<p>ok so I got my SAT scores and I got a 490 on the critical reading! My math was ok(620) and my writing was horrible (520). I was expecting an 1800 but got a 1630. Since I'm applying to schools like Mcgill and Georgetown, I need a pretty darn good score (1900-2100). So I need to know how to improve my critical reading score from a 490 to a 600. If you have other strategies for improving my math and writing, feel free to post it too. I have until the next SAT test which is probably in september/october.</p>
<p>also are there any books I can buy? And since I'm taking 5 AP classes, I'm going to be reading a total of 5 books during the summer, will that help?</p>
<p>I would read more than five books. Read, read, read. That is the number one way that I prepped for my reading section. </p>
<p>Read a good variety. It will expose you to more vocab words, and it will help you speed/comprehension. Try to predict things that will happen later in the story, and just be an active reader in general.</p>
<p>Understand what it is that you’re reading, don’t jump into conclusions. You don’t really need much to get a 600 besides comprehension. Don’t pick answer choices because they sound good, pick them only if you can point to a line or a word which proves them correct.</p>
<p>should I also buy workbooks to help my reading comprehension and do you think it’s possible to improve it to a 600 at least? I feel like I need to find a way to focus well and read analytically. I still haven’t found MY strategy. I don’t really enjoy reading that much so that plays to the low score I received; I can’t focus on a passage that I don’t find interesting.</p>
<p>start reading a passage and try to understand it as much as possible. once you hit a rough spot, re-read and see where you messed up. KEEP doing it and your reading comprehension will gradually improve. is it a vocabulary word you dont understand? look it up. is it the tone of the author that you dont understand? what is the main idea of the passage? what is the point of paragraph 2? you dont have to answer these questions in your head. you just have to be able to answer them upon being questioned. and this natural ability comes your confidence in your ability to comprehend a given passage</p>
<p>you dont need workbooks. just take the practice tests in the blue book (the Official SAT Study Guide, edition 2) and try to improve</p>
<p>…And I thought I was the only person with a score lower than 1800 around here =_=</p>
<p>I’m sticking around for some advice too</p>
<p>I second using the Blue Book. Take every CR section/test in there and always check your answers at all times, especially wrong ones. The answer explanations for the tests are online at collegeboard.com</p>
<p>Improving to a 600 is possible, but you’re going to need to work very hard between now and then. Definitely use the blue book, and try not to rely on anyone else’s explanations re: the correct answer…you’ll learn WHY you made the mistake if you work through it yourself. </p>
<p>When you’re not prepping, read! That’s even better practice than the blue book for CR. And it needs to be reading that challenges you. The passages on the SAT represents the types of things you’ll be reading in college, so get used to pushing yourself now 
Read newspapers, read novels, read cereal boxes (ok, maybe not that last one), but you get the idea.</p>
<p>Finally, put some effort into vocab. It’s not as essential as the reading with a goal of 600, but since you’ve got a lot of time between now, you can do it. Lots of people advocate direct hits. Personally, I like Word-Nerd.com but do whatever is palatable to you Good luck.</p>
<p>Because this question comes up so consistently on this forum, I’ll quickly outline an effective study strategy that has worked for many high scorers:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>READ. You probably already know this one, so I’ll move on. </p></li>
<li><p>Get the [Blue Book <a href=“The%20Official%20SAT%20Study%20Guide”>/url</a> and do as many Critical Reading sections as possible (this applies for every section of the SAT).</p></li>
<li><p>After each section, go over each question and passage thoroughly. </p></li>
</ol>
<pre><code>- Write down and define every word you don’t know (both in the sentence completion sections and passage-based sections – this includes words in the questions and answer choices too, not just within the passages themselves.
- For passage-based questions, go over every question until you can absolutely justify what the correct answer is for each.
</code></pre>
<ol>
<li> For people struggling with the reading passages, learn to evaluate the questions and answer choices, at least as much as you evaluate the passages. This is a tough concept to master, but if you learn to do this, it will pay off greatly.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>For more on this, checkout these:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://satninja.com/sat-critical-reading/how-i-improved-my-critical-reading-score-by-150-points]How”>http://satninja.com/sat-critical-reading/how-i-improved-my-critical-reading-score-by-150-points]How</a> I improved my Critical Reading Score by 150 Points](<a href=“http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0874478529&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr”>http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0874478529&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr</a>)</p>
<p>[How</a> to Answer SAT Critical Reading Questions without Reading the Passages](<a href=“http://satninja.com/sat-critical-reading/how-to-answer-sat-critical-reading-questions-without-reading-the-passages]How”>http://satninja.com/sat-critical-reading/how-to-answer-sat-critical-reading-questions-without-reading-the-passages)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Buy the [Rocket Revolution](<a href=“http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0451219465&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr”>http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0451219465&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr</a>). I personally find this to be the best resource for on the Critical Reading passage-based questions. It provides a different approach to the reading passages than most SAT books, but it’s much more insightful.</p></li>
<li><p>Buy the [Direct</a> Hits Core Vocabulary](<a href=“http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0981818439&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr]Direct”>http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sn0ca-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0981818439&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr) book. With only 200 words, the book provides a much more concise list of vocabulary words consistently used on the SAT. It also provides great examples from pop culture and current events.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you do all these things, there’s no reason you can’t bring your score up into the 700s.</p>
<p>*BTW, this is more an organized list than a step-by-step strategy, so do them in whatever order suits your studying needs.</p>