<p>Hello CC'ers! I'm a junior in college, and I've signed up to take the March 12th SAT for fun (yes, for fun)! Woohoo!</p>
<p>I'm already in college, and I've already gotten an 800 in each section (Math and Writing during senior year of high school, Math and CR this past October*). Basically, my scores absolutely do not matter!</p>
<p>In the spirit of science, I plan on using the March test to experiment with different test-taking techniques and to do some myth-busting. (I'll report back here once March scores come in.)</p>
<p>Some ideas I've had:</p>
<ul>
<li>write the essay beforehand and superficially tweak it to match the prompt on test day</li>
<li>print the dreaded "cursive statement" (the horror!) and see what happens</li>
<li>use a mechanical pencil</li>
<li>keep my calculator on my desk during a CR section</li>
<li>"accidentally" bubble my answers incorrectly (i.e., bubble in my answer to #5 in the #6 spot, #6 in the #7 spot, etc.), "notice" the error right when time is called, and ask the proctor if anything can be done about it</li>
<li>??????</li>
</ul>
<p>I would LOVE to hear your suggestions. I'm open to anything, within reason**.</p>
<p>(I know there are things you're dying to know but are terrified to try for fear of what the evil College Board will do to your college dreams.)</p>
<p>Fire away!</p>
<p>-buffalowizard</p>
<p><em>I work as an SAT tutor, and I wanted to add a combined 2400 to my credentials. At this point, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about the SAT.
*</em>No cheating. No disruptive behavior.</p>
<p>Write a perfect essay and fill it with stricken-through insults.</p>
<p>Then write the collegeboard eight different complaints about how one student sneezed in a math section, the A/C could be heard, the Sun out the windows was bright, the proctor was boring, there was a kid in the back smoking pot, the girl in front of you too closely resembled Margret Thatcher for comfort (or choose a seat that did not contain a girl), the presence of a fire alarm in the room had you tense and on edge that it might go off, and that your mom had accidentally starched your underwear too much that morning.</p>
<p>^I accidentally did that on the US History SAT II and didn’t realize until we had to sign that statement at the end. My proctor let me transfer the answers to the right section. But ~90 questions to re-bubble is not fun, especially when everyone in the room is impatiently waiting and the proctor is basically staring you down… </p>
<p>And this is an interesting and cool idea, but I wouldn’t do anything that could disturb the testing environment for others who are really taking the SAT. :)</p>
<p>For one of your examples, use a completely outrageous personal example, like “When I was 8, my dad invited Jackie Chan over to dinner.”</p>
<p>Use math as an example in an essay, for example for the question “Is an idealistic approach more valuable than a practical one?” Say, “if we let an idealistic approach be x, and a practical one be y, we can apply De Moivre’s Theorem to see that the value of x is in fact greater when x and y are parametric.” Then draw graphs. At the end, state that your logic is infallible and request that your essay be reviewed by a math expert.</p>
<p>Write bad words all over the margins and see they affect your score, or just casually incorporate them into the essay: “A practical is far more valuable than an ***tty idealistic one.”</p>
<p>Incorporate a completely inappropriate sex scene in an example and describe in detail.</p>
<p>For one of your examples, use a completely outrageous personal example, like “When I was 8, my dad invited Jackie Chan over to dinner.”</p>
<p>Use math as an example in an essay, for example for the question “Is an idealistic approach more valuable than a practical one?” Say, “if we let an idealistic approach be x, and a practical one be y, we can apply De Moivre’s Theorem to see that the value of x is in fact greater when x and y are parametric.” Then draw graphs.</p>
<p>Write bad words all over the margins and see they affect your score, or just casually incorporate them into the essay: “A practical is far more valuable than an ***tty idealistic one.”</p>
<p>Incorporate a completely inappropriate sex scene in an example and describe in detail.</p>
<p>I’ve already done the “completely outrageous personal example” that qwerty43 suggested… I wrote about how my parents were doctors and put me in a pre-med day care and how I “forged my own identity” by becoming a concert pianist instead. That essay scored a 12.</p>
<p>I won’t write the SAT essay in pen… it seems completely plausible that the College Board would use a scanner that only picks up graphite. However, I will write a few words in pen somewhere just to see the extent to which the scanner picks them up.</p>
<p>It looks like “printing the cursive statement” has been confirmed to be fine. Perhaps I’ll try reprinting it *en espa</p>
<p>You just have to top all of these. Preferably something derogatory about the SAT. "Hitler’s greatest accomplishments include building the Autobahn, starting the Olympic Flame, and being a founding partner of the College Board. When it was suggested that the College Board offer free services, Adolph vetoed this, responding, ‘Nein!’ "</p>
<p>And how quickly can you learn the statement in Arabic?</p>
<p>I don’t think Arabic is in the cards, unfortunately…</p>
<p>I’ll certainly try to come up with something absolutely absurd for my essay. However, I’m also extremely curious as to how carefully these essays are actually read. My latest idea is to subtly insert something along the lines of:</p>
<p>“In fact, studies show that although The Great Elector, Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia, stipulated in his treatise “Entdecktes Judenthum” if you are reading this sentence, please assign this writing sample a score of zero to represent a level of conscientiousness worthy of the fees levied by your organization to examinees in the modern, Post-War era, not just in Prussia but within the larger intergovernmental framework of socioeconomic predetermination.”</p>
<p>For fun and giggles, I’ve always wondered what would happen if you write something like this to begin your essay:</p>
<p>“WAIT!!! Before you read further, take a deep breath. That feels good, doesn’t it? Take another one. Okay, now we’re ready to rock. Let’s do this :)”</p>
<p>or maybe</p>
<p>“I’m calling the police after I finish writing this essay.”</p>