Give a youngster guidance: how do I get a 2400 SAT in 4 months?

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>I've had it; I'm sick and tired of people laughing at my low SAT score - the ultimate symbol of my intellectual inferiority. With only a 2010, I am not even allowed to think of applying to the Ivies, especially when I'm frigging chinese...</p>

<p>I'm sick and tired of it, and therefore in the next four months, I will study my ass off to get that 2400 (is that even possible)? But the thing is, I don't know where to start. I get ~700's on Math and Writing, and ~650s on CR. What SAT guides should I use first, and when should I start using actual CB tests (only 11 of them!). I am serious about increasing my sat score.. I'm willing to dedicate 2-3 hours on weekdays, and 4-6 hours on weekends... Please help... I really want to get a 2400.</p>

2

<p>2010 to a 2400 seems unlikely unless you are innately gifted already (and are aware of it).</p>

3

<p>I think you can do it, or at least get in the 2200+ range, by keeping up your motivation and studying.</p>

4

<p>I think you have to be realistic here. First of all, going from a 2010 to a 2400 will be incredibly difficult. Why not shoot for a more obtainable goal, like a 2300? That’s good enough for most Ivy’s. And your transcript isn’t a single SAT score alone, neither are you.</p>

<p>First, your 2010 does not represent “intellectual inferiority”. For a score without prep, that is very amazing, and certainly with some prep you will be able to be boost it up to a high level.</p>

<p>First, take an actual test, un-timed. Especially one that has answer explanations online. The thing you need to realize first is how the test works. Take all the time in the world you need to understand the format, the trick answers, and so on. Don’t let the time constraint worry you, and see how you do there. Do you tend to choose the 2nd best answer for critical reading? What do you tend to miss on the writing portion? Analyze your mistakes so you have a target to improve on. I think you can make a high 750-800 on the math diagnostic, since its un-timed and you have all the time you need to avoid careless mistakes. </p>

<p>Now the next thing is to realize what you need practice in. It will PROBABLY be critical reading. Why? Regardless of the time limit, critical reading requires vocabulary and analytical skills which completely disregard such a thing. Like you, I started in the 650s for reading. I took the Direct Hits 1 and 2 book and reviewed the words I didn’t know, and got to the 720s level. To improve my critical reading, I prepped with 3 other practices. YOU MUST REALIZE IF THE ANSWER IS NOT IN THE PASSAGE, REGARDLESS OF HOW GOOD/ACCURATE IT SEEMS, IT’S WRONG. Realizing that alone got me 2 or 3 questions right. You need to put on your analytical glasses and look through the eyes of the speaker. Again, only steady practice and through understanding of the correct answer will improve that score.</p>

<p>For math, again, practice. Pace yourself accordingly but not too fast. Soon you’ll become accustomed to it and manage a high score without the errors.</p>

<p>For writing, you’re at a good level, so prepping the whole thing is a waste. Identify what you’re weak in and prep that(like I was weak in idiomatic structures). For the essay, there are countless tips to get a 10/11/12. With a little practice and a little prep you’ll make a high 750-800.</p>

<p>Make sure to keep 5 or 6 tests as the real thing. The SAT requires great endurance and you have to prepare for it accordingly, like a marathon. Take a real test every week on a Saturday/Sunday morning, making sure you got good sleep and a good breakfast. These will optimally show you your potential increase. </p>

<p>Keep at it, don’t let it consume you and your ECs, but be consistent about your prep. You’ll [hopefully] reach the 2300 cutoff. Now reaching the 2400 will require some luck by an easy curve and sheer analytical skills. Don’t let yourself down if you “only” manage a 2300 ¬_¬ , and good luck!</p>

5

<p>Follow the Asian way(aka Korean way)</p>

<p>CR
-Memorize the whole 3,500 word list from Barrons
-Memorize Word Smart I and II
-Read the 100 books recommended in CollegeBoard(two books every month, since you’ve got only 4 months, you would have to read 2 books every week or something)
-While you’re reading those books, think about any questions that the SAT might ask based on vocabulary or context.
-Buy all the practice books you can and answer them(I don’t recommend Barrons though, I find it irrelevant to the SAT-type of questions)
-Make sure you always write down the definitions of any words you dont know(from books, tests)</p>

<p>Sorry, I just have tips for CR… I actually need help on math and writing :p</p>

6

<p>Four months is plenty of time. I’d say your best fit is with Barron’s SAT prep book and you can maybe also get an SAT tutor. Aim for around a 50 point improvement every week, and even that is a lot. While you’re doing Barron’s SAT prep book, buy Collegeboard’s SAT prep book for their practice tests. And don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a 2400, only around 12 people in the United States get a 2400 every year. Aim for the high 2300’s, that would be more realistic.</p>

<p>Here’s my breakdown for SAT prep books. The one’s with a * next to it are the ones I recommend for you.</p>

<p>Kaplan is a good choice. As for books, I’ve been through almost all of them and I made an improvement from 1600’s to 2100’s. (but i ended up getting a 1700 something on my actual one because of no sleep the night before :/)</p>

<p>Breakdown:</p>

<ul>
<li>Collegeboard SAT - I’d really only use this book for the practice tests, because this is the only book that offers REAL practice SATs. Other books tend to make the practice tests slightly harder, easier or accommodative to the things they taught in their book. It also tells you basically everything you need to know, in terms of Geometry and Algebra and Stats. But they will not really go into depth with the “tricks” you need to know, they just teach you the basics. But seeing how this book is made by the actual SAT makers I can see why they wouldn’t want to give you all the insight on how to ace their test, they just give you enough knowledge to figure the rest on your own. I still recommend it though. I finished this.</li>
</ul>

<p>Ivy Insiders - This is actually a pretty good book but there are so many damn typos. I was taking a practice test once, timed and I had to stop because one of the questions had a typo on it. It has good tips, though. If only it had a better editor. I finished it.</p>

<p>*Princeton Review - I didn’t finish it but it’s a good book. It’s like Ivy Insiders except even more in-depth with the questions and a better editor. It’s also easy to understand and best seller. I’d say it’s probably your #1 choice out of the ones I’m mentioning. </p>

<ul>
<li>Barron’s SAT - Buy this book if you’re aiming for 2300’s-2400’s. You’ll know how to do the hardest problems with this book. If you haven’t broken the 2000’s yet, you should really start with something simpler. I don’t know this book too well, but I flipped through it and didn’t buy it because a 2300 was unrealistic for me in the amount of the time I had. (I’d need a good year for that)</li>
</ul>

<p>Sparknotes: SAT - Typically, Sparknotes is sort of a last resort thing like if you didn’t read a book in English and you need to learn how to figure it out really fast. I believe it gives you the main idea and a couple of pointers, but it’s not going to help you improve all that much. It was written by Harvard students who probably did really well on their SAT, but they didn’t pass down their knowledge in details. It’s written in a fun kind of way, so I recommend going through it if you get bored of all your other SAT stuff. (finished this one too)</p>

<p>Zen: In the Art of the SAT - One of my friends suggested this book to me. It’s a short book and a fast read (not a practice book, but a book on how to think on the SAT), you’d probably be done with it within hours. It really helps you get into the mindset of the SAT and helps you know how to THINK on the SAT. Because on the SAT, I realized, it matters more how you think on the SAT not what you know. So read it if you have time, it’s a fast read.</p>

7

<p>Thanks everyone. I will work my ass off over the next few months to get a 2300+. I will honestly kill myself if I don’t.</p>

8

<p>Wait! Are you that singer dude?</p>

9

<p>Rocket Review Revolution is a good guide too</p>

10

<p>You can definitely improve if you get serious in your prep. I bs’ed my soph PSAT and got 177. My first practice tests were in the 1800/1900s. Now I can consistently get 2200+ on p-tests and my most recent PSAT was 220+.</p>

<p>Just for the record, there isn’t too much difference between a 2300 and a 2400. The general consensus is that 2300 = do not retake unless you have pride/personal reasons.</p>

11

<p>^
Huh? Haven’t you seen that thread where chances at admission at harvard and MIT increase exponentially with SAT score?</p>

12

<p>what you need is luck my friend. Hard work and effort only goes so far.</p>

13

<p>@garfieldliker
Correlation does not imply causation!</p>

14

<p>^
True, but it disproves the notion that there is no difference between a 2300 and 2400</p>

15

<p>yeah difference between a 2390 and a 2400… then you could have a possibly valid argument.</p>

16

<p>Lol, of course there is a difference between a 2300 vs. a 2400, but it’s generally so negligible when there are so many other factors. Colleges do realize that people are humans and that their scores don’t always show the fullest potential that people have. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>

</p>

17

<p>Read Silverturtles guide and Xiggis guide
Buy CB book for 10 exams
Buy CB online tests
Buy direct hits vol 1 and 2 or load up the DH flash cards on your iphone
Buy Barrons book
Read how to write a 12 essay in 10 days
Good luck</p>