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"What SAT prep book should I get?" SAT book reviews

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Replies to: "What SAT prep book should I get?" SAT book reviews

  • thrill3rnit3thrill3rnit3 1331 replies82 threads Senior Member
    Opinions about AMSCO's CR/Writing prep book?
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  • take7take7 26 replies10 threads Junior Member
    I need vocanulary book which explanation level is equal to dictionary.But I never met such books lol I think Tooth and nails is good one.
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  • Dark_AngelDark_Angel 302 replies13 threads Member
    Direct hits is da best
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  • thrill3rnit3thrill3rnit3 1331 replies82 threads Senior Member
    Is Gruber 2008 good enough? That's the only edition my library has.
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  • thrill3rnit3thrill3rnit3 1331 replies82 threads Senior Member
    Is Gruber 2008 good enough? That's the only edition my library has.
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  • TrionfatoTrionfato 1 replies0 threads New Member
    Ok, I screwed up my first SATs and now I need to score at least around 680-700 on each section.

    So far I have Kaplan's thick book (2009) as a guide as well as Barron's workbooks on math and cr. reading as well as the Barron's 2400. Do you think by studying these is enough for getting around 2100 points on the SATs? Or should I get Collegeboard's book in addition?
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  • somead896somead896 421 replies32 threads Member
    OK so I hear Rocket Review is good for writing but is there any book which is more grammar focused?
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  • BaelorBaelor 3612 replies28 threads Senior Member
    Kaplan 2400 lived up to its title.
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  • mfg1014mfg1014 8 replies6 threads New Member
    ok, i did POORLY on my SAT, mainly because i didn't study one second for it. That said, i need to raise my score, mainly in math and CR. I take it as get Gruber for math, and the "big blue book" for CR.

    agreed?
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  • hornfrogfanhornfrogfan 99 replies0 threads- Junior Member
    The College Board Book is the best resource for practice tests. Other publishers make up their own questions that many times do not match the questions found on the SAT. The College Board also offers practice tests that have full explanations on their website.

    The Direct Hits vocabulary books had not been published when this thread was started but has had numerous posts that say it is very helpful on the critical reading section. It worked for me.

    Grubers has also been very popular on CC to help with math preparation. I did well on the math with lots of practice from the College Board practice tests.

    The writing section is more complicated because it has a written essay that counts for 1/3 of the score and 2 grammar sections that count for 2/3 of the score. I read a number of CC posts to help with my essay and also wrote a number of practice essays to prepare. I had a good grammar teacher so I didn't need much work on that.
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  • EndPhaseEndPhase 482 replies101 threads Member
    I'm taking the SAT soon and need something to study off of...I do need more help in math as it is probably my worst subject, but would like help in other subjects as well. So any reccomendations of what book I should get to prepare for the SAT?
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  • ChaosThRulesQEDChaosThRulesQED 11 replies3 threads New Member
    What about Princeton Review? Is it any good? It better be coz' i just bought it. And yes, I have no idea wether it's good or bad. It's the first time clapped my eyes on the fair (supposedly)countenence of the famous SAT I and seriously is she supposed to be hard to get? It's eighth grade stuff...
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  • hornfrogfanhornfrogfan 99 replies0 threads- Junior Member
    If you have today off from school, it is a great time to do the free SAT practice test Free SAT Practice Test ? Prepare for the SAT. You can get an explanation to all the answer choices.
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  • chesschampchesschamp 65 replies14 threads Junior Member
    princeton review is amazing
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  • fledglingfledgling 4180 replies76 threads- Senior Member
    Get Gruber's for Math! I think it played a pretty significant role in helping me get an 800 on the SAT I Math section this time around :)
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  • coollegecoollege 898 replies66 threads Member
    So, if I get some of these books now, around the start of February, and prepare for the March and May SAT, I should be doing very well by May, right?


    Now I have to figure out which books to get. Math is probably my best section, but I could use some help. I can only go by my PSAT score 67-M, 64-CR, 63-W. So decent, but definitely some room for improvement.



    So is there pretty much consensus that Grubers or Grubers 2400 would be the best bet for math?
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  • finalarrowfinalarrow 23 replies16 threads Junior Member
    Ok so I'm new to this forum but I was reading through and I never saw a mention of Kaplan's 12 practice tests. Does anyone recommend this book? I am buying the blue book and already have the princeton review of 11 tests, I think I'm also gonna buy the Barron's 2400 because I want as many practice tests as possible. Can anyone recommend good books for practice tests, and i mean many as i plan to do like 40 or 50 full tests. Also what is the QAS book?
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  • SAT4LifeSAT4Life 3 replies0 threads New Member
    I think Xiggi said it best in his download: (see this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice.html?highlight=grammatix )
    You simply cannot expect anyone but the College Board to produce a practice test that will be useful. I have used many of the others and unfortunately they are rife with errors, misprints, omissions and "synthetic" questions. Stick to the College Board book and an experienced tutor with references. FWIW
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  • pianoman429pianoman429 273 replies17 threads Junior Member
    Can I ask why everyone thinks the Kaplan books are so bad?

    I reviewed with the BB and was kind of disappointed with the review material. I could see it being good for the average student but I felt it lacked information for students striving for the 2400 range. I went to my local library and got a Kaplan book and I really enjoyed it for the math section at least. They talked about general math, advanced concepts, and the common traps. I thought this was extremely helpful
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  • TutorTedTutorTed 9 replies0 threads New Member
    Good question, pianoman429. Not all Kaplan books are terrible. I don't use them with my students because I find that the questions aren't phrased the way the CB phrases them, and for me, understanding the language of the question is half the challenge of the SAT. But hey, if the Kaplan stuff points out some useful strategies for you, it's a useful tool.

    The BB can't be beat for the practice tests. The review material will give you every concept that you need to know but offers little in the way of strategy. They do point out some really important things, like taking an inductive approach (i.e. plugging in numbers) to math problems, but you're not going to get "cheats" from the College Board.
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