<p>Okay, well my current SAT scores are:
CR: 620 W: 560 M: 470</p>
<p>Terrible, I know. But I don't want this to remain like this. Anyway, I wanted to know if anyone could give me some good preparation tips?
Any books that you found to be especially useful? Any programs you found significantly helpful?
Anything?</p>
<p>Please? I'm desperate to improve my scores this October, and I want at least a 700 on each subject... =(</p>
<p>Well, you have the entire summer to improve. I'm assuming.</p>
<p>I suggest you buy the official SAT book, otherwise known as the blue book.
It has past SAT tests.</p>
<p>Anything else? I have the blue book, and it really didn't help me all that much... True, I really didn't "use" it as much as I could have... Or should have, but is there anything else that I should do as well?</p>
<p>I feel you, seriously, because I'm trying to achieve the same thing too. This is what I gleaned from these boards:</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggi-s-sat-prep-advice.html?%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggi-s-sat-prep-advice.html?</a> <- Highly recommended SAT prep thread, wrote an entire instructional course on how to self-prepare for the SAT.</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/458335-1730-2000-a.html?%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/458335-1730-2000-a.html?</a> <- 3 page thread on someone in a similar predicament as you.</p>
<p>Since you already got a feel for the Official SAT book, for math I suggest Gruber's, since it has a section stating '101 Math Questions You Must Know' and it's pretty handy for someone poor in multiple choice math like me. The CR section MUST be avoided, however.</p>
<p>For CR, it's pretty difficult, since it requires vocab and an understanding of the logic behind CR. Basically, when it comes to any choice in multiple choice, make sure that the answer is completely definite from evidence in the question, no exceptions. Kinda like math how there's no wrong answer, it's the same in English. Also, understand literary terms - while they might not use the exact terms, you can use those as a building block for learning how to read the passages and interpret them.</p>
<p>I suggest reading things such as New York Times and the New Yorker and thinking actively while reading it, so you can recall yourself back choice moments from the articles/stories. That approach helps for speed and understanding of structure and vocab. Read a lot of classics, or at least books harder than your current capability.</p>
<p>For Writing, it's basically grammar structure - go through your grammar book and look at your own essays, and see how you can restructure it to make it more concise and to the point. Helps a lot in practice. I've heard of people recommending Grammatix for both, but I personally like 11 Practice Tests from Princeton Review. I've also heard Barron's 2400 was good as well.</p>
<p>Make sure to get up at 8 am and actually do the practice tests too, to replicate the feeling as much as possible. Count out your weeks for summer (so hard, I know) and formulate a schedule, and most of all, kick yourself if you don't.</p>
<p>For your Writing specifically, I suggest you should google up misplaced modifiers, pronouns, subject/verb agreement, parallel construction, comparisons and passive/active voice.
It's so common these days to get simple examples of those wrong.
SAT:</a> Improve SAT Score with SparkNotes: The Seven Deadly Screw-Ups</p>
<p>For your Critical Reading specifically, you should be reading books everyday. I suggest at least 1 hour a day. Something above your normal reading comprehension.</p>