"Achieve More"...it's true!

Test Preparation
1

<p>Okay, so the college board's new little slogan is, "achieve more". As I read this on my test booklet today, I realized how true that was for me. Let me explain. </p>

<p>Before the SAT -- before I even knew what it was -- I was a decent math student, okay reader, and all-right writer. I couldn't think TOO outside the box for mathematics ( I got A's just by learning what I needed to), my reading skill was mostly passive, and my writing skills weren't based on rules of grammar but just what I thought sounded right (and we all know how "right" colloquial grammar can be!) </p>

<p>Then I took my first SAT as a sophomore. I got this:</p>

<p>680 CR
710 M
650 W (10E, 62MC)</p>

<p>I was pretty disappointed. I always thought of myself as "really smart", but the truth was, I just wasn't as intellectually refined as others who scored much higher. So, over the course of 9 months, I spent a lot of time studying SAT books, falling flat on my ass, making mistakes, but learning each time. As I made more mistakes and did more problems, I noticed that I had a greater clarity of thought and a better ability to "read between the lines" and "think outside the box". </p>

<p>As my ability to do well on SAT mock exams increased, I saw a dramatic increase in my general reading, writing, and mathematical ability. I solved AP Calculus problems with much greater ease and ingenuity, I could read much denser literature and understand things from a more than superficial perspective, and teachers soon found it very difficult to fault my writing (grammatically/stylistically, anyway). </p>

<p>Then, after all my hard work, I retried the SAT as a junior, and scored the following: </p>

<p>760 CR
780 M
800 W (12E, 78MC)</p>

<p>I don't think my score increase can solely be attributed to my familiarity with the test; I actually think practicing with the SAT questions and learning how to think critically led to a dramatic increase in my own brainpower. I'm certainly a lot smarter today than I was as a sophomore, and I owe it to the SAT for forcing me to learn how to think well, think critically, and think outside the box. </p>

<p>Thoughts? Similar experiences? Am I full of crap?</p>

2

<p>I completely agree with you! I always hear these comments where people deride the test for being "Inconsistent", when the truth of the matter is that people GROW and LEARN. Familiarizing my self with the SAT's actually transformed my way of thinking and reading. I have also become a MUCH better math student and a more prolific writer . In short, i love the SAT's. Sure, i probably had to devote hours upon hours preparing for one saturday morning test, but it has taught me skills that will transcend throughout college and beyond.</p>