have been to my advantage, but I never thought to try it until it was too late. And when I say “try” it, I mean take a practice test, not the official test. You should take a practice test of both the SAT and the ACT and find out if you are better at one.

Bonus tips.

Here’s some good advice that no one ever told me. Ask your school counselor months in advance when registration opens for the exams that you plan to take. Mark them on your calendar, and sign up as soon as it does. Also, find out if you are eligible for a fee waiver. You might be able to take the exam for free!