<p>I am a english learner. and I cannot understand all the question they ask. If i have a dictionary by my hand. I can get over 700 but if without, I can only get like 400 or something, I remebered like 1000 vocabulary, but still i cannot understand the question and the essay. HELP!!!!!!!</p>
<p>You might not even need to take the SAT. I don't know much about the international application process, but you might just need to take the TOEFFL, for non-native speakers.</p>
<p>nash13
haha probably im a exception.
btw stewie314 now im living in USA and having HS here.
I was told that TOEFFL sometime doesnt work well
I wanna apply UCs, if im lucky enough, my best wish is UCLA
but im so freaked out by the critical reading</p>
<p>How long have you been in the US? And how long have you been learning English?
And how do you do on the math section? Because a really good math section score might offset the fact that you haven't as yet fully learned English, if you haven't.</p>
<p>Also, look into the ACT. The ACT is a test geared less toward vocabulary than the SAT is. It is accepted by most colleges (even the UCs) as a substitute for the SAT. You might be able to do better on it.</p>
<p>To nash13: incorrect. </p>
<p>To Seraphthrone: you need to practise, practise, practise. Do not memorize vocabulary lists, just look up the words you dont know when you do practice tests. Use blue book and official online course. Do those tests a lot times, read the answer explanations, find out the pattern for the questions. This is the fastest way to improve your CR score. I did, it works. 加油加油.</p>
<p>Vocabulary lists can help too, actually. I memorized a whole bunch of words over the summer and it helped my own performance a lot. But for the actual passage questions, you should probably just do a whole bunch of practice tests, as Seraphthrone says.</p>
<p>The essays are a different matter entirely. Check out some of the essay blogs.</p>
<p>And you do really need to practice because a 400 will not fly on the UCs at all.</p>
<p>i just came here 2 years ago, and i studied english for awhile but most part is about grammar. so im not so worried about grammar part. sometime i can do better then native americans. i can surely get a 750+ on math. and hopefully 650+ on grammar.</p>
<p>i found memorizing vocab is such a pain. it does work though. but its like u at least need remeber 4000+ to recieve any effect.</p>
<p>i also tried to use morphs and roots, but there are always exceptions, its just not so good.</p>
<p>i did the entire PR 11 tests. but my score only goes from 320 to about 450.</p>
<p>on the other hand i did pretty bad for literature in China, almost failed. i just dono how to read sometime.</p>
<p>for essay im not so worried, the reason i can get into AP eng is because i can write reasonable essay. i sometime write novel just for fun(but i hardly finish any, most time just a begining, or even just a setting)</p>
<p>and now i feel that i sometime cannot recognize some words that are considered to be the common words, which means i don't find them in the vocab list(maybe just because they r too basic for the native ppl, so they skip them), then how am i gonna study those?</p>
<p>but i do find great improvement since i live in such a language environment. but im just worrying that even such improvement is not enough for raise about 200 on CR.</p>
<p>thx u guys give me all these advise. i will try and see if they work.
thx again</p>
<p>for example these words, r they considered vocabs??</p>
<p>survey
pediatricians
crumble
spurred
celebrities
engagement
innovative
controversial
dingy
amusement
endorsing
impudent
exquisite</p>
<p>I'm also an int'l student. I've come to US for 4 months, and reading is my trouble too. I created this software to study vocab <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=118541%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=118541</a>
You guys can use it for free, hope it will help you. My last Reading score is 540, not high enough to compete with native applicants. I'm trying my best to take a better score for the last hope-Jan test. Some more thousands words may help...</p>
<p>To Seraphthrone: those are just basic words. Follow my advice, look up the words you dont know when you do practice tests. That is the best and efficient way!
Memorize vocab list....time consuming and less effect.....many of them even don't appear on the test.....</p>
<p>Read all Critical Reading articles in blue book and official online course, look up the words you dont know, keep reading until you can fully understand them and recognize all the words.
Get away from PR, kaplan, barron's.....etc. Stick with blue book and official online course.</p>
<p>ok thx ur guys</p>