<p>Are you someone who got a 2200+ on you SAT score? If so, tell us what you did to achieve that score? :)</p>
<p>I have always read a lot of classics / well-regarded literature so that helps for CR. Practice tests. Only use blue book and Baron's 2400 guide.</p>
<p>zhaos, did you memorize all the words in the barrons 2400 guide and did they help?</p>
<p>I usually get high 70s on the CR section on my practice SAT tests, and I got 80 on the PSAT CR [I understand, it's not the same thing, but still....] and the only advice I have is, read books, and if you don't understand a word, look it up. I never looked at any of those SAT Word Lists [although I may, just for safety :)].</p>
<p>I looked at them sometimes when reviewing but did not exhaustively memorize them. For sentence completions, I only had a few that I was unsure about that process of elimination helped fix.</p>
<p>More helpful was on practice exams underlining words I didn't know and looking them up afterwards.</p>
<p>I got lazy. At first I would do a practice exam in a single session. But soon I just did sections I felt like doing.</p>
<p>Never studied vocab.
Didn't have time to read.
Last math class was a year prior (Calc II)
No formal grammar study</p>
<p>Took tons of CB ONLY practice tests (5, plus a few extra sections to be precise)</p>
<p>Ate poptarts during the first break of the big day (absolutely crucial....)</p>
<p>Scored a 2250</p>
<p>Absolutley OWNED the CR Section, kicked ass during math, and still did well on grammar. Easy steps for a 2300.</p>
<p>@lolcats4 - lol</p>
<p>@Poisonous - Mind sharing how you were able to own the CR section, and maybe the others as well? :)</p>
<p>lolcats. lol poptarts?! u kidding me??</p>
<p>The CR section is the most difficult section to describe. After getting my score report back I can say that I got every reading passage based question correct, and only missed one vocab question (still an 800). I just got into the "groove", and just felt like I knew all of them. A couple PBR questions made me pause, but I was always able to use logic to get the right answer.</p>
<p>Now for Math. I just knew almost all of it, but I missed two (760). Your score on this section is very often based on luck. If you get questions that you know how to answer, you're made. If not, you're screwed. Just study like a zombie the month before the test and you should definitely get a 700+.</p>
<p>Writing. Yes, I only got a 740, but that was my fault completely. On the writing section I used all the paper for only 1/2 of my essay, and although I would have had time to finish given that I had the room necessary, I had to try an erase part of my essay and rewrite it smaller (didn't work out too well). I still got an 11 out of 12 though, but if I had more room i KNOW it would have been a 12, raising my score by at least 10 more points. Just memorize the grammar rules like the Math, easy stuff.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who have replied. More advice is welcome :)</p>
<p>Take practice tests. Lots of them. My schedule was one per weekend from 6 months prior to the exam. By 2 months prior I was going through 2-3 per week. </p>
<p>Oh, and analyze your mistakes. Figure out if it was stupid mistakes or actual not understanding. If you come across words you don't know, learn them. That's about it.</p>
<p>PS I got a 2260. Retaking though. >>;</p>
<p>Verbal: The best way to study for this section is to have read a lot since you were young. Otherwise, I suggest jotting down quick notes to yourself on the margins as you read, for quick reference.</p>
<p>Math: I have no real advice. I didn't study for this section and pulled an 800... (yes, I'm bragging). It tests you on your logical thinking more so than your actual mathematical skill, since the required theorems and concepts are very basic. So it's not really something you can 'study' for if you already have the basics down. </p>
<p>Writing: Hamburger essay! Learn how to jot down a quick skeleton, and that'll help tons in terms of finishing it in the 20min. As for the MC, study patterns. Don't try to memorize the grammar, realize how and when to listen to your gut instinct. Then from there, to break down the sentence piece by piece until you can isolate the problem section.</p>
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<p>Overall: Do practice tests (at least twice a week) and for the rest of the time, go over trouble spots. And just trouble spots. Work on your ability to understand the questions and the specific tricks and patterns that collegeboard uses.</p>
<p>(@ Poisonous: Oooooh I'm jealous. I got one wrong in Verbal and it dropped me to 770. ><!)</p>
<p>I got a 2260 as well, poftd! 800 M, 680 V, 780 W. If I had to redo it over, I would have read the newspaper and magazines to boost critical reading.</p>
<p>For math, I guess being on the math team and just liking math helps! But there were certainly quite a few people who were very good at math (beyond AP Calc BC) who still messed up on some math problems. It's important to read the question carefully--read the question twice if you have to! I remember on the PSAT I took in 10th grade I only missed one math question (okay, I'm bragging too) and it was very easy. But I had misread the question, so I got it wrong.</p>
<p>Writing: Obvious stuff. Learn English grammar and learn how to write a well-supported, well-structured rough draft of an essay in 25 minutes. Focus on learning from your mistakes--it's okay to make mistakes at first, but you should have the mindset of trying to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. For instance, one of the grammar problems I had, from doing the practice tests, was has/had. For example, "Bob says that he had a birthday cake for his birthday" is actually wrong, and I didn't know that. And I didn't know the difference between "I have owned a pet store for 25 years" and "I owned a pet store for 25 years." To fix those problems, I simply asked my English teacher, who told me. After that, I got those types of questions right.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the SAT is really a test of basic skills that, when you think about it, all high school graduates should possess. Keep the test in perspective.</p>
<p>poftd, wow, that's a lot of practice tests! How many practice tests did you have (were they all CB?) and did you reuse them?</p>
<p>I was born with the intrinsic knowledge and necessary stamina needed to achieve that godly score occupying the upper echelons of CBs percentile-based scoring system. :p</p>
<p>Not rly.</p>
<p>Instead I just read quite a bit and do math problems every so often (within other academic confines, not for SATs).</p>
<p>I don't study grammar though, and, alas, grammar was my downfall.</p>
<p>So I bestow upon you the following wisdom: Read. Do math problems. Study grammar, if you do not first die of boredom because of it, as that would truly be unfortunate, as you would then be unable to take the SATs, and thus would receive a score of N/A.</p>
<p>Reading for CR.</p>
<p>Being good at math for math (learning to read problems and learning common concepts is about it).</p>
<p>Grammar rules for the writing.</p>
<p>Thanks again to all who have replied. All of your advices really help.</p>
<p>@poftd - I have the same question that Improving posted.</p>
<p>I had a tutor whose theory was that the only way to achieve an exceptional score was to practice practice practice and learn from your mistakes (although we did a lot of studying vocab too). By the end of my time with him, I had taken all 10 tests in the blue CollegeBoard book and 12 tests from past years. I know that seems extreme and you all will probably say I'm obsessive and weird, but that's what it took and I got a 2330!!! YAY!!! Good luck with everything, somekid.</p>
<p>i got a 2200 on my first try on the june SAT this year. it takes smartness. hahaha alright i'm kidding. i'm taking it again in 2 years (2 years before i apply to college!) though. </p>
<p>tips
1. i read almost every.single.post. there was about strategies on CC.
2. when you get an answer wrong, don't just say, 'ugh. another wrong." do something to figure out how you can AVOID such mistakes in the future. remember it. write it down if you want to.
3. don't be careless. but i am not one to give advice on being careful because i got a 730 for CR due to this. ;(
4. i usually read a lot. i found CR passages tough sometimes but now i skip the passages and answer the questions directly.
5. do practice tests. you get familiarised with the test, naturally you know the type of answers they love. i did about 6 (3/4 BB, 1.5 barrons -- cos i did the diagnostic and did one practice halfway, 2 QAS) the QASes are important because i was totally overestimating myself with the BB. the BB is too easy sometimes.
6. if youre around a 2000 you should read up on strategies and stuff. strategies are important, they push you past the mark you naturally are at. </p>
<p>that's about it.</p>