Currently, I am a Junior in high school getting ready to take the SAT (2nd attempt) and the SAT II Biology and Math 2 Subject tests (1st attempt). My goal is to get a 2150 or higher on my test. Last June, I took the SAT and received an 1890/2400.
CR: 600
Math: 650
Writing 640 (10 on the Essay)
Next year, I plan to apply to Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with MIT being my dream school. In order to even be competitive in the pool of applicants for MIT my SAT scores need to be a LOT better. Personally, I have had a lot of trouble with my CR section. I got the Barron’s SAT Flashcards but even this did not help me greatly. Can anyone give me some tips on how to study and practice for the CR section to where I can at least get a 700?
For the math section and writing section, I have felt pretty confident about them. From taking the Practice SATs from the Blue Book, my scores have been getting higher and higher but they are still not where I want them to be. I plan to take the SAT in March and then the subject tests, and then another one or two SATs before next December.
It is doable, but score improvements become much more difficult in the 2000+ range.
I brought my score from 1990 (670/630/690) to 2300 (760/740/800).
I found that taking the actual SAT thrice helped me more than any other practice test could, and saw an improvement in every section with each consecutive test. While a large improvement is possible, there is always the chance that you have reached your ceiling (similar to the ranges provided in your score report). I had the luxury of hiring a private tutor who taught me the basics and strategies for the test, however I did not do the homework and especially despised the essay practice.
I would recommend that you take the actual SAT again as it is much more valuable than even a full length practice test. College Board allows the option of an incredibly detailed score report for an additional fee that may help you analyze where you need skill improvements.
Additionally, study long and hard for subject tests as these are knowledge based.
In CR if you are weak on vocab, then taking tests again and again will not help. Pickup some vocab lists or books mentioned in this site and also old tests. There is no guarentee the same words will show up but you will get a better shot. Also understand roots, prefixes, etc, etc. For passage based CR questions, go over your mistakes and try to understand why you got it wrong. If you take full length timed practice tests in a Library that should help also.
In Maths section if you are missing the last set of questions, check if there are any gaps in knowledge.
In Writing make sure you know all the grammar rules.
Have you checked some of the excellent study guides and tips posted here in SAT forum to tackle different sections? Most of them should be sticky.
@sanwal I got Direct Hits Vol. 2, Larry Kreiger’s The Insiders Essential Guide to SAT Critical Reading and Vocabulary, the Blue book, and Dr. Chung’s SAT Math 58 Tips
I think you got all the right books, at least as per the guru’s on this site. In addition to blue book. Follow the advice in those books and you should be good. I take since you got DH2, you already know all words in DH1. I think most students in high school know almost all words in DH1, if they do any reading. If you don’t there is no need buy this late, just use the quizlet for book 1.
Crack open the The Official SAT Study Guide, and do one of the reading sections in a test.
The SAT Reading section is composed of 2 types of questions. Figure out which one you find harder:
Passage-Based Reading Questions - In which, upon reading a passage or a pair of passages, you are required to deduce word definitions by context and general information based & implied from the passage/s.
Sentence Completion Questions - In which you are required to complete one or two words in a sentence, based upon the context and the various possible definitions of the word/s.
If you’re struggling with Passage-Based Reading, break down all the questions you got wrong to 6 different categories, like Barron’s SAT suggests:
Main Idea Questions.
Specific Details Questions.
Inference Questions.
Tone/Attitude Questions.
Vocabulary In Context Questions.
Technique Questions.
Then figure out which ones you struggle at the most, and tackle them heads on. Forget about the ones you do well at for the moment - they’re not as important to master.
If you’re struggling with Sentence Completion, your most likely problem is vocabulary. I find Automating Memorization the best technique to tackle this. SAT Vocabulary 2014 in Memorize.com is a great resource for this. Just keep practicing - their system is really awesome.
I went from a 1820 (December 2013) to a 2220 (October 2014). Granted, I took the SAT two more times in between. While many, not necessarily in this forum, say that increasing over 350 points is kind of unheard of, I think that it’s possible for anyone. The day after I received my 1820, I enrolled in a prep course. I studied solely out of the College Board Blue Book. I took the SAT for the second time in March after prep and earned a 2000. My dad thought that I would be set with a 2000 so he took me out of prep. However, I was not content. I studied every day, mostly in Reading and Writing. I used the Barron’s SAT book, College Board’s, and Kaplan’s. I only improved 90 points. After receiving 2090 in May 2014, I knew that I only had one more chance to improve my score - October 2014. Instead of trying to study my ass off, I kind of just relaxed. I would take a practice test once every two weeks or so. I started to accept my score and realize that those 4 digits did not define me. By the time October came, I felt pretty relaxed (indifferent). I was content with my 2090 so I didn’t stress out too much. Somehow, I came out of it with a 2220 (CR:750, Math: 690, Writing: 780).
I give this anecdote only to say that yes, you should definitely study for the test but when it comes down to it, you just have to relax and not over-think the problems. For critical reading, I would say to study vocab words and bring a dictionary with you every where. People used to laugh every time I would pull out my huge dictionary from my bookbag in school, but it’s worth it. Whenever I heard a word that I didn’t know, I looked it up and recorded it. Sure enough words that I had looked up were on the test. For the passages, I would say to try to seem like it’s the most interesting reading in the world. That way, you’re paying more attention to the details of the passage. For writing, I just took many practice tests and reread the rules of grammar that are stated in the College Board book. I didn’t study much for Math, which I kind of regret.
I’m sure that you can improve your score! Best of luck
I took my January SAT and got 580 on CR and 680 on math. I thought I hit my plateau for CR, but I only started really studying recently and I’ve improved my CR to 700 in a week.
Here’s what I did to improve my CR (adjust depending on what you’re weak on, I’m weak in pretty much everything lol):
Vocab
Download Anki, and if you have the money, get the iOS version (though since you only have like ~4 weeks, this might not be helpful).
Download some anki decks on Greek and Latin roots and make sure you hit your study limit everyday.
Direct Hits will help. I’ve seen at least two or three “hits” in every practice test I’ve taken.
Passage Based Questions (this really depends on how you do things, find what works best and be open-minded to different methods)
All the things you learned in English about symbolism and “reading between the lines”? Forget it. I’ve noticed that pretty much every answer can be found in the text.
When you’ve arrived at your answer, make sure you have a quote from the passage to support your answer. 95% of the time there’s going to be quotes supporting your answer (there are rare cases where you actually have to infer).
For every incorrect question, find the answer and explanation online! Also look at the explanation for the answer YOU picked, that way you’ll know why what you picked was wrong.
