<p>I basically didn't study for the SATs at all but got a decent score. Now I'm wondering if I could've gone to a better school had I been able to achieve a better score through more studying (although I didn't really have time to since it was senior year of high school and therefore the workload was a *****). Do you think studying for the SATs benefited you, or would your score have been the same?</p>
<p>I scored 2100 in the diagnostic and got a 2130 in the real thing after about 2 weeks of study, so i would say study doesnt help much. </p>
<p>Having said that, i am still practicing for the Dec retake. Study cant hurt, can it?</p>
<p>
Study cant hurt, can it?
</p>
<p>If you spend a lot of time studying for SATs it can probably hurt your high school GPA, which is also important for college admissions.</p>
<p>Well, the first time I took it I did some studying, was so stressed and cried durign the test and screwed up the CR section. Second time around I did almost no studying and I did better and felt very relaxed durign the test.</p>
<p>you cried? why? well first time i practiced and practiced..got 2000 + on practice tests..got 1750 on teh real one..</p>
<p>so this time i'm just practicing the stuff i messed up on...
and TIMING myself this time...because maybe my 2000 + was due to ....doing the test with no time? lolz</p>
<p>if you ask me, it's REALLY down to luck. second time, I studied and it dropped a little, and then the third time I didn't study and my score shot way up.</p>
<p>Studying is a complete waste of time. I took it the first time in january and didn't study at all. Then I took a few classes and on my retake scored 60 points lower because I was overthinking everything</p>
<p>It definitely helped me even though I only studied for 1 1/2 weeks before the second time I took the test. I raised 50 points in CR and 130 in W. Math, however, dropped 10 points. But it's still a 180 point increase:)</p>
<p>definitely helped my math score.</p>
<p>I barely studied at all, and I don't think it'd have helped me.</p>
<p>I already had most of the basic knowledge, especially for math and writing, so lots of studying probably would have just made me over think it. I'm a pretty bad memorizer but have an OK vocabulary, so spending a lot of time memorizing vocab words just to get a few more right would have been pointless.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think just staying focused in school and reading and writing a lot are the best ways to study. I'm sure extensive SAT studying works for some people, but I bet it helps students who already have a pretty solid academic grounding less.</p>
<p>Practice definitely helps -- there's no question. If you've seen the test before and are familiar with its format, you will know what to do come test day, and you'll probably be less anxious.</p>
<p>Equally important, however, is your state of mind on test day. On my third go, I was calm and relaxed, and I felt confident. I scored 70 points higher than my first time. My second go, I had just received upsetting news in the morning, and my score plummeted by a lot from my first testing.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Depends a lot on what kind of learner you, if you are naturally good at logic, what your strengths are and what your weaknesses are. Some people have a cap on what they can score, and others can make huge improvements. I'd say everyone should at least review basic techniques with a $15 review book.</p>
<p>It depends on how you study. The best thing you can do for CR is read and maybe learn some vocabulary words. For Math, you just need to review the stuff that's on the SAT, which, for most people, is stuff they learned a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>I'd suggest buying a book that has review as well as tests, such as Princeton Review's "Cracking the SAT", taking a timed test without prep first, seeing what you need to work on, and then working on mostly that section using the materials and resources in the book. There are people who will tell you that a professional is the only way to go, but the main thing to remember is that the SAT does not test what you're learning. It tests how well you take the SAT, and it doesn't really matter how you prep for it.</p>
<p>That being said, I agree that confidence, a good night of sleep before, etc, will also affect your grade.</p>
<p>dont study
well, there's a certain point where studying just wont help.
like, if you scored a 400 on math the first time and studied algebra, then that would help. but if you are retaking over a 720 in math, hoping for a 750, dont study. its kinda of luck of the draw after that in my opinion</p>
<p>I agree with dietcoke14. Howver, although I don't recommend actual 'studying' I say do as many practice tests as you can esp. if you are not used to sitting down and concentrating for 4 hrs.</p>
<p>no, only for the writing section (memorizing grammar rules, etc)</p>
<p>? I completely disagree with the comments about not studying for the SAT. If you are really dedicated and motivated to get into a top school, then studying for the SAT helps. Just make sure you study correctly and efficiently (i.e. do practice tests over and over not for like a week... but for like 4+ weeks) and your score will go up dramatically.</p>
<p>I got a 2060 my first time taking the SAT, and I took practice tests every week or so on my own over the summer, and ended up with a 2370 this October.</p>