Hey guys! My score got delayed for the January 2015 SAT but I got it a few days ago. I’m absolutely ecstatic about my score and I thought I should share some tips.
ESSAY:
-I used the guide http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-to-write-a-12-essay-in-just-10-days.html
and it worked amazingly.
-I’d say start off with a relatively short intro (2 sentences), 3 body paragraphs about 3 different examples (I did literature–Great Expectations, current events–made up example about a Chinese man, and personal experience), and end with a paragraph restating the thesis.
-The word I ALWAYS use is myriad. It means a lot. In the thesis, you can always say, “There are myriad examples in literature, history, etc. that show blah blah blah.” It’s just one good vocab word I always used when I practiced.
-The outro can be really simple–I just said something like, "The examples of _, _, and ____ show how, indeed(USE THIS WORD!), (restate thesis).
-People may say not to use personal examples, but as long as they’re relevant, well thought out, and well written, they’ll definitely work.
-3 examples may seem impossible for 25 minutes, and it was really difficult for me (I finished at exactly 25 minutes!) but it’s definitely possible. 25 minutes is actually the perfect amount of time. You just need to practice, practice, practice. I might’ve written 10 essays to practice before the exam. Also, make sure to try to fill up both pages.
-Learn the skill of making up examples. One that I often use is a Chinese army general from the Tang dynasty in the 700’s (totally made up). Using a generic Chinese name like Xhang Cao, you can bend it to almost any prompt. For example, “Is success more important than simple joys?” You can say how Xhang Cao was a very successful general but had depression although he was highly successful due to bad relations with his father and ended up committing suicide in 718. Or any other made up example works. For example, “Should the government have more power or should people have more say?” Make up an example about how in the Tang dynasty in the mid 700s, a local governor in the west region of China, Zhao Jin, exercised brutal, tyrannical power over his region and the people revolted in an infamous revolt called the Dust Revolution or something. Thus, people should be given more say. I use a lot of examples from Tang China because I know the time period (600s-900s) and can make a really obscure and believable example.
-Have a list of good examples! I had
-Chinese army general from tang dynasty (good bs/made up example you can bend to any prompt)
-Frankenstein
-Jane Eyre
-Gandhi
-1984
-Hikikomori (I really like this one; some facts are:
-It’s a Japanese term for individuals who shut themselves in their homes for over 6 months with no mental illness
-in 2010 government figures say around 700,000 people are hikikomoris
-Great Expectations
-Galileo Galileo
-Chernobyl
-When practicing, ALWAYS set a timer. That is so important. The number one thing is to get used to 25 minutes and 3 examples. Also try to print the actual SAT essay pages so you know how much to fill up (try to fill up both pages).
SAT STUDYING:
-#1 tip: take practice tests and you ABSOLUTELY MUST check your wrong answers and understand why they’re wrong and how to do it. Learn from your mistakes so you don’t make them again. It may seem tempting to pass off just one question, thinking that JUST one question isn’t a big deal. But it really is–if you want a good score, filling all the gaps and correcting the small mistakes is most important.
-Additionally, use http://qa.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/BlueBookSolutionLinks to find detailed, clear explanations to questions from the blue book. You can either find explanations here, or by literally typing in the question into google (google “Returning to dayville after ten years”–a writing question–and you’ll find multitudes of explanations online).
-Use a timer when practicing. Because I used a timer, after every section I had at least 5 minutes to double check.
-DOUBLE CHECK ANSWERS! One of my biggest setbacks was making silly errors in not reading properly. Going back and rereading carefully can save you hundreds of points.
-You really only need the Blue Book, the internet (http://qa.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/BlueBookSolutionLinks), and Wordsmart I and II. I also used the Barrons SAT I workbook, which was pretty helpful but not absolutely necessary. Wordsmart I and II have SO much of the vocab from the SAT, it’s ridiculous. Those books are vocab gold for SAT; highly recommended. OH! Also use the SAT QOTD app on your phone! I used it everyday when I was walking to school or taking a break. Seriously, it’s one of the best tools for the SAT because you get daily practice, explanations, and it’s made by the people who actually make the SAT questions.
-Use mnemonics for memorizing words! Seriously, make really stupid or crude mnemonics–they help memorize words better. For example, the word (myriad: sounds like pyramid: pyramids have a lot of bricks: a lot). or the word (esoteric: eso: estrogen: women: women are mysterious: mysterious/known to little) or (repudiate: pud: pudding: I dislike pudding, so I reject it: reject). This website has some good mnemonics if you type in a word and scroll down all the way after the definition for mnemonics http://mnemonicdictionary.com/
-When you can’t decide for answers in critical reading, use elimination by making arguments in your head (“it can’t be this answer because the text never directly mentions it,” “this word is too strong to be the tone”). Be very harsh when eliminating by finding an argument against it instead of trying to pick between two. Basically, find counterarguments AGAINST answers instead of finding why one answer COULD BE right. Be very pessimistic and critical.
-I think I took about 10-15 practice tests in total? That amount would be enough if you’re increasing your score each time. But it’s different for everyone, so take as many as you think you need. When you take a practice test, always set timers and take the test in quiet conditions similar to as if you’d actually take the SAT.
Lastly, I just want to say that you do not have to be “smart” to do well on the SAT. All you need is to be hardworking but also working smart–using the right resources and not wasting your time. I started preparing last summer and I took it this January, so I studied for about 6 months, but not intensively during the whole time. I’ve been preparing since sophomore year (I took the SAT in junior year) with SAT QOTD and a few practice tests here and there during the summer and breaks, but I began intensively studying the summer before my junior year and the 3 weeks before the SAT. I think that if you use these tips, and depending on how hard you work, you don’t have to study as hard as I did. Literally nothing is impossible. Everyone is different and studies differently, so it’s important to find what works for you. Even if you’re taking the SAT in 1 week, I believe that you can greatly raise your score using these tips. Why not? Good luck and hope this guide was helpful!