100+ improvement stories

Test Preparation
1

<p>I took the SAT's this past May and got a 1890 (I know, mediocre compared to most people on here). Then, I took it one month later in June (which I now regret) and got a 1850, which was very disappointing. My superscore is currently a 1920.</p>

<p>My goal has always been 2000, if not 2050. I did a lot of studying this summer and it took the SAT this past Saturday. I will surely be stressed until the scores come out on October 25.</p>

<p>Does anyone have stories in which they improved 100 points over the summer? I really need something to help my confidence at this point. Thank you!</p>

2

<p>I’m going to follow this post… I need some advice.</p>

3

<p>Actually, I’d love to share my (short) story with you. This might resonate with you quite well, as I also scored an 1890 on my March SAT. The breakdown was: 640M, 610CR, 640W (9E). I worked a few practice sections before the test, but that was about it. I also felt like I did really, really, really, well and was pretty disappointed with my score.</p>

<p>Then, I went into the June SAT (I really only studied a little bit each day the week before the test) and I got a 2030 (640M, 640CR, 750W (8E). I hadn’t really studied much more at all; I didn’t even think I did better on the test! I thought I did worse! </p>

<p>I just took the October SAT and I’m hoping for higher than a 2030! I studied a lot for this test.</p>

<p>Honestly, though, 100-200 points, in my opinion, can be raised just with increased attentiveness. Respect the test in front of you and always be on your toes for tricks. If you’re limited with studying time (which most of us are), focus on writing and math, as these are definitely the easiest to increase. Critical reading is a beast of its own, and, although it can be tackled, definitely takes a lot more to prepare for. </p>

<p>So although I’m not quite sure what your breakdown was, just know that you can increase your score HUGELY. The SAT is study-able. You just have to be willing to study smart (above all) and study hard. Find good materials, use them, and MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR MISTAKES. Overall, though, a 100-150 point raise is not uncommon at all. Even a 200-300 point raise isn’t all that ridiculous. But please, I urge you, do not listen to downers on these SAT forums who insist that the SAT is a measure of natural intelligence and that SAT scores cannot be raised; this may be true to an extent, but I’ve talked to TONS of people who have substantially raised their scores. You can, and might have, done it too.</p>

<p>Good luck, and I hope you did well on the October SAT!</p>

4

<p>The sat is like any other test. The more you practice, the better you get. Yes, cliche, but true. I just took the October test and if I remember I will post my results. My first two practice tests were in the 1700 range. I’m aiming for 2200-2300. </p>

<p>Use official books and time yourself. Or join a program.</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC One X using CC</p>

5

<p>I improved from a ~2010 to a 2260, May to October. Really didn’t prep over the summer except reading many books. (640 Writing -> 740 Writing, 690 math ->800 math, 680 CR -> 720 CR)</p>

<p>good luck!</p>

6

<p>Improved from 1830 in December (580 CR 680M 570W 8E) to 2220 in June (720CR 770M 730W 10E) by mainly reading tips from thecriticalreader.com and ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ and taking like 5 practice tests without essays</p>

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<p>Thank you so much everyone! Seeing all these improvements is really helping my confidence. Also, I am trying not to stress about it as much.</p>

<p>Joelax1 - Your story and advice was so helpful! The most annoying thing is my score breakdown imbalance. I have a 570 in Critical Reading, 590 in Writing, and 760 in Math. The one 700 and two 500s really annoy me. Over the summer I practiced a lot of reading and writing, so I am hoping my scores improved drastically (I am hoping at least 650 in both).</p>

<p>Thanks again everyone!</p>

8

<p>The first time I took the SAT, I didn’t really study. At all. I also ended up being sick for 3 days before and during the test. I thought I did okay despite being sick, and my score was an 1820.</p>

<p>I took it again 2 months later, determined to score at least 1900, hopefully 2000. I prepared for it using the CollegeBoard SAT book, and I read through the entire math section. I also highlighted all of the words I didn’t know in a few critical reading and writing sections and looked up the definitions.</p>

<p>When I finally got my scores, I added up the numbers… 2200! I honestly did not expect to score that high.</p>

<p>Make sure you review the material you are unfamiliar with so you don’t spend too much time on any certain question. Timed practice tests help you learn to budget your time as well. Good luck!</p>

9

<p>Mine’s goes a little something like this…</p>

<p>Freshman year PSAT, my score was abysmal. (Below 1300) I didn’t care.</p>

<p>Sophomore year PSAT, my score was average. (Around a 1500) I didn’t care.</p>

<p>My math teacher for sophomore year was cruel. And I mean cruel. I got a B in the class, but I felt so much more prepared for anything school threw at me.</p>

<p>First practice test of soph/junior summer, I scored a 1700. My math went up around 70 points.</p>

<p>I studied over the summer, and used only two things: The Blue Book and College Confidential. The competition and resources on this site can lead you to great things. My junior year PSAT was 198. 80 math, 58 CR, 60 Writing.</p>

<p>Of course, I was happy, but not happy enough. I knew my GPA was going to get in the way of my college choices, so my only saving grace was my SAT. I studied like crazy from October to January, waking up at 5:30 every morning to read vocab. After school, I would go to College Confidential for around two hours just to read any questions/explanations. I repeated this for around three months.</p>

<p>January SAT’s come, and I get a 2110. 740 Math, 760 Writing, 610 Reading. Still not happy enough with my reading. I start reading books.</p>

<p>March SAT’s come, and get a 2150. 720 Math, 750 Writing, 680 Reading. Now a 2180 superscore.</p>

<p>I just took the test this october and feel more confident than ever in my reading, even confident enough to hope for a 750+</p>

<p>In the end, I went from a 1300 to a 2180+, and didn’t even notice the work. You have to ENJOY studying for the test. Just like people tell you that you have to ENJOY reading critical reading passages.</p>

<p>I hope this helps.</p>

10

<p>10charlimit</p>