Library offers free SAT classes
September 11, 2008
By Laura Geggel
The college-bound have long to-do lists: they need to earn good grades, research universities and scholarships, write application essays, get letters of recommendation and score high on the SAT or ACT.
The King County Library System is out to make one of these steps easier.Starting Sept. 20, the North Bend Library will offer a free, five-week SAT prep class to high-school students. The class, which holds up to 22 students, is nearly full. Students can also sign up for free SAT classes in Maple Valley, Carnation and nine other KCLS libraries. Visit www.kcls.org/teens to learn more.
KCLS Education and Team Services Coordinator Jerene Battisti said the library system began offering free SAT classes to students four years ago, “to extend free SAT preparatory classes to students whose families who might not be able to pay for an SAT class.”
Students studying for the ACT can find online tutorials at www.kcls.org under the “Research & Homework” link. Another series of free SAT classes will be offered in the spring at select libraries.
The KCLS Foundation pays for the SAT classes at a heavily discounted price.
“We try to keep our tutoring and our classes affordable, but there are still people who don’t have the resources to use our services,” said Steve Sandweiss, founder and owner of Sandweiss Test Prep, who had to bid for the opportunity to offer the classes. “I thought it would be a good community service to provide a free course for the community.”
Sandweiss instructors teach each part of the 2,400-point test — including critical reading, writing and mathematics — to a crowd usually consisting of high-school juniors and seniors.
“We go through each particular section and introduce the students to each of the distinct question types and offer them strategies for how to get right answers to the questions,” Sandweiss said.
Homework encourages test-takers to practice the SAT outside of class and find questions to ask in class, Sandweiss said.
His company’s instructors give diagnosis tests to students at the beginning of the class. Compared to the practice test given during the last class session, almost every student has an improved score, he said.
The results of their practice SAT are then analyzed and mailed to the students, who will also receive a copy of the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide.
“The SAT is an important part of the college application process,” said Teen Services Librarian Sarah Lynch. “KCLS is pleased to be able to offer quality classroom instruction at no cost to high-school students.”
Junior Amy Smith said she saw an advertisement for the class at the library and promptly signed up for the program.
“Hopefully, I can learn a lot on what to do on the SATs, so I can get a better score,” Smith said.
She’ll also save a lot of money.
“Comparable classes can cost thousands of dollars,” Lynch said.
Mount Si High School counselor Joe Galagan said the more students practice the SAT, the better they’ll do.
“Anytime you can do a practice SAT, that makes you familiar with the type of test questions you can take and is very beneficial,” Galagan said. “(Classes) can teach you how to take a timed achievement test like the SAT.”
The next two SAT dates are Oct. 4 and Nov. 1. Mount Si High School will administer the Preliminary SAT — or the PSAT, a test that can qualify students for a National Merit Scholarship — Oct. 18.
Reporter Laura Geggel can be reached at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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