<p>I got an 800 verbal, and I have to agree with feuler: it is all about mindset. Whatever you read, read CRITICALLY. Think about what you read, think about how you would explain it to someone.. down to the sentence, even the way a specific word is used (always an SAT question). Do not go out there and read all the books you can! That is a noble idea, but it's certainly not a sure-fire way to a good verbal score, and not at all necessary. It is much more important to train your thinking. There is no magic in reading dozens of books; progress is not measured in books, but in the way you think. Three things that have immensely helped me: </p>
<p>1) Latin - no this isn't all for vocabularly, but the sort of fumbling-in-the-dark feeling to figuring things out, that entirely creative process of understanding critically, and fundamentally, is probably the best thing, albeit long-term, to do to improve your verbal score. You will often find definitions of latin words that are appropriate, but not so much to this time period. This forces you to question even, basic words and their development. I do not think the verb 'buffet' would ever have worked its way into my vocabulary without latin.</p>
<p>2) Reading carefully. Before I read a book, I research it. Look for reviews, essays, ask your teachers, anything. There are lots of great books out there, but honestly for the SAT, classics are probably not the best thing to read. You would do much better reading Confederacy of Dunces than Ivanhoe. Even science-related books, such as Age of Spiritual Machines, are similar to passages on the SAT. As long as you mix up styles, you'll be fine. For those who have time, two words: Three Kingdoms. </p>
<p>3) If you want to read critically, read critical material. For the past year I have been a big fan of AO Scott (nytimes movie reviews), and this is exactly the sort of reading you should be doing to develop ideas. Watch a movie, then read a review from a notable source. I find this really interesting, and personally feel it helps not just my critical reading skills, but the social sort of critical skills (from discussing plays to politics). Remember, SAT passages are going to have a distinct stance, and a lot your answers rest on your ability to handle and understand that stance. Once you build the ability to see through the material, answering what a paragraph is about, what a word means, or the general idea of the passage becomes a regurgitative process. </p>
<p>These tips are probably a bit more lifestyle changes than SAT tips, so if you're a senior now, buy Word Smart, read Brave New World, watch Very Bad Things, and get pumped for the next SAT. These tips are definitely long-term, but very worth it if you want an 800 to show that you are a humanities person interested in english/history. Personally I am not that type, and it is also very possible for a math/science person to do well with minimal. If you want this, take all the SAT verbal tests you can, but give it some time. I would suggest taking a couple a few nights in a row, then take a week break from testing and look up vocabulary constantly. This makes verbal always on your mind, but thats pretty much what you have to transform yourself into to get an 800 (if this is solely your goal). As much as I hate vocab memorization, it helps. If you have memorized a lot of SAT words, try GRE words also. I found that GRE words are about as common as SAT words in these lists when taking the real thing. Of course they are harder, but those are the ones you need. Oh well got carried away, sorry for the long post.</p>