<p>I took AP US History in 1 month through JSA summer school. It was great fun (and HARD work), but I’ve had to rely on a cocktail of prep books to keep myself fresh on the material. I have taken both the SAT II and the AP.</p>
<p>The following are all books that I have read through and taken notes on from beginning to end, some quicker than others. </p>
<p>+++++thebeef’s US History Prep Book Review!++++++</p>
<p>Tabe of contents:
AMSCO
Barron’s SAT II
Sparkotes SAT II
Princeton Review AP
Kaplan AP</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>AMSCO
The bible of US History prep. AMSCO is written in language that is neither too general or overly weighed down with useless details. The authors do a great job of covering almost everything you need to know for either the SAT II or AP, complete with relevant analysis and mini-sections on how historical interpretations have changed over the years. Chapters are based on topics (i.e. “Territorial and Economic Expansion, 1830-1860”).</p>
<p>This book is perfect for the AP exam; each chapter finishes with sample essay questions, review questions, and a list of important terms. A few chapters are devoted solely to advanced essay strategies. It would work very well for the SAT II as well. However, this book is hard to find (check eBay), and also does not come with answers to the practice questions. There is only 1 practice exam at the back.</p>
<p>Pros: Perfect amount of detail, analysis, essay strategies
Cons: Rare, does not come w/ answer key, only 1 practice exam
Time needed to read: 3-5 weeks (comprehensive), 1-2 weeks (rush)</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>Barron’s SAT II US History
Barron’s is known for their exhaustive test prep books, but this book is plain exhausting. Practically a rebadged textbook, Barron’s divides the material into strict chronological time periods, with chapter named for the US President of the time. This is nice for getting a sense of the sequence of events, but makes it harder to get a sense of the larger themes. </p>
<p>There is simply too much detail packed into this prep book. Far too much of it is not needed for the test. For example, there is a ~40 pg. section on the ins, outs, quirks, and nitty gritty legal workings on the Constitution which simply is NOT going to be tested on. And to make things worse, there are only four pages with actual advice about the SAT II, at the very beginning of the book. However, to be fair this book is great for learning about particular historical events in detail (i.e. “Tariff of 1828”, “San Lorenzo treaty”, etc.), and can be useful because of this. </p>
<p>The seven practice tests are much, much harder than anything the SAT II will ever give you. </p>
<p>Pros: Very comprehensive
Cons: Far too many useless bits of information, organization, practice exams very hard
Time needed to read: 2 mos. (comprehensive) 1 mo. (rush)</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>Sparknotes SAT II US History
Don’t underestimate this book. While it is nowhere near the depth of Barron’s or even AMSCO, its brevity can be a huge blessing for cramming. Sparknotes breaks down the material into broad topics (i.e. “The Progressive Era”). This book is great for a quick look at the most important themes, trends, and events of each era, and wastes no words. The language is very easy to understand.</p>
<p>A glossary at the back has an abundance of terms for quick review and is a great way to study. The three practice tests are deceptively easy if you take them right after reading the book. The book by itself does NOT cover everything you might need for an 800 on the SAT II - as I said, it is low on the details.</p>
<p>Pros: Short, good overview, easy to read
Cons: Not especially detailed, tests easy
Time needed to read: 2-3 weeks (comprehensive), 1 week (rush)</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>Princeton Review AP US History
This book is even shorter than Sparknotes, believe it or not. And by that, I mean short. What AMSCO might spend 20 pages on, Princeton Review will get done in two paragraphs, with minimal analysis and detail. It’s a very quick read. Definitely lacks detail in some places, but an excellent way to cram FAST. Less analysis on trends than Sparknotes.</p>
<p>Practice questions at the end of each section are a nice way to review, and the beginning of the book does contain some good strategies for the multiple choice and essays. I haven’t taken the practice tests, but there are two of them. </p>
<p>Pros: Very short, to the point
Cons: Minimal detail
Time needed to read: 2 weeks (comprehensive), 5 days to 7 days (rush)</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>Kaplan AP US History
This book is very similar to the Princeton Review. Kaplan is short (slightly longer than Princeton Review) and can be digested quickly. Chapters are no more than a few pages, and are sorted by topic. Analysis is not heavy. </p>
<p>In terms of detail, Kaplan has about the same level as Princeton Review, but I find that sometimes Kaplan will have a bit more information in a certain section while Princeton Review will have more in another section. Again, practice questions at the end of each section are a nice touch.</p>
<p>Pros: Short
Cons: Light on details
Time needed to read: 2 weeks (comprehensive), 5 to 7 days (rush)</p>
<p>++++++</p>
<p>Final recommendations:</p>
<p>If you have the time, I strongly encourage finding a copy of AMSCO somewhere (and ordering express delivery if possible). My favorite method is to use a ‘tougher’ prep book (such as AMSCO, maybe Barron’s, or even your school textbook) in conjunction with a quicker prep book such as Sparknotes or Kaplan. However, this takes time.</p>
<p>For last-minute cramming, go for a short book such as Sparknotes, Princeton Review, or Kaplan. They are all brief and give great overviews. Sparknotes is my personal fave out of these three.</p>
<p>It’s not a bad idea to get a set of flash cards as well. I actually recommend Barron’s 500 AP United States History flashcards for this; they are more detailed than Sparknotes USH, which is very skimpy.</p>
<p>Last but not least, have fun and go kick that test’s arse! Get a lot of sleep starting two/three nights before and go easy on the reviewing. Good luck to all of you, and feel free to contact me or post in this thread with questions/comments/extra suggestions.</p>