Backstory: I’m a freshman in New Jersey and took the 2014 PSAT, January PSAT, and February ACT. The PSAT was administered free at my school to underclassmen on a Wednesday, and I took the SAT and ACT to get a feel for the each exam with slightly-below to average studying for each of the three. I’m hoping to do better on the SAT and ACT just one more time in the fall of my sophomore year, in hopes of completing that aspect of my future applications. I hope that will let me put even more time in for sports, clubs, volunteer work, AP classes, possible internships or jobs, and my social life (!).
For reference (test scores):
2014 PSAT: 70 CR - 76 M - 62 W = 208
2015 Jan. SAT: 710 CR - 770 M - 630 W = 2110
2015 Feb. ACT: 34 E - 33 M - 33 R - 30 S = 33
But, I have a few questions on how and what I need to do to get there:
1 - SAT Writing vs. ACT English
Is it common for English to be the highest on the ACT while by far the lowest on the SAT? 630 vs. 34 seems like a world of difference even though I didn’t change anything in those few weeks.
2 - Ways to improve - in order of greatest to least importance - in SAT Writing (!!!), SAT and ACT Reading, and ACT Science?
Book recommendations would be very helpful. Suggestions would also be helpful. I only have the Blue Book and briefly browsed the Internet before each exam for tips.
3 - For those who got an 800 [SAT] and/or 36 [ACT] in Math, how did you overcome the last one or two that kept you from those marks?
4 - New SAT/PSAT
A: If I were to get 2300+ on the current SAT in the fall, should I bother taking the new SAT when it is released?
B: Will schools look at me differently if I don’t take the new version, particularly the top twenty?
C: Will a 2300 put me in a good position for the PSAT my junior year [for NMS] even with the new format?
D: Your take on the new format or how it is different [difficulty, question types, what to expect, etc.]?
5 - ACT Time Managment
I felt like the ACT had a stranglehold on me with the time constraints. I felt like I had more breathing room to check back on work during the SAT. Any tips to get me to read, compute, analyze, and write faster without giving up accuracy? I felt like I was working at hyperspeed.
6 - Is the route I’m taking smart [getting the test scores out of the way relatively early]? Anyone with a similar experience to suggest anything?
I KNOW this was A LOT and I thank anyone who takes the time to read and answer my questions. I feel in limbo being so close to this drastic change, like the class of 2017.