<p>I am a rising junior who signed up for the October SAT tests with a goal of getting a 2300 - 2400. I need to do well the first time through, because I will be using these SAT scores in tandem with my grades to apply to a BU internship at a chemistry lab. I bought the blue book with the DVD by Collegeboard and took a baseline test and did horribly: M: 510 (I’ve realized this score is very low due to the fact I forgot everything from geometry that I learnt Freshman year), CR: 560, and W: 590. I need to get my scores up by fall if I have a chance of getting in. Does anyone have any advice, sites, or studying methods they recommend? Are there any good videos to refresh my memory on math concepts that I have forgotten? I am willing to invest a large chunk of my summer studying, and I have 10 more practice tests at my disposal. Thanks. </p>
<p>Study a lot and take those practice tests. There have been countless threads previously focusing on book suggestions; here is a stickied one from the SAT Prep section of the forum: </p>
<p><a href=“SAT Books? Do not start new threads. Post HERE! - SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1517736-sat-books-do-not-start-new-threads-post-here-p1.html</a></p>
<p>Basically, get some flashcards/books for vocab, and practice CR and math. With your current scores, you will need review on basic info, which most prep books will help you with. How well you do depends solely on your own studying; different methods work for different people, so just go out there, pick up a few books, and see what works for you. If you really need help and feel like you need one-on-one advice, go get a tutor and/or join some SAT study groups/courses. If you do not get a 2300-2400, it is not the end of the world, either. There are plenty of other internship opportunities that you can search for at other universities as well which do not excessively emphasize SAT scores. I’m not even sure if the BU internship focuses intensely on SAT scores versus other aspects of the application (e.g. GPA, classes, recommendations).</p>
<p>I Agree, practice tests are your most important resource. Also:</p>
<ol>
<li>Be sure to retry problems you miss, to see if you can get them right without reading an explanation.</li>
<li>Read the explanations for any problem you missed to be sure you understand how to do it next time.</li>
<li>Focus on working hard and having fun, not the finish line. Many months of study is long and daunting, but taking part of a practice exam and learning new concepts can be fun. As long as you are working hard, your final score will take care of itself.</li>
</ol>
<p>I would sign up for a summer SAT boot camp. I would have never gotten my first try score without a class, simply because I didn’t have it in me to sit down in my room and study without getting distracted. </p>
<p>Kaplan is great for geometry review</p>
<p>Or Khan academy if you don’t want a tutor</p>
<p>@banjoandstuff
Although I agree with other things you have said, I don’t think that it’s the best choice to keep trying to get the question right again, without checking the explanation.</p>
<p>Doing this is more of a waste of time, when you can be learning from the explanation and to not get it wrong the next time. Also, it’s a good habit to do this!</p>
<p>@medicsz
I see your point. I don’t think I was clear. Let me be more specific. </p>
<p>I recommend trying a second time if you thought you understood the problem, but got it wrong. In these cases you might have made a silly mistake or may be able to discover some trick they used to give you a false sense of confidence. If you find these errors on your own they will stick in your mind better than if you read them in an explanation.</p>
<p>But after a second try or if you had no idea how to solve a problem in the first place, then I absolutely agree with medicsz, don’t bother retrying on your own, just check the explanation and try to learn from it.</p>