<p>@Parampreet Hello!</p>
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<li>Okay so what I did was I had 11 days off of school for winter break. My AP classes were the only classes that gave homework. It was basically busy work like worksheets and reading guides. So I decided to do my regular school homework on the 11th day I had off. For the first ten days of break I decided to focus completely on the SAT. This was my schedule. I still have it lol:</li>
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<p>7:30-8:30: Wake Up, Workout, Shower
8:30-9:15: Breakfast
9:15-12:30: Practice Test 1
12:30-1:15: Go over mistakes
1:15-2:00: Lunch
2:00-5:15: Practice Test 2
5:15-6:00: Go over mistakes
6:00-6:30: Calisthenics Time! (my favorite part of the day lol)
6:30-7:00: Dinner
7:00-10:15: Practice Test 3
10:15-11:00: Go over mistakes
11:00-11:30: Stretch, Relax
11:30: Bedtime</p>
<p>Eventually, I just stopped taking breaks between sections and I could finish a practice test without the variable section in about 2.5 hours. So I actually would have much more time left in the day. So by the end of the 4th day I would finish everything between 9 and 9:30. If I wanted I would do another test or I would go to bed, because I was so mentally drained. This might make it seem like I didn’t have a life, but I sacrificed my social life for 10 days and raised my SAT score from a 1990 (day 1) to a 2300 (day 10). So I think it was definitely worth it. I didn’t spend months and months studying like other students. I just gave up my social life, killed the battery in my phone and laptop and I went to work. Whenever I didn’t want to go any further I would always remind myself of how great it would be for me to enjoy junior year while others are wallowing in despair with APs and SATs. It was enough to keep me going.</p>
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<li><p>SAT in general- I did as many practice tests as I could. I printed out every test I found on the internet and I copied all of the practice tests of the GRE and SAT from the prep books I found in a couple of libraries in my area. In total, just to give you an idea, all of my tests fit perfectly in a cardboard box. Idk how many practice tests, but it took my a whole day (like 8 hours) to find them all.
Critical Reading- I had so much trouble concentrating on the passages. So one day, I randomly started reading the passages in a Australian man’s voice. It did the trick. I was attentive during the whole passage and I had no trouble remembering even tiny details. So basically find what works for you. I told my friends this trick and they all raised their CR score by at least 80 points instantly (from like 630s). Every time I didn’t know a vocab word, I would write it down on a piece of looseleaf whether it was from the passages or the fill ins. I wrote down every little word I was unsure of, bc I didn’t want to miss a single one…
Math- I was good with math to begin with. It has always been my best subject. I think math is all about practice, so just do as much as you can. And do not give up on the hard questions! Even when going over your mistakes, make sure you understand how to do every single problem.
Writing- I just looked up around 15 writing rules and I memorized them. Eventually around day 6 I was becoming so good that I could name the rule that every question corresponded to. So that helped me to easily figure out what was wrong and how to fix it. It’s all about identifying the rule, so learn some rules (I’ll paste links down below) and try to figure out what rule EVERY question corresponds to regardless of whether or not you got the question right or wrong. For the essay, I had a general format. I would give two examples. One from literature/film and one from my personal life. I would write a thesis I agree/disagree… bc example 1 and example 2. That was simple enough to get me a 10 on the real exam. I didn’t really focus on the essay. I just made sure I did at least 3 essay prompts everyday for practice.
Vocab- I didn’t use a vocab book until 2 weeks before the test. Get Hot Words for the SAT. Every word I got on the CR sections in my real test, were in that book. It is the best book for SAT vocab imo. Once I learned a word, that was it. I could remember it forever. What I did was reduce the definition to 2-3 words. And then I would make a mnemonic (a silly story or another word) that helped me remember the vocab word. I think notecards get cumbersome, but if they work then by all means use them. But I think mnemonics are the way to go. I know it can be hard sometimes, but it’s definitely worth it to come up with a mnemonic. It is the best way to learn vocab, once you get used to it. You just have to give it a try and keep with it.</p></li>
<li><p>I didn’t have specific books in mind. I just got as many tests as I could off the internet. But I did take the same tests over and over, bc you’re ALWAYS going to make mistakes. If you take the same practice test twice, you’re not going to get 2400, so there’s no harm in taking the same test multiple times. Sure you might remember answers, but trust me. You’ll still get a significant number of questions wrong. After about 4-5 days I could understand SAT questions. Like I could look at a question and say if it was good enough or the right format to even appear on the SAT. If there was test with non-SAT-like questions I immediately threw it away. So a good place to start to become familiar with the right questions would be Princeton Review and the CB Blue Book. I mentioned before that I used GRE, but that was only for CR. I did several GRE sections which I did horrendous on, but after the 3 GRE sections I got over my fears of the SAT CR, bc it made the CR on the SAT seem soooooo incredibly uncomplicated and easy. I have about 1-3 hours a day to study for the SAT.</p></li>
<li><p>Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with online prep bc I haven’t looked into it. But I would think that any renowned company is good enough, though you can’t be better than the CB online course. In my opinion, I think that studying on your own is the best way to go. Bc you’re the only person that knows yourself and the whole experience is individual. There are no classmates or bad teachers involved. You’re the only teacher and you cater to your needs.</p></li>
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<p>Wow that was a lot. Don’t forget to ask if you have any questions at all. If you want, I can create a study schedule for you with details. Just PM your info, and I’ll do it for you. Also I just found my schedule I used after winter break, bc I had about 2.5 weeks before the test. So it’s down below.</p>
Of course you can ask a question! You can ask as many as you want. Wow that’s a pretty huge improvement in just one year!!! I think you are totally capable of achieving a 2000+. For the sentence completions you just want to learn as much vocab as possible. Get “Hot Words for the SAT”, and memorize all of the words. These should be high-yield words that you’ll definitely find on every SAT test. At the same time, as you do practice tests, learn every single word you don’t know! I cannot stress this enough! I had so much trouble during the passages. Idk if you read my previous responses, but I started reading them in a male Australian accent and I remembered everything about the passage. Do something weird (no shame), bc that’s what’s going to keep you engaged. It’s sad, I know but you get a great SAT score out of it. You just have to find what works for you. I know that’s not really helpful, but that’s all I can tell you. Just keep trying things as you read. Maybe annotate or read it in someone else’s voice. Whatever it is, you’ll have a eureka! moment when you know you’ve hit the jackpot. Trust me, you will know when you’ve found the right method. If you need any clarifications, I will be happy to help.</p>