Hello!
I am a freshman looking to apply to a certain boarding school. This boarding school requires a SAT score. I am currently averaging a 700 Math. I figured out my weakness in math. The problem is I know all the concepts required to answer certain math questions, but the problem is I do not think outside of the box. So, I was wondering how I can improve on the skills that require people to think outside of the box?
Try to think of alternate ways to solve a problem. Ultimately its all about how you analyze the problem. Mike Barrett has a guide for doing this for the old SAT, called ‘The Black Book’. I do not know when he is releasing one for the new SAT but I’m hoping it’s soon.
@Isutiger25 try solving more challenging problems from other sources, such as AMC8/10/12 problems. Those may give you exposure to solving tricky problems in which the solution may not be obvious at first glance.
Every SAT math question can be solved in under a minute or so – no questions should require really tedious algebra or arithmetic, although some might look like they do.
As you go back over your practice tests, don’t forget to take another look at the problems you got right! Can you do them another way? If you used algebra the first time, try making up numbers or trial and error. If you didn’t use a calculator, see if you can find a calculator solution. If you did not use formal math, try to do it that way now. Your goal is to build flexibility so that on the real day, you solve those problems a little faster. That will leave you with more time for that small handful of problems that separate your already-excellent-score from a super-elite-score.
SAT math problems do not require out-of-the-box exotic approaches to solving them. They just require speed and accuracy.
If you already are comfortable with the all the math concepts in the test, then don’t waste your time studying the concepts willy nilly. Work on speed & accuracy. Do lots of timed practice tests. Download and print the free ones from the College Board’s website.
As you take the practice tests, mark the questions that took you a long time to think about. Then go back and read the explanation of how to do the problem for the questions you got wrong or took a long time to ponder. This way you** laser-focus your energy on just the stuff that needs further attention. **
After you’ve done several practice tests. Then a week or so later, take the identical practice again.
A totally separate issue is, if this is for boarding school admission then why not take the SSAT?