Do students who can afford to pay for expensive SAT coaching gain a significant advantage over students who can ?
It is wise to be skeptical about the claims made by high-priced coaches and coaching companies. Although commercial coaching courses—those that focus on drills, tricks, and memorization techniques—often advertise huge score gains, students should know that recent research demonstrates that coached students are only slightly more likely to have large score gains than uncoached students. The research also demonstrates that about one-third of coached students are likely to have no score change at all or to have a decrease in scores. However, the College Board strongly recommends that students familiarize themselves with the SAT—including the types of questions on the test and the directions for each type of question. The College Board makes free practice tests available to students at collegeboard.com and through publications sent to high schools. Taking practice tests is very helpful and is one of the best ways to prepare for the SAT.
