<p>I’m a sophomore this year.
I have around a year till the real SAT testing.
I’m very nervous, and would really like to score over 2100.
My PSAT score, with no studying, was around 1900. </p>
<p>I need advice on how to study long term.
What are the most effective ways to study?
Any tips, techniques, tricks would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I know that next year will be extremely tough and busy for me, so I want
to take advantage of this year and the summer. </p>
<p>Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with doing the bulk of your prep over the summer, but I would really encourage you to take the test this fall while the material is still fresh. You can always re-take in the winter/spring if you like. Reality is that there is a limited amount of real College Board material to work with, and you’re going to have to budget it wisely if you want to spend a year prepping. I think you’ll be better off hitting it hard over the summer and taking the test soon after. And truly, if you’re starting with around a 1900, getting up to 2100 shouldn’t be that hard anyway…you might be selling yourself short if you settle for that!</p>
<p>What I would start doing immediately is reading challenging books and articles for both reading comprehension and vocabulary. If your vocabulary is really weak, invest in an online prep course or flashcards. If you’re intending to prep yourself rather than taking a class or working with a tutor, go get the blue book and a strategy book if you need one (I like Outsmarting the SAT). I ask my students to download the College Board’s free practice test from their website and use it as a diagnostic test. Take it under timed conditions, then use it as a guideline to plan your prep. Then plan to take at least one full-length timed practice test a month till test day. When I’m developing a self-prep plan for a student, I take into account strengths and weaknesses on different sections, classes taken in school, vocabulary, time to devote, etc. so I can assign lessons and supplemental materials as needed for that individual. You can do the same thing for yourself. Good luck!</p>
<p>Basically the critical reading is the section that needs a long term strategy to ensure that you get over a 700. It really just comes down to vocab and how well you absorb things when you read. Short term tricks are don’t help as much for this. However, the writing and the math section, I almost discourage long term prep, especially if you are scoring above 600. The best time frame imo is the summer. </p>
<p>What worked for me was working with a writing workbook type book, which broke out all the different grammar topics that are tested on the exam and then had a bunch of drills that made sure you totally understood everything forwards and backwards. Afterwards, I went through the blue book and did the practice tests. Just going blind into practice test after practice doesn’t help. It just wastes good practice material.</p>
<p>For the math, I also used a workbook that broke out all the topics, just like the grammar. </p>
<p>Doing this, I spent just a couple of hundred dollars on books rather than paying thousands for tutors or prep courses. But I’ll caveat this by saying that it wasn’t easy because I had to be super dedicated that summer.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>