What to Look for in a Summer SAT/ACT Prep Program

ORADELL, NJ--(Marketwire - Jun 25, 2012) - The hustle and bustle of the school year leaves little time for college entrance exam preparation, but summer is an ideal time for the college-bound student to prepare for this important test.

"Your teen has so much else to think about during the school year, but summer is a great opportunity to develop a concentrated study schedule customized to his or her specific needs," says Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center. What should parents and teens look for in a college entrance exam prep program? Huntington offers several tips:

Don't start without a starting point. It's impossible to design an effective study program without first understanding your teen's strengths and weaknesses. Before any studying, your teen should take a practice exam to determine the areas on which he or she should focus.

Incorporate time management into the program. The ACT and SAT are timed exams with no time to waste. Your teen will need to manage his or her time well to ensure he or she can achieve the best score possible. Thus, it is important to understand the structure of the exams and the different question types.

Work on test-taking strategies. Certainly, the most important component of performing well on the ACT and SAT is having solid subject-matter knowledge, but there are many other things your teen can do to improve his or her performance. Learning to work well under pressure and quickly eliminate wrong answers are two examples.

Continue to practice. Taking full-length, timed practice exams is a crucial part of studying and the best way for your teen to get a feel for the exam's organization, the time he or she will have for each section and the various types of questions.

Develop a study timetable. Each week of your teen's summer SAT or ACT prep schedule should be carefully planned out with goals and areas of focus. Perhaps your teen is only concentrating on one exam area. Be sure he or she doesn't overlook the other sections, and remember that even preparing for one exam section will require a time commitment and good study plan.

"The ACT or SAT may be the one of the most important tests your teen ever takes," says Huntington. "There truly is no better time than summer break to focus on exam prep. A targeted program that addresses your teen's weaknesses and helps him or her develop good test-taking skills and strategies will help him or her achieve the best possible score."

Contact Huntington Learning Center at 1-800-CAN-LEARN or visit www.huntingtonlearning.com.

About Huntington
Founded in 1977, Huntington is a pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry. For over 35 years, Huntington has provided quality instruction to hundreds of thousands of students. Huntington prides itself on being "Your Tutoring Solution" for students in all grades and subjects. They tutor in academic skills, such as reading, phonics, math and study skills; and in advanced math and science subjects ranging from algebra through calculus and general science through physics. They also prepare students for state and standardized entrance exams, such as high school entrance exams and the SAT and ACT.