<p>I just got my first SAT scores. I did decent, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I am going to retake the SATs in October of next year, and I want to improve. This leads me to a few questions…
What did you get first time?
Were you happy with your first time score?
What did you do to improve? (Please tell everything because I really want to know)
<p>I’m definitely no expert, but I raised my PSAT–1st SAT score 200 points by working through the Blue Book practice tests. I took 5 of the tests–about 1 per weekend before the test–under timed conditions. Then I went through all of the answers and reviewed the ones I got wrong (the solutions on this website were <em>really</em> helpful!!) </p>
<p>I also reviewed some of the strategies and basic concepts that I needed a refresher on in the Gruber’s 2008 book. </p>
<p>PSAT: 201
1st SAT: 2210</p>
<p>Not a genius score by any means =) but I’m content.</p>
<p>Take it slow and review carefully; I’m sure you’ll do just fine!</p>
<p>I bought the blue book and took two of the practice tests before I took the SATs for the first time (in January), but before my March test, I didn’t do any prep. Just got a good night’s rest and focused.</p>
<p>Heee so okay, this is for everyone, but especially for international students English is neither my mother tongue nor the language I use at home, in school or in the everyday life.</p>
<p>1st try: 2080. I was fairly happy, but I thought I did much better on the BB practice tests. I did lots of studying before taking the test. I went through the whole BB and took lots of notes. I went back to every single question of the 8 practice tests to understand what I had done right and/or wrong. I wrote it down. I learned about 100 words and went through Kaplan’s 2400 book as well. I wrote every word I saw that I did not know and looked for its definition. I read the NY times a lot and watched American tv shows as well (all before my first try).</p>
<p>2nd try: 2230. I have no idea how this happened. I think confidence and knowledge of the test helps a lot more than we usually think. I panicked during my first SAT, and I was not familiar with the whole process. Once I got it figured out, I decided to take the March SAT just to gain more experience and things went better. I bought a CR workbook and Kaplan’s 12 SAT practice tests, and worked a lot. Seriously, I think the key is to understand your strenghts and weaknesses and to learn to deal with them. Luck also obviously played a role in my case. I don’t know if I’ll retake, but I’m really really happy!</p>
<p>Ooh and international students, don’t worry about the essay. I know how hard it is to score great. I got an 8 both times. Just focus on grammar for the MC section instead, and it’ll go fine :)</p>
<ol>
<li>What did you get first time? I got a 2060.</li>
<li>Were you happy with your first time score? I was so disappointed because I studied for hours on end, did six full-length practice tests scoring consistently in the 2100s and 2200s, and learned so many vocabulary words.</li>
<li>What did you do to improve? (Please tell everything because I really want to know) This is an absolutely awful example of what not to do, but I did nothing! I only took half a practice test and re-drilled the old vocabulary that I learned.</li>
<li>What were your final scores? The second time I got a 2140/1420. I’m much happier with that score.</li>
<li>Were you happy with your final scores? Yes. I mean of course I’d like to get higher, but I am officially done with taking the SATs!</li>
</ol>
<p>First time - 640CR / 690M / 600W (7 essay), 1930
This was w/o any practice… and I was definitely unhappy with it. I knew I had a higher potential. Plus, it wasn’t going to get me into the colleges I want to go to.</p>
<p>Sooo, I took a ton of the blue book tests, went through the writing/critical reading sections of Barron’s 2400. Read books I knew would be good examples (for instance, reread the Great Gatsby) and looked up vocab I didn’t know. In addition to writing practice essays, I made lists of examples I could apply to a multitude of topics.</p>
<p>After one month of lots of prep…</p>
<p>710CR / 720M / 800W (11 essay), 2230
I’m much more pleased with these scores; they’re above my goal! I did think I would do better in math (cursed stupid mistakes…) and CR was expected as I thought it was a lot harder than the BB tests.</p>
<ol>
<li>PSAT 210</li>
<li>god no… that atrocious 210. i just wanna kill it for ruining my chances at national merit lol</li>
<li>if you look at the first page of joker23’s cr post, i posted my strategies for the cr section. for math, i didn’t do much and my score didnt change that much either (75 -> 790). for grammar, really know those rules. rocket review’s grammar is heavenly. no joke. just don’t do their practice tests, they’re kinda inaccurate but the only thing i did was read rocket review’s grammar section and do the practice tests in the blue book.</li>
<li>SAT 2390</li>
<li>well… i’m happy but i also feel like if i had just gotten that one problem right on the math, i would’ve had the perfect 2400… but w/e no way am i retaking. i’d just end of doing worse.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>I got a 2120 last year</li>
<li>I was O.K. with it, but thought that a better score would improve my chances.</li>
<li>I didn’t do anything until the Friday right before the test. that night I looked over common grammatical mistakes for the writing section, memorized a few anecdotes for the writing, and looked over a few formulas. I spent about 30 minutes doing all this.</li>
<li>2300.</li>
<li>I was quite happy, and surprised since I only spent about 30 minutes studying in all. Just a little bit of work added 180 points to my score.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>1820 (8th grade)</li>
<li>No.</li>
<li>Lots and lots of practice tests. Maybe 20 or 30. Took a SAT Prep class, helped a lot. Memorized vocab. If you’re willing to do the work, anything is possible.</li>
<li>Final score (second time taking it March 09) 2330. That’s a 510 pt improvement overall</li>
<li>Yes, definitely.</li>
</ol>
<p>@kool92, out of your choices, i would pick private tutoring but that’s also the most expensive… prep classes are just not helpful imo</p>
<p>really though, any prep classes, tutoring, etc, is not necessary for the sat. if you really can’t make yourself study, then consider getting a tutor but he/she will most likely serve as someone there to MAKE you work… i got by with no outside help… you should be able to too.</p>
<ol>
<li>Oct 2008 (1640) Has to be a fluke, I studied the MOST for this.
Jan 2009 (1820) Panicked on 1 two sections, threw my score off, realistically I believe 1900. 2nd Most study. March 2009 (2060) Little studying, just carried from Jan. If it wasn’t for a question or 2 on Math, I would have got to my goal… 2100+. </li>
</ol>
<p>Anyhow… 420 improvement, will that look good? </p>
<ol>
<li><p>no</p></li>
<li><p>Nothing much. Just did blue book. </p></li>
<li><p>In 1.</p></li>
<li><p>Eh… Im ok with them. Would have been happy to get have gotten 20 or 30 points on Math. Not going to retake (95% sure) because I believe after the 3rd time, it does not look good.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Actually the prep class I took was just for CR/W because that’s all I needed help on. It was a group thing and I guess it was through that I got used to doing practice problems, etc.</p>