<p>The first time I took the SAT, I scored an 1850. I am the class valedictorian, and I know that I’m a good student. I took it again and scored a 1930 (not much of a difference). The same thing happened to my ACT (27 to a 29). I started thinking that this may have indicated grade inflation, but I scored 5s on all my APs this year. I’m just very confused and heartbroken because my scores are the only thing that are lacking on my application. What kind of preparation can I do to help my scores? Just practice tests?</p>
<p>Nothing is wrong with you. 1930/29 are very good scores. You are valedictorian for a reason - you’re smart, you’re highly thought of, and you’re a leader. Good luck.</p>
<p>Nothing is wrong with you. 5 on all AP exams, that’s AWESOME! Unfortunately ACT and SAT do require a bit of prepping for most students. So, don’t get discouraged, get some study guides and invest time to do lots of practice exams. You will see the improvement! By the way, look through the CC boards, you can find lots of helpful tips for these exams :)</p>
<p>nothing wrong with you. don’t assume, just because you’re a valedictorian, that you’re guaranteed a 2100+ (700+ on each section). valedictorians, by nature, get higher SATs than the average, but it also depends on what school you come from. a competitive? or regular southern h.s.? all factors depend. </p>
<p>… i just hope this isn’t a ■■■■■… a new user with 4 posts… this really undermines your ethos.</p>
<p>Try and take as many practice tests as possible. Analyze your mistakes and repeat.</p>
<p>How much practice did you do? Though many people can do well with none, that is not usually the case. Most of us need to familiarize ourselves with the format and timing before we can perform to our full potential. I recommend choosing one test to focus on (whichever you feel more comfortable with, since your scores are similar) and getting the official book of practice tests (blue for SAT, red for ACT). I’m guessing you needed to practice to get those 5s, and the ACT/SAT take practice too! I’m a fan of Princeton Review for tips, but a lot of people also like Barron’s. Take a practice test and go over what type of questions you’re getting wrong. If you’re running out of time, try to figure out why. Are you spending too much time on some questions? Are you making mistakes on easy questions? Is there a concept you don’t understand? By practicing you should be able to figure out where your biggest problems are so you can fix them. Good luck!</p>
<p>There are a couple very useful threads on prepping if you click on the SAT-preparation subforum. One by xiggi and another by silversomething.</p>
<p>Look at the SAT prep tutorials on khanacademy.com</p>
<p>I go to a small, competitive, medical magnet school in South Texas. I can assure you that I am not a ■■■■■ haha You’re right! I had a lot of preparation for my AP tests…SAT and ACT require the same degree of preparation for me, I guess!</p>
<p>I’m the valedictorian for my class of 432 (the top of which is pretty competitive). The first time I took the SAT, with no studying, I only scored 1980 (580 CR 770 M 620 W), then I studied, and 3 weeks later scored a 2240 (680 CR 760 M 800 W) and after a bit more prep before October, I’m pretty sure I brought up CR to 750+</p>
<p>So don’t fret, you have the potential to do well, and I’m sure, with some practice, you will score much higher.</p>