<p>Not including Direct hits, what are some amazing word lists?</p>
<p>Barron’s 3500. It’s long, sure. But there should be words in there you already know, so if you’re not dumb, it’s like 2500 words. I used it and got 800 CR, no errors.</p>
<p>I think Direct Hits is all you should need. I made flashcards for all the unfamiliar terms in DH, and I think it has helped me with sentence completions - especially on today’s practice SAT :D! </p>
<p>Anyway, if you want to go for the gold - especially since you are a sophomore - get the Barron’s SAT book. Make Quizlet flashcards for every unfamiliar term in the Barron’s 3500 word index. That’s exactly what I would do if I were you. The problem is - I’m a junior - pressed for time - and my SAT is 3 weeks away. The Barron’s 3.5k word list statistically performs better than Gruber’s 3.4k word list. Plus, the Barron’s 3.5k word list has example sentences for each of the words - a major plus. The Gruber’s book only lists the words and their definitions. </p>
<p>Here’s how I make my flashcards:</p>
<p>Word
Definition
A sentence using the word. I make up the sentence so I can remember the word better. </p>
<p>Good luck :)!</p>
<p>I like Princeton Review’s Hit Parade</p>
<p>I think I’ll go with the Barrons 3500 list and direct hits. Am I covered for most words? Is there a high chance that I will get all words correct? </p>
<p>Because I think if I mastered this, my grade will go from a 600 to a 700.</p>
<p>You could try 300 essential words, which was made by the same guy who did direct hits.</p>
<p>Yes, Barrons 3500 usually covers majority (maybe only missing 2/3) of the sentence completion questions, but it’s a headache to go through memorising so many words. I’ve learnt Direct Hits already, am going through Princeton Review Hit Parade and Rocket Review now</p>
<p>I second on 300 Essential words. I don’t have the book but it is written by Grand Master Larry and based on a recent analysis of vocab words from the Dec 2011 SAT, 300 Essential Words got the most hits. </p>
<p>Direct Hits is still good, but don’t get the 4th edition (2012 edition)! There isn’t really anything new compared to the previous 2011 DH book.</p>
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<p>Exactly. Barron’s 3500 fills in where Direct Hits or 300 Words cannot. The statistics are clear. If you have the time, then go through Barron’s 3500 and make notecards the way I did. </p>
<p>It took me the better part of a day to go through most of Barron’s 3500 word list and make notecards for the words … so it may be a worthwhile investment if you have a free day with absolutely nothing to do :). </p>
<p>Here are the statistics. I googled “which vocab list performed best” and took the numbers all of dark knight’s and JefferyJung’s reports. </p>
<p>2008 PSAT: Barron’s, 18 hits; Direct Hits, 18 hits.
Oct 2011 SAT: Barron’s, 14 hits; Direct Hits, 13 hits.
Nov 2008 SAT: Barron’s, 20 hits; Direct Hits, 12 hits.
May 2008 SAT: Barron’s, 17 hits; Direct Hits, 10 hits.</p>
<p>It’s clear that studying the Barron’s list can be beneficial, if not consistently so.</p>
<p>Thank you guys. Barron 3500 words it is!</p>
<p>Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, the guide that I wrote has a couple of lists that are basically hard words from all the blue book/online tests, along with some words I came across in my reading. No guarantee that the words will reappear, but it might help.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1270044-cheerioswithmilks-guide-sat.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1270044-cheerioswithmilks-guide-sat.html</a></p>
<p>thank you ^_^</p>
<p>oh btw, I read you guide, its really good.</p>
<p>Dorkyelmo, check out the latest post of the 300 Essential Words Facebook page. It references you and your dilemma. </p>
<p>I agree with that post wholeheartedly.</p>
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<p>I disagree with Krieger’s advice. He, as the author of 300 Essential Words, obviously has ** auxiliary** interests - such as selling his book. I think that for a sophomore, such as Dorkyelmo, there is enough time and reason to trudge through the Barron’s 3.5k word list. </p>
<p>There is no one-size-fits-all SAT prep advice, and while 300 Essential Words is a must-have for any SAT test taker, there is no reason why students should avoid using other word lists, especially if those students have time, and are striving for more confidence on the CR section.</p>
<p>^^
Those so-called stats are ENTIRELY bogus. Most of those “hits” are words that are well within the reach of most students. Studying word lists is the absolute worst investment in time and efforts, and Barron’s is by far the worst of all lists.</p>
<p>But is your time!</p>
<p>Is Barron’s 3500 the name of he book? Because I don’t see it on Amazon.</p>
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<p>While I do admire the steadfastness of your belief that word lists are bogus, personal experience contradicts your second, third, and fourth assertions.</p>
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<p>The list is inside the Barron’s SAT book.</p>
<p>You are missing the point. It is about words that would be too hard to know or too hard to figure out through simple deduction and context. Fwiw, I also spent time to analyze the various lists of words in the past. Check the sticky post for a more rational analysis. </p>
<p>DH and Barron’s are different animals. There is some value in reading words in context; none in blindly trying to memorize a bastardized GRE list.</p>
<p>I agree wholeheartedly with xiggi. The only reason I might recommend such extensive word list would be if the person lacks much of the basic vocabulary (even then, other alternatives such as taking more SAT tests or reading books will prove to be more salutary). Studying such list is not a wise investment of time.</p>
<p>As someone who took Oct, Nov, and Dec test, I can confidently say that DH was the only thing I needed to memorize for a 19/19 on every test (except October one, which was my mistake).</p>
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<p>I’ve been looking, but I can’t find the page. Do you remember where exactly it is? </p>
<p>Never mind, I found it. I’ll post it below if others are interested. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice-4.html</a></p>
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<p>If you are talking about context, the Barron’s book provides an example sentence for each word.</p>