<p>@Studious: Do you have a link or something about the 3 time SAT thing? I’ve seen it alot on CC, but people at my school take it about 4-5 times total and still go on to UNC or NC State (everyone that got accepted got full rides). I really don’t have time to full out study because of marching band and the adjustment with straight STEM courses my first semester. I’ve been using number2.com and I see that as a way to study. I’ll have more time sophomore and junior year to study for it because freshman year was very hectic for me (in concert band, marching band, pep band, HOSA, and SGA is a killer along with keeping A+ in every class). After doing the lessons on number2.com (planning to be done by mid to late August), I’ll take a practice test in the Blue Book to see what I really need to improve on.</p>
<p>@upinflight: It’s a toss up between math and critical reading. Your writing score can be improved extremely quickly if you can notice the patterns within the questions (I scored an 800 Writing on a practice test). The only real difficulty here is the essay, which I don’t usually have trouble with (fill up both pages, use 2-3 good examples and complex vocab, and boom! 10-12).</p>
<p>Math is very hard to improve because the level 4 and 5 questions can be very confusing. It’s not so much math you’ve learned in school as it is tricky problems that include math concepts. Basically, you have to learn to be good at SAT math. For this, I once again recommend Dr. Chung’s.</p>
<p>Critical reading is tough because of the sentence completions (though I only missed 1/19 on the official January test). These can be seemingly random with very difficult words. For this, Direct Hits is your book. Additionally, the passages can be difficult to interpret at times. I sometimes miss questions that I was sure of, only realizing my error in retrospect. Try to read a lot of dense literature to help with this (I need to work on this as well…).</p>
<p>The Math and CR sections are so difficult because of their unpredictability. Writing tends to always follow a pattern, while Math and CR always have something new (they do test familiar concepts, but it’s the curve balls that get you). My advice would be to take the Blue Book tests, review, and basically hone your skills for both sections. Silverturtle’s advice really helped me here as well.</p>
<p>@evanb: I’ve read in multiple articles featuring Ivy League admissions officers that three should be the limit. I distinctly remember an article where a Harvard adcom stated that it hurt applicants if they’d taken it more than 3 times. You can hunt around, and I’m sure you’ll find the same thing. I believe Silverturtle’s guide mentions this as well. UNC and NC State are both state schools, and thus they care less about multiple SAT test dates. Elite privates, like Yale and Harvard, tend to look down on applicants who take the test more than three times, though. If your goal is to get into UNC, then taking it 4-5 times should be fine. On the other hand, if you have Ivy League aspirations, I’d suggest that you limit yourself to three tests.</p>
<p>I personally know people who’ve taken the SAT 7-8 times, who have been accepted into relatively prestigious schools (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, to name a few). I highly doubt it’s a major deterrent in admissions. It may purvey an odd impression of you to the admission officers, but in no way will it blow away the chances of your admissions. On top of that, if you’re applying to a “Score Choice” school, none of that really matters because you can choose which tests to send while applying.</p>
<p>omg 2300+</p>
<p>That’s my dream score! I took a practice SAT test like a week ago and I got a 1800s. PSAT around 190s.</p>
<p>Beside Dr.Chung, what’s a good math prep book</p>
<p>@anaychi: I’m not an admissions officer at a top school, so I can’t give you a definitive reply. I’m simply relaying information that has been presented to me in a myriad of sources. However, 7-8 times seems a bit excessive, does it not? I would bet that those folks utilized Score Choice (as both Harvard and MIT accept it). It might be an entirely different circumstance if you were looking to be accepted to Yale or Stanford, though.</p>
<p>@Dorkyelmo: I’d suggest Gruber’s Complete Guide.</p>
<p>I tried Grubers, it was a mistake. I knew almost EVERYTHING inside it. It was probably what every smart 8th grader knew. </p>
<p>They don’t teach you anything new, or methods relating to the SAT. </p>
<p>They make you go through a easy lesson, and then when you go to the practice tests,</p>
<p>BAM. You are hit with some of the HARDEST questions in the SAT. </p>
<p>Un-informative lessons/strategies.
Hard tests.</p>
<p>I just got Dr Chung today however, im planning on getting 800+ on math.</p>
<p>@anaychi: It’s important to remember that some schools require all SAT scores, do they not?</p>
<p>Also, I’ve read a quote or two somewhere about adcoms wondering about the mental state of students who take the SAT more than three times. Just thought I’d point that out. Can’t remember where I read this, though.</p>
<p>Somebody pointed it out to me that they were going supply shopping next week, even though school is like forty days away. Not gonna lie, I’m actually excited to buy new school supplies. I don’t know why. I’m a ridiculous geek.</p>
<p>@anaychi: 7-8 times is overboard! I wouldn’t take it more than twice a year anyway. </p>
<p>@Studious: How would colleges know about every time you took the test if they only look at scores within a certain time frame? (say Jan of junior year to Nov of senior year) Do they ask for all of them, even before high school? If Ivies do that, then they will never see any of my applications. (undergrad, grad, or PhD) I wouldn’t do undergrad with them because of location (I want to stay close to home or relatives)</p>
<p>@franz: I’m ready for school too. I start in 10 days (seems so early right) and I’m reusing stuff from last year. I just need to find out about what the specifics are (binder sizes, pens or pencils, etc.) Plus, I found out that I’m going to have the same teacher for Chemistry and Physics in the same semester.</p>
<p>@evanb: When did you get out for summer break? I’m going back September 7th! And we got out June 20th (or thereabouts) but it would have been five days early, if not for snow days.</p>
<p>@nothingto: 800+ lol.</p>
<p>@evanb: Yale requires all scores that you have from high school (so not before). Stanford is the same, and I think Columbia might be as well. However, the majority of schools allow score choice, so you can choose to send only your best scores to them (I think all schools should implement this policy.). My top 3 schools are Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, so 2/3 of them don’t allow score choice. Thus, I should really make use of the test dates that I have.</p>
<p>Also, does anybody know if I really need to take Trig/Algebra II before AP Physics B? Would it be okay concurrently? A few juniors at my school did the concurrently thing, and they managed to receive a 97+ in the class and didn’t struggle (with my knowing) with the math part.</p>
<p>@franz: I got out May 25th. I would’ve gotten May 21st, but we had 2 snow days. </p>
<p>@Studious: WOW…I really think Score Choice should be implemented. But, you know that the essay came about because the UC system was being ■■■■■■■■. Either Cali or Florida has to mess everything up, either in education (huge school they built in Cali recently when the economy was horrible) or presidential elections (Bush’s 2000 win due to his brother)</p>
<p>
I was waiting till someone pointed it out lol. It was just a bit of irony I put since I was criticizing the math in Gruber because it was too easy.</p>
<p>But Chung himself doesn’t know anything about college either. He said that MIT/Stanford were in the IVY league <.<</p>
<p>This discussion has become an SAT topic now! Can the conversation move on???</p>
<p>@franz: Go by the precedent. If past students managed to achieve 97+ in your school’s AP Physics B course while taking Alg 2/Trig concurrently, so can you!</p>
<p>@nothingto: But he DOES know his math. And that’s all that matters. How are you liking the book so far?</p>
<p>@evanb: Suggest a new topic, and maybe it’ll catch on!</p>
<p>Like Franz and Evan, I am also rather excited for school. Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE summer, and all it has to offer, I am just especially excited to return to school this year, for some reason.</p>
<p>I, too, am anxious for school to start. Mine doesn’t start for a whole month, though. Regardless, I’ve been studying so much this summer that it feels like school!</p>
<p>Yes, new conversation! Question: What thing are you looking forward to in sophomore year? My thing would be a challenge in my classes. I’m taking a precalc class through NCSSM and it is like the level that their juniors and seniors take. Plus, I found out that my 1st semester schedule is straight STEM courses (H Precalc Algebra, H Chemistry, H Physics, Health Science 1)</p>
<p>I’m looking forward to the course rigor as well. I’m particularly excited for AP Bio and Math Analysis. I’m kind of dreading AP World, though. I just hope I get the teachers I want…</p>
<p>@Studious: What’s Math Analysis? Is it self explanatory or is it advanced algebra concepts and what not?</p>