<p>That’s awesome, @spuding102. A big congrats. I like all the advice you give, along with the motivation for students wanting a big score improvement. Thank you for writing that all up. I think I would only disagree with point 7 on not reading to improve CR. While taking practice tests is probably paramount for most test takers, sometimes a heavy prose workout from a challenging author (e.g. David Foster Wallace or Bronte) can set fire to someone’s CR score. This is probably analogous to you using the LSAT questions to buff up your reading muscles. Still, as one of my writing mentors once told me, “do whatever works.” :)</p>
<p>^^Reading is always helpful for the CR section and life in general. However, reviewing CR sections of the practice tests allows students to develop an understanding for how the questions are written and what types of answers are right and wrong. </p>
<p>It seems to me that the practice tests are a more efficient way of improving the CR section - assuming that the student spends enough time with a proper review after taking the practice test. On the other hand I’ve seen you post some great advice and I’ve never tried reading those authors specifically to improve CR, so maybe you’re right.</p>
<p>@spuding102 When you did your LSAT CR practice, did you do only the passages (section 4) or both section 4 and the logical reasoning sections (sections 2 & 3)?</p>
<p>No I only did the passages for LSAT CR. As for reading, Im sure reading some good novels can improve one’s reading ability and thus score but in my opinion its better to just practice with official tests since those are more effective. Perhaps developing an affinity for reading at a young age is the best approach!</p>
<p>Yeah I agree with just practicing with the official tests. And I like how in LSAT CR passages that there are no line references in questions, making every answer much harder to find.</p>
<p>I wish I took my SATS in my sophomore year 
My guidance counselor never told me I could so i didn’t think of it at all. I am a junior now and taking my SATS on May 3rd. </p>
<p>Oh and what is “the blue book” ?</p>
<p>I have a somewhat similar story, 1680 to 2240. Feels so good. Not stopping until 2300 lol</p>
<p>@MusicalAsian7 </p>
<p>This is the blue book:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Official-SAT-Study-Guide/dp/0874478529”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Official-SAT-Study-Guide/dp/0874478529</a></p>
<p>I just noticed I had a typo. I meant I took my PSATs in my sophomore year NOT my SATs</p>
<p>Impressive dedication… You deserve everything you have accomplished. I just hope that my daughter will have the same success. She scored 1640 but is planning to apply to school such as Columbia, Cornell, Berkeley, for the engineering programs. I will show her your post and hope she finds the same motivation. 
</p>
<p>spuding102 ~
I agree; you improve on the SAT the same way you get to Carnegie Hall; practice, practice, practice. My daughter improved her SAT score by studying and working the way you did. For the math section, she said she did all the problems in the practice book she had and found that there were only 5 tricks used; if you figured out the tricks it made answering much easier and faster. However, like you, this was her idea; we (her parents) thought her first scores were great and didn’t see any need for her to take the test a second time. She was right and we were wrong! </p>
<p>Congrats! Its definitely possible. I raised my score from a 1790 to 2060 in one month once i realized i would never get into cal with a 1790. (i took it in december, last minute crazy anxiety) But I did it! And i didn’t even study for the ACT but the SAT prep really helped and i got my previous ACT of 27 up to a 32.
I did sign up for one of those SAT Prep courses but when i got there in november, everybody was appalled i was a senior prepping for SAT in November of my application year but i didn’t care. I just took those two tests and reviewed them, payed attention to every detail and got my score up like crazy. I had everyone telling me I couldn’t do it, even the dean of the prep school told me i wouldn’t get into my safety schools. Got into Cal, WHAT SON!!! Good luck everyone! I’m just posting this to say that you don’t have to go berserk to increase your score. Just devotion for at least a month ,.</p>
<p>I’m taking the SAT for the first time in June after completing my eight-week prep classes earlier this month. I got a PSAT score of a 1580. Looking for an 1800-1900, but my parents need a 2000. However, I only studied two days during ALL of Spring Break last week. I plan on applying to UMass Amherst, Quinnipiac, Bentley, Hofstra, Binghamton, Rider, and Monmouth in the fall.</p>
<p>Any tips for me?</p>
<p>BTW, I also have the blue book which was used during the prep courses.</p>
<p>Do direct hits 1,2 include the hardest and rarely used vocab? Or the most common vocab appears in the test, even if they are not vague? </p>
<p>@CHD2013, Indeed, I think David Foster Wallace is an especially good read. In case anyone here wants to supplement actual CR test-taking with challenging but awesome pleasure reading, this is one of Wallace’s most famous essays: <a href=“http://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/HarpersMagazine-1996-01-0007859.pdf”>http://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/HarpersMagazine-1996-01-0007859.pdf</a></p>
<p>One of my old professors considered this particular essay to be one of the best pieces of writing, in any medium, of the 20th century. What I like about the piece is that it’s about a seemingly shallow, flip topic: going on a lackluster cruise. Big deal, right? But Wallace uses this surface subject as an excuse to explore some deep social and philosophical issues ranging from depression to all that raison d’etre stuff you start writing about in school. Also, he manages to combine one of the biggest vocabularies in the Western hemisphere with an easy, casual tone.</p>
<p>Look up all the words you don’t know and be sure to read the footnotes. I think you’ll be happy you did.</p>
<p>I Sympathize with accomplished students like IndigoMark. The SAT does NOT measure the same skills that you master in high school. That’s deliberate. Students need to recognize this and work to master THIS TEST at least as hard as they work to be proficient in Biology or US History.</p>
<p>Actually, harder. A single “C” for a semester doesn’t trash your GPA more than 0.05 out of 4.0. But remaining 100 points below your potential keeps you out of a whole tier of colleges.</p>
<p>If there are youngsters reading these laments by seniors (or parents of youngsters), please respect the SAT and the system that weights the SAT so heavily by most colleges. It’s not going away.</p>
<p>CONGRATS</p>
<p>@Spuding102 hi! Congratulations. Question: I’m doing the SAT on June 7 and I’ve only started studying (I’m not stressed though the math is a piece of cake to me and I’m studying like hell) I have the Barron’s book though. I heard that it showed you were the tricks were and stuff since the college board book would probably not give away it’s secrets. Do you think I should buy the college board book instead?</p>