Many top schools are reporting a record number of applications, signaling that competition in the 2017-18 college admissions cycle is likely to remain fierce -- which means it’s more important than ever for teens to put together the strongest application possible, beginning with a high SAT score. With less than two weeks to go before the Saturday, March 11 administration of the SAT — one of the most popular exam administrations of the year — Kaplan Test Prep is providing the following last minute strategies to help the hundreds of thousands of students who are taking the exam this month to reach their highest score potential:

  • Familiarize yourself with the test directions in advance: Know where to fill in your name and information, and how to shade the bubbles. This will save you precious test-taking time you would otherwise spend reading the directions during the test.
  • Take two or more full length practice tests: Do your best to simulate the test conditions. Make sure you have everything in front of you — timer, pencils, eraser, calculator, water. This is good practice in keeping to the time limit and familiarizing your body with the stress of taking a test that’s nearly four hours.
  • Take advantage of free live prep: Kaplan will hold a live, online Prepathon on Sunday, March 5, between 12 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET, free and open to all students, featuring live expert instruction and Q&A with Kaplan’s most highly-rated teachers. To register, go to www.kaptest.com/satprepathon.
  • Try and get into a routine at least four days before the SAT: For example, review math formulas before you sleep, get the right amount of sleep, wake up around the same time and review some vocabulary at breakfast. This way, when you have to wake up early on Saturday and review some notes, your body will be used to it.
  • The day before the exam: Do NOT cram. Also, make sure you know exactly where the testing center is. Do a practice drive to the location if you aren’t familiar with the area. And put together your Test Day package, which includes proper identification — you won’t be able to take the test without it.
  • Test Day: Wake up an hour or two before you need to leave and eat a healthy, balanced breakfast — do not fuel up on sugar that will cause you to crash during the test. While you’re eating, spend some time reading a difficult article (e.g. an editorial in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal). Reading it will help wake your brain up beforehand.
  • Final thought: Take a deep breath. You’ve got this.

For students interested in participating in Kaplan’s Sunday, March 5 SAT Prepathon (www.kaptest.com/satprepathon), it is a fun, innovative event designed to enable live SAT review and engagement with some of Kaplan’s most highly-rated teachers and interactivity with peers. From 12 p.m. ET through 6 p.m. ET, at every hour, on the hour, a new segment on a new topic on the SAT’s Reading, Math and Writing section will commence. The six-hour open format is designed to allow students to come and go as needed, and stay for whatever amount of time they feel is valuable for them. Tweets from students who participated in last year’s SAT Prepathon included:

  • “This is literally the greatest thing ever. PLZ PLZ PLZ do this again! :)”
  • “If I can absorb all of the information from Kaplan's SAT prepathon, I can do anything.”
  • “The prepathon was a great idea! Thanks guys, I'm learning so much.”

To arrange an interview with one of Kaplan Test Prep’s SAT experts, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC)