<p>hi,
i was wondering if i could study on my own for the sat rather than taking a class.. i took kaplan and did not help much.. and i dont want to waste my money again.. has anyone ever studies on the their own and improved their grades?
thanks</p>
<p>Yes, definitely.</p>
<p>I self-studied for the SAT and I ended up scoring a 1600. I got the 10 Real SATs book, and I took a test just about every Saturday morning starting around 2-3 months before the test. As I took them, my score kept going up. After I scored them, I went over my wrong answers and made sure I figured out where I went wrong. All it takes is practice. This was for the old SAT obviously, but I know there are plenty of books for the new SAT. Just take the same approach. Try to take the practice tests as you would in an actual testing environment: limit distractions, keep the time, etc. As long as you stay motivated, you should do well by simply self-studying. Good luck!</p>
<p>Sure you can. That's all I have ever done, and all my son has ever done. Just get the official College Board book on the new SAT test, do some practice tests under real testing time limits, and then look over how your answer choices differ from the correct answers. You'll get used to the format, and you'll get better. </p>
<p>Other than that, to get ready for the verbal and writing sections, READ, READ, READ, and READ. Turn off the TV and pick up a magazine. Turn off the video game and page through a book. Think about what you like to talk about with your friends, and read something about it. Think about what is funny, or interesting, or good to know, and read about that. Those who read more score better on the SAT verbal section. For the math section, practice more math problems and THINK about what they mean. </p>
<p>Good luck. Save a few hundred dollars and have a big party after your SAT.</p>
<p>Yeah- you can definately self study, and really improve! I went from a 590 PSAT Verbal to 770 SAT Verbal (ONLY 1 YEAR APART). So read, and highlight words you don't know- and then come back with a dictionary and learn the words! Also read like Word Smart or something!</p>
<p>certainly.....for the SAT II's I took them intitially blind (no prep). when i was disappointed with my scores i studied for 2 months then retook. I averaged about a 60 point increase per test. the books out there know exactly what is on these tests and prepare you quite well if you study and practice thoroughly. if you're smart enough to do well on the SAT's, you don't need someone teaching you the concepts (eg kaplan), a book will certainly suffice</p>
<p>Though you'll be taking the "new" SAT, I think the "old" 10 Real SAT book will still be incredibaly useful (and probably pretty cheap at used book stores). Don't bother using it under timed testing conditions (since there have been significant changes), but use the questions that are in there. The critical reading and sentence completions in the Verbal and the non-Quantative Comparision Math questions will be quite similar to what you will see on the "new" exam. </p>
<p>Also, when prepping for the Writing section, try using old prep books for the SAT II:Writing exam for practice. I don't think there were any major changes made when it was incorporated into the SAT I exam.</p>