Advice Needed for SAT Scores

Test Preparation
1

So I’ve now taken the SAT twice. I went into the November test with 0 prep as a baseline and then had about 5, 2 hour sessions with a tutor going into March and was a little frustrated after getting back my scores for the March test.

November 2014 Scores:
CR: 570
M: 650
W: 570
T: 1790

March 2015 Scores:
CR: 540
M: 680
W: 630
T: 1880

I know my combined score improved by 90 points which I am fine with but I don’t understand why my CR went down. I am beginning to look at some colleges like Bucknell, Villanova, Lehigh and Lafayette and I don’t think I can get in to any of those without a pretty significant improvement. I just wanted some advice on how you guys approach CR and prepare for it. Also, for math how you can stay discipline to get an 800. I’m a strong math student and walked out both times thinking I aced the math sections but I got 3 multiple choice wrong and 2 open ended in March. (One of the multiple choices I got wrong was a “2” difficulty)

I’d appreciate some advice. Thanks.

2

Have you taken the ACT - I might be more favorable for you.

Also the real best way to improve on CR is to read read read - not just tutor and practice for it

3

For CR, I agree that reading is probably the best way to improve but my daughter also made a concerted effort to study vocabulary words. She used Direct Hits and one or two other lists. She also took a lot of full length practice tests. But the ACT might be worth checking out too.