| Intense SAT Prep Plan
K guys here's the deal - I'm taking the PSAT October 20th and I hope to get a 240. I'm also registered to take the SAT on November 3rd, which I will unless I feel like I bombed the PSAT, and I'm hoping to get a 2400. I've taken a lot of real PSATs as practice and have all the basic info down, so I figure at this point I'll start focusing on SAT prep and I'm sure most of what I learn will rub off on the PSAT. I got a 2310 (770CR, 800M, 740W) as my best single SAT 4yrs ago (in middle school), and this is the first time I've looked at SAT stuff since (please don't tell me I should just be happy with the old scores - there's multiple reasons for retaking and wanting that elusive 2400). I'd say the only things I'm battling on writing and math are careless errors where I would've gotten the question right if I didn't misread it, etc. And the critical reading I feel a little rusty on both the vocab and getting into the heads of TCB on the passages (I'm getting consistently 0-2 wrong total on practice PSATs, and never miss a vocab question, but the SAT's hardest questions seem to go farther than the PSAT's in my opinion). I have essentially 2 weeks to study, but I'm homeschooled so I can get really intense and spend 8-12hrs a day on this if I have to. So here's my question: what do you think I should do? I have about 25 real "new" (post-'05) SATs that I haven't seen yet and can get any prep book you recommend. How can I stamp out silly errors (practice? going slower on the test? redoing each problem from scratch?)? I'm finishing with about 10-15 minutes out of 25-30 left on every section of the PSAT, to give you an idea of timing. For the vocab, should I make sure I know every word in the sentence completions of all those real tests? Learn every word in a particular book? I never read unless it's for my company (meaning just the marketplace section of the Wall Street Journal a selection of blogs/magazines). For the critical reading, is practicing real passages all you'd recommend to help improve and get in the head of the college board? Also, the essay I've never prepare for but I always got either 10 or 11. What should I do to get a 12, or is the difference between a 5 and a 6 pretty much luck of the draw on who grades your test?
Thanks so much for the help and let me know if you have any other questions! (I'm tired but I'll reread this in the morning and post if I forgot anything lol)
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