<p>I know a lot of people who are taking rigorous SAT courses - 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, etc. I won't be doing the same, but I scored a 229 on the PSAT through self-study with books and released exams as a sophomore. Would I be able to score an upwards of 2300 on the SAT on my own, or at least with a few Princeton Review classes in my neighborhood? What are the books you'd recommend? I already have the individual Barron's workbooks for math, writing, and reading, in addition to the blue College Board book, and will be buying the Barron's 2400 soon. Any others to get?</p>
<p>My plan is to study this summer and take the SAT in the fall, when I'll be a junior. Any other tips you can share? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Which courses are you talking about that have students spending 8 hours a day on SAT prep?</p>
<p>hey gujugeek, I visited your website and would like to know when will you be releasing the exam expert book. I really need it for the summer as I will be taking the SAT in the fall. My current score is a 2110, do you think I will improve it to atleast 2350+ by the end of this summer?</p>
<p>If you have a 229 on the PSAT as a sophomore, then review classes will be a complete waste of time and money for you. Go through the blue book of 10 real SAT’s and you are done. You won’t have trouble scoring 2300+. When it comes to scoring 2400, that is possible, but it almost always requires 0 mistakes in math. So to borrow a suggestion from Elmer Fudd, “Be vewy, vewy careful.”</p>
<p>I did a 3-night, 3 hours per night class the summer before sophomore year for SAT Math, and 5 1-hour private study sessions the summer before junior year in verbal/writing. Other than that, I’ve self-studied everything. I’m on the same page as you, and I know I can get a 2300+ and hopefully a 2350+.</p>
<p>I love Princeton Review books, and even though I don’t have the one for the SAT I would recommend getting it because I have been very successful with other PR books in the past. I also have Collegeboard’s Official SAT Study Guide from 2007, and I use SparkNote’s free online book. I haven’t studied much for the SAT itself until about a week ago, and I’m taking it on Saturday. I think that the past year of school has given me more preparation than any book could, with AP English and Honors Precalculus.</p>
<p>Definitely take the SAT in the fall of your junior year, preferably the October test, right before the PSAT. That way you can study for the SAT and PSAT at the same time (they are similar enough that studying for one will not confuse you for the other), saving time and energy while guaranteeing your chances of scoring highly on both (especially a national merit qualifying score on the PSAT).</p>
<p>Everyone studies differently, and for some people, a rigorous SAT course is the only way to do well. I however prefer self-studying because it is more efficient, more cost-effective, and allows me to cram right before the test. So self-studying doesn’t mean that you are smarter or a better studier, just that you learn differently. But congratulations! 229 as a sophomore - wow!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, for your advice! I took a practice test in the new blue book and got a 2200, so hopefully I can bump that up at least a hundred points in the upcoming months.</p>
<p>QuantMech, ahhh I hope so! Lol, they are SO exhausting. Luckily I haven’t made any silly mistakes yet, but I feel like I am becoming increasingly careless…</p>
<p>SandwichGirl, I’m not sure exactly, but there are some rigorous academies that are known for their SAT prep, which are what some of the students I know will be attending. I had scheduling conflicts so I didn’t commit to them, and chose to self-study instead.</p>
<p>2CHiLLaXiN, thanks for the advice! I’m going to do as much as I can on my own, and if in a month, I can’t get my score where I want it to, I’ll consider looking into a PR class nearby.</p>
<p>GujuGeek, your website is spectacular! I’ll keep checking back for updates. :)</p>