early SATvs. recent ACT?

<p>So I didn't even study for the June ACT and I got a 28 :P kind of horrible, I know. Before that, I took the SAT in March (which I took a prep class for and several practice tests) and got an 1870. </p>

<p>I am most likely going to retake the ACT in the fall. How much do I have to study in order for it to go up by at least 1-2 points? I would be very happy if I at least got a 30. The breakdown: reading: 32, science: 24(bomber, I know :P), math: 27, reading: 27.</p>

<p>Also, which ACT prep or study guide is best to help?</p>

<p>I got a 31 the first time I took it and a 31 the second time I took it. The first time I didn’t study at all, and the second time I studied for about 2 weeks before the exam. Honestly, I recommend starting the studying process at least two months ahead of time. Don’t bother with the prep classes, simply get a test book. I personally studied out of the Kaplan book and while the scores don’t reflect it, I feel like it would have helped if I had studied earlier. I’m taking it again in the fall too. The second time you take it, don’t expect to do much better unless you study pretty hard.</p>

<p>If you want to do well in science, I recommend studying physics very in depth and biology and some basic chemistry. Every time I’ve taken it, the physics portions were the most difficult and plentiful. Besides trying to understand how graphs and tables are configured and what the questions are asking, and despite the test not actually testing knowledge, brushing up on formulas and what not will greatly assist you.</p>

<p>The first practice test I took (a full length one taken at a Princeton Review) I got a 21. Awful right? Well, I studied my entire junior year and now I am up to a 29. Also, I just retook it and I am pretty sure I got at least a 30. I took a princeton review class and that alone bumped me up to a 27 (on my first real ACT). Then, I had some private tutoring and just took a ton of practice tests and got a 29 in June. I recommend the princeton review books and the Spark notes books. Also, for science what I have learned is that you don’t need to study bio, chem and all that. It will just be a waste of your time because all of the questions can be done with zero science knowledge (although it does help). Best way to improve I have found (my science score has gone up 4 points) is to just take a ton of practice tests and get familiar with the different types of graphs and charts that they use. Good luck!</p>

<p>since when is a 28 “pretty awful”? You should be happy because I got the same SAT score as you but a 22 on the ACT.</p>