<p>Yes, I know I post here with a good bit of frequency to ask for advice (well, kinda of). But I honestly cannot choose between the PR and SparkNotes guides to the new SAT.</p>
<p>The PR guide, obviously, has a reputation that SparkNotes does not have. Despite this, I have found that the SparkNotes guide is, in fact, a more entertaining (yes, entertaining) and therefore somewhat more tolerable read. I am willing to tolerate more painful studying, though, if it will mean a better score - will PR's guide most likely prove more effective than SparkNotes' guide?</p>
<p>Another question that I ponder is the effectiveness of the Joe Bloggs approach emphasized in the PR guide. What sort of benefit will it provide versus the approach of the SparkNotes guide?</p>
<p>Can anyone who has experience with either of these guides offer an opinion of its effectiveness (Amazon and Barnes & Noble provide reviews that do a very vague, biased job of this at best)?</p>
<p>PSAT breakdown:
-Index 206
-CR 67
-Math 64
-Writing 75</p>
<p>Target score: 2250-2300 at least.</p>
<p>Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>It's totally up to you, but I'd reccomend Princeton Review's book because yes, they have a good reputation. But not just that--the company has more experience b/c they've been around longer too. I'd be confident studying from their books. IMO, the Sparknotes book is not very good. The strategies are very basic....PR's Joe Bloggs--I don't know him too well.</p>
<p>I agree with Paris. My experience with Sparknotes' publications has encountered a lot of errors in the books. PR has just been around longer and their stuff has been proofed more carefully. I do us Sparknotes as a secondary source but I like to start with the older companies.</p>
<p>"PSAT breakdown:
-Index 206
-CR 67
-Math 64
-Writing 75</p>
<p>Target score: 2250-2300 at least."
Heh i got a 214 on my psat and my goal is at least a 2200. i just thought it was funny.</p>
<p>If you're new to the test and need help with strategy and info about the test, get PR. You know what, I have a brilliant idea. Bring a sheet of paper and a pencil to Barnes and Nobles, and just copy down the strategies for each section from the PR book. Then, do all the practice with 10 Reals and the new version for the New SAT with 8 practice tests. You'll be fine.</p>
<p>does PR really have any strategies that the other books dont, ignoring the joe bloggs method? Also the prep books, from what i have seen, really dont spend much time on the strategies, only about 1-2 pages per strategy instead of invoking them throughout the book and practice tests.</p>
<p>I'm with ya, pal. I'm a junior. I have the new SAT Sparknotes book, and I got it simply because it is readable without wanting to jab a pen in your eye. The writers make it bearable to read about these sometimes bizarrely dry concepts, to review math ****, and to learn to spot grammar mistakes. (Hell, sometimes they even make it funny.) </p>
<p>I suggest also getting the 10 Real SATs and whatever the new SAT equivalent is. I took the old SATs after doing a bunch of the 10 Real SATs, and I feel I really brought my score up by doing the tests and reviewing my mistakes (800v, 670m - strangely enough I got the same score for the psat for the new sat this year 80cw, 67m, 80w, and these are supposed to be supposedly different tests).</p>
<p>I'm hoping to break 700 on my math on the new SAT and to get around a 2250/2300.</p>
<p>By the way, are you a junior? And do you like Air? (I ****in' love Air, that's why I clicked this thread.)</p>
<p>PR=STUPIDITY
Sparknotes=SUCKY
<strong>use barron's or the 10 reals</strong></p>
<p>College Board's "The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT" is a good buy. I went from a 203 (soph) to a 225 (junior) just after taking one practice test. Well, I also sucked at analogies + quantitative comparisons soooo... my scores can be deceiving. Try reading well-written newspapers or wordy books. They should help with the CR portion. </p>
<p>Also don't be discouraged if you don't score higher than 2250. A 190 point increase is kinda drastic. I'm only aiming for 2300.</p>
<p>Honestly, PR is good for practice tests and stuff. I wish they’d take out something like the Kaplan’s 12 tests. The tests are an accurate(nearly) reading of how you’ll do on the real test. However, I found most of their ‘stratergies’ to be pretty trashy. I think everyone approaches THE SAT differently, so these stratergies dont work.
Whereas Spark Notes is definitely entertaining. Read it when you get bored doing PR! =)</p>
<p>Broheim, I wrote this thread five and a half years ago. I have since gone to college, graduated and am now attending grad school. I’ll be sure to heed your advice though!</p>
<p>So, enlighten us. Which one won the “faceoff”?</p>