<p>I got my SAT scores back today. 620 Math, 510 Writing, and 540 Reading. I have to have the lowest grades ever on this site. I'm arguably the smartest kid in my entire school. I am in general smart, but taking the SAT has made me feel awful.
I did not study at all for the SAT, but I still feel frustrated at my score. I definitely have the potential to score quite high, but I am not sure exactly where to begin. I have read some of Xiggi's posts about the studying process, but I am unsure on the literal scheduling.
Should I just buy the books and study 30 min a day? A few hours a weekend? Two hours a day?
What I am unsure of is how exactly should I prepare my time schedule for the SAT, what can I expect from myself, and how am I supposed to study for the writing questions?
How much do all of you who get 2100+ study, and how?</p>
<p>To add something. Do the people who take it their first time and get 2300 take a lot of practice tests, or what? I know I am smart, but now I feel so inadequate and moronic for attaining a low score.</p>
<p>hey sorry to hear it i know how you feel. my score isnt that high but i improved one of my sections to 710 so that made me really happy. but only a genius would get 2300 their first time with no studying; you said you did not study. the first try thing is decieving becus anyone who gets 2300 their first time prolly did some intense preparation( some start prep at 9th grade). just keep working hard doing practice tests gl.</p>
<p>Don’t worry–I got 670 w, 640 cr, and something in the 500’s math. So around the same range…</p>
<p>It’s hard to believe the smartest student at a high school scores a 1670.</p>
<p>^ I think it really varies by person and depends on your testing skills… it’s easy to be unfamiliar with the format… for example, on the June SAT, I got a 6 (!!!) essay, but on the October one, I got a 12… it’s not like my writing skills improved any, I just knew what CB wanted this time…</p>
<p>Well I don’t like my score either ( eventhough it was better than my ACT) it was mind blowing to see it just like the test. I personally wont be retaking any more of these test but I do know if I did have the mind set to do so I would get like a English 101 book or something for the SAT thats basically all I’ve found it to be besides the subject test ( which I never took).</p>
<p>“it’s easy to be unfamiliar with the format”</p>
<p>There is nothing particularly unusual about the test’s format. Any student who has learned in a standard educational environment should not be so surprised by any aspect of the test as to significantly alter his or her score from what it “should” be.</p>
<p>That’s in a roundabout way my point. If I am so good, why did I score so low? It makes me question my intellect. I just need to buckle down and study, I just don’t know good methods. I think the best thing I can do is treat the SAT like a school subject, and study every day. Either that or my school is horrible…</p>
<p>I sort of wrote this post in the middle of a bad mental time. If it seems more like a rant, my apologies. I just don’t know where to begin studying for the SAT.</p>
<p>By studying I reccomend not going through any “lesson plan” book but rather just one filled with practice SAT’s. Don’t worry about timing yourself or doing the entire section in 1 section. Just try to do a section at a time and after each section while the material is still fresh in your mind look at the answer key for the ones you got wrong and figure out why they’re right.</p>
<p>I think Kaplan Practice SAT Book and the Blue Book of Practice SAT’s helped me a lot</p>
<p>The same exact thing happend to me. I am the person people always thought would do amazing, but I didn’t. I got a low score, in the 1600’s. It just makes me feel odd, I know a lot of people get in the 2000’s without trying. I actually studied a little and got my score. I was shocked. So I know how you feel.</p>
<p>I scored a 620M, and 610 Reading, with a 570 Writing, so I am still in your range. That is after some intense studying on the math, I had what would have been a 19 ACT math, and brought it all the way up to a 27 ACT math in a month and a half.</p>
<p>How much can someone go up in one part? Is it possible to go up 100 points after preparing for 5 weeks?</p>
<p>Well, do you equate “smart” with “does well in school”? That might explain part of it. The SAT is a somewhat different set of skills; for example, I’m not even in the top quarter of my graduating class, but I got a 2240 and then a 2290 on the SAT with minimal to no studying. Then again, that’s probably not such a big deal anymore because of all the people who prep intensively and get the same scores. (The idea of studying for the SAT makes me kind of sad, but obviously I can see how people are driven to do it.) </p>
<p>Either way, good luck! If you try to actually improve your reading, math etc. instead of just studying for the test, you’ll gain a lot more than a better score.</p>
<p>It is weird how the SAT can yield such bad results for the best students. Just use your studying skills to study for the SAT and hope for the best. Or the ACT might be worth a shot.</p>
<p>Some people can have a high IQ and still be bad at taking tests. The SAT is not a measurement of your intelligence. Just keep studying and familiarize yourself with the test! Good luck.</p>
<p>silverturtle - You would be surprised. My schools average SAT last year was a 1130/2400. I scored a 1780, 1840 superscored which is the highest of this years grad class.</p>
<p>The OP and the poster above, are you internationals?</p>
<p>And average of 1130/2400 for an entire school is just ridiculous. No offense, but what kind of kids do go to your school that their average score is 400 points lower than the national average? about 370 points per section? W T F.</p>
<p>Personally, I have noticed a growing tend at my school in which students strive for high grades but not necessarily a high level of knowledge. They attend cram sessions and pull all nighters for tests, but they do not actually learn and retain this knowledge. Maybe this is carrying over into test scores. Personally, the first time I took the SAT I did not study and got a 2180. When I took it again (with no studying this time either) I got a 2300. Maybe it’s because I focus on learning the material taught in school rather than what is on the tests. Or maybe I’m just lucky.</p>