A Success Story-- for the "Average" CCer

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>Like many of you, I took the SAT for the first time and was elated with my score...until I did some web searching/being on CC I realized my score was subpar at best. The first time I took the SAT I got a 1850 and I was a junior, I read my scores this morning and I got a 2090-- a 240 point jump. I was hoping for a 2000.</p>

<p>I'm posting this to show that the SAT can be beaten. A lot of people become depressed when they realize their friend scored higher then them, or that their score is less their then desired college's average score. I feel that had I realized the SAT was just a game earlier, I might have even been able to break the 2300 threshold. </p>

<p>So I wanted to share what I did and give some advice. It sucks because I just wrote a long thread about this and then it got erased before I could post it...but here it goes (again):</p>

<p>I went through the entire blue book made by CollegeBoard (except one practice test). While the tips/strategies were helpful, I feel that the most important thing was the practice tests. </p>

<p>I took a series of 7 practice tests.</p>

<p>Test 1) I took with no time limit and used any resources to solve a problem, even a dictionary. This was done with the intention of learning what it takes to get a "good" score, and I learned a lot from this first test.</p>

<p>Test 2, and 3) These tests I took with no time limit, and I did about 1-3 sections a day. After each section I would check my answers, and see what I did wrong. </p>

<p>Test 4, 5) These two tests I did under timed conditions, but still only did 1-3 sections a day. I would do one section at a time, and then check my answers. I did the test with a watch nearby so that I could train myself to maintain a good speed. I would also try to guess how much time I had left, and look at the clock and see how far off I was. After awhile I became dead on/~a minute off. </p>

<p>Test 6) I took half of this test one day, and the second half the next day; under timed conditions. </p>

<p>Test 7) I took this test like a real SAT; I finished the test in one sitting early on a saturday morning. </p>

<p>While this technique was made for me, I think it works for a lot of people...I focused my training on becoming faster...my first SAT I was unable to even look at a few problems.</p>

<p>As I continued to take tests, I became familiar with the questions. I knew what to expect and how to approach certain questions. You begin to discover patterns to the test.</p>

<p>The important thing to do is that if you decide to do practice tests, it helps to slowly progress toward the real thing. I think the most beneficial tests were the ones that were untimed, so that I could really understand/learn from the questions without feeling pressure. </p>

<p>The improvement:</p>

<p>First SAT score: 1850
CR: 650
Math: 630
W: 570, essay: 7</p>

<p>Second SAT Score: 2090
CR: 700
Math: 650
Writing: 740</p>

<p>~~Additional Advice~~</p>

<p>1) Don't let a few digits control your life and emotions. SAT scores are only one factor in the college admission process.</p>

<p>2) PRACTICE. Even if you feel it won't help, at least it gives you confidence for test day. The last thing you want is to be worried on the test day because you didn't study.</p>

<p>3) Do anything to increase your mental state. This may sound silly, but wear your favorite shirt, use your lucky pencil, etc.,all of these increase your confidence. Taking a test is like competing in a sport...have confidence! A trick I used was to ask my friend for a SAT word and a definition the day before the test. This way, I could always remember that word as "that word that my friend explained" BOTH times I did this, and BOTH times the words showed up on the SAT test (pedantic and lucid : D ) These little things can improve your confidence and thus your performance. </p>

<p>4) Realize that the classes you've taken, the books you've read, and the tests you've taken in school have all prepared you for this. </p>

<p>5) On the essay, be clear and to the point. The first essay I wrote was about the civil war-- now that I read it seems more like a AP U.S history essay. (I got a 7 on it) This time, I got a 11 on my essay. Remember that there are many approaches to the essay. You don't always have to explain your understanding of Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" It's OK to use first person/personal experiences. The main goal of the essay is to measure how well you can articulate your opinion, not how well you can retain information. </p>

<p>6) Read. This is pretty obvious, make sure you do some reading outside of the classroom. I would read with my electronic dictionary on hand to help expand my vocab.</p>

<p>7) Relax. You'll do fine. Don't let a few numbers define your personal worth. </p>

<p>I hope this helps. If anyone would like me to give some feedback on an essay or anything, just let me know, I'd be glad to help.</p>

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<p>i have something to say!! i'll comeback to this,gotta go now.</p>

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<p>^lol</p>

<p>technically, you can't beat the SAT until you get a 2400 :P</p>

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<p>Well it's important to understand the point of my thread, which is explained in its title. This isn't for kids who can afford to take expensive classes/take the SAT multiple times. It's for the average person who wants to improve.</p>

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<p>Thanks, I'll probably have to do something like this in the future!</p>

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<p>Not everyone who outperforms you on the SAT is richer than you....some of them are just smarter than you.</p>

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<p>Wow, do you really not understand the point of the thread? Or are you just too pretentious to see through your own ego?</p>

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<p>i'm sorry, but it's inaccurate to equate 2400 scorers with "kids who can afford to take expensive classes/take the SAT multiple times". he could have said "this thread isn't for super-high scorers" but he instead had to generalize.</p>

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<p>Great post!! Need to take some untimed practice tests .. I always dread Saturday morning when I take times practice SAT tests!</p>

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<p>I'm not trying to denounce people who scored a 2400--or people who scored better then me. But the fact is that most students DO NOT score in that range. The purpose of the thread is to help those who are in the AVERAGE percentiles (hence the title...). I really do not wish to debate this as it detracts from the point of this thread.</p>

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<p>A 240 point improvement when your scores are that low is not really something to be proud of... My cousin had a 550 point increase, but I don't consider it amazing at all. He went from a 123 PSAT to a 1780 SAT.</p>

<p>There are many, many people who can achieve what you did with ease. I know 3-4 people who went from 17xx to 20xx with very little studying. The difference in the knowledge that you have from junior year to senior year is enough to account for 100-200 points. And the last hundred or so can come from motivation.</p>

<p>If you had learned that the SAT was a game earlier, I still guarentee you that there is no way you could have broken the 2300 barrier. The 2200 one is improbable already. You can talk about improving when you have a low score, but past 2000 it gets substantially harder to go up, and past 2200, luck becomes a major factor, seeing as there is nothing new you can really learn.</p>

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<p>Wow, some of you are just plain rude. EricM, congratulations on your achievement and nice post.</p>

<p>And ChoklitRain, seriously how many people do you know who have taken the SAT without any prep whatsoever and have gotten a 2400?</p>

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<p>No, a 240 point improvement from 1850 to 2090 is something to be proud of. I thank you Eric Gomez for taking the time to start a thread to share a testimony and information. </p>

<p>And please, spare the comments that talk about this and that and whats right or WHATEVER.</p>

<p>Congrats Eric</p>

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<p>There are 5 types of SAT takers</p>

<ol>
<li>Lazy smart people that get high scores</li>
<li>Hardworking smart people that get high scores</li>
<li>Rich people that get high scores</li>
<li>Smart people that for whatever reason don't get high scores.</li>
<li>People that just aren't smart.</li>
</ol>

<p>Nobody's better than anyone else. Let's all get along. :) This could be heaven for everyone.</p>

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<p>Interesting.</p>

<p>My first SAT : 1790</p>

<p>October: 2160. </p>

<p>Im poor AND lazy. I wonder how that worked out? Good thread Gomez. The SAT can be beaten, but i know far too many people that just can't beat it.</p>

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<p>Holy hell some of you are ridiculous. He was sharing his method of studying with the forum members as a way to offer an alternate to an expensive private tutor. Sure he did not score a 2400, sure his score was not as outstanding as some of the others on this forum who feel it necessary to stay up all night to see their scores asap, but that means nothing. This thread was made to help anyone who could possibly find it useful and all of you are simply trying to take away from that.</p>

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<p>^ some of his comments imo undermined the significance of scoring 2300+ (like claiming that he could score 2300+ but only scoring 2090). in general I actually liked his opening post, though.</p>

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<p>I love how this is becoming a flame thread.</p>

<p>First, khoitrinh, many of my friends--who took the SAT with me as a junior and again in October-- did NOT see the same improvement. That seems to prove what you just said quite wrong. In fact, one of my friends scored 100 points less. So yes, people can jump higher then 240 points, but again, this thread is meant for the AVERAGE student. If this doesn't apply to you, I don't see a need to minimalize what I have to say. </p>

<p>More importantly, I'm glad to hear that this has helped a few people!</p>

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<p>Or if you get 200. I would consider it beaten. Great post though</p>

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<p>Ignore them. You did very well Gomez, and this thread is definitely another invaluable resource added to this amazing forum. A lot of people tend to lose hope after failing to meet their desired scores, and retaking a test with that type of mentality is anything but beneficial.</p>