I got a 1570 on my second SAT and I just realized that I’m probably not going to get into my top college (University of Delaware) with that score. I signed up for the SAT on January 24th. That gives me about 20 days to study. Is it possible for me to raise my score 200 points? If so how?
How have you been studying?
@turnuptuesday I haven’t started studying yet. I was planning on starting today. I just got an SAT book from the library.
Ah I see, what book did you pick up? If you haven’t studied at all and got a 1570 I think it’s very possible for you to raise your score by 200 points if you live and breath the SAT for the next 20 days.
@turnuptuesday I got the College Board SAT book.
Perfect. You said you picked it up from the library, but I hope you’re able to write in it because the 10 practice tests are the most valuable part of the book. When it comes to the SAT, practice really is the most important part. With 20 days you won’t have time to learn a ton of vocab or how to do every level 4/5 math problem but for the score you’re going for that’s not necessary. At this point just try to take as many timed sections from the book as you can, always making sure that it is in a setting that is similar to how you will actually be taking the test. If possible take as many as you can all the way through, because that’s how it will be on test day. Go back and check your answers and make sure you understand why an answer choice you chose was wrong and why the right one was the correct answer. If you can’t figure out why you got a question wrong more often than not if you type the beginning of the question into Google you’ll find an explanation in the first few links. There are a lot more in depth guides and information in the SAT preparation forum on College Confidential and I suggest you spend some time reading through the stickied threads on that board.
@turnuptuesday Thank you!
I’d recommend Kaplan’s SAT books. I was getting a 1900-2000 in that, and I ended up with a 2230 on the actual test. So I feel like it prepares you better.
I raised my SAT score by 200 points - granted though, I had a lot more time to study than you. @turnuptuesday is right. Practice tests are your friend. I usually recommend one every weekend, but since you’re compressing this a lot, I would say one every 3-4 days. If it all possible, take it all the way through. People underestimate the role of mental stamina in taking the SAT. Go to the library if you can - you’ll be in an environment you’re not in control of with potentially distracting stimuli (just like the testing center). After you finish, grade your test to get a feel for how you are doing, and then correct your test. For all the problems you get wrong, figure out why you got them wrong. Arithmetic error? Mistyped on the calculator? Forgot to bring down a negative sign? Misread the question? Had no clue what the question was asking? Hopefully some patterns will start to emerge so you know what to watch for.
Misc Tip: For writing, before you start trying to figure out if there’s a dangling participle, just read the sentence to yourself a few times. Many times, you’ll realize the problem with the sentence, or at least narrow it down to two options.
Yes its possible cause I raised mine by 90 points studying
@Te4mVygrin How many days did you study for?
2 months
Yes. This is very doable. If you are aiming for 600 per section, you just need to focus on only answering the ones you are 90% sure are correct. You can leave a LOT blank and still get 1800. But you have to get the ones you do answer correct.
For instance, you need about 38 out of 54 correct for a 600 in math and 46/67 in critical reading. That means that you can leave five blank per section in math and seven blank per section in reading and still reach your goal. This approach will also give you more time. If you are a slow reader, skip an entire seven question passage and focus on getting all the others correct.
Those wrong answers can drag your score down quickly. Every two wrong cancels out one that you got right.
An 1800 is perfectly attainable with a targeted approach.
I went up from an 1840 to a 2080 by studying with the official book and taking a practice test every day for 8 Days leading up to the test. You can do it.
I raised my score from 1880 to 2030 by taking 10 tests (Kaplan) in 3 weeks so if you study enough, you’ll manage it.
I raised my score by 170 points (2160–>2330) in about a month and a half of study.
Practice Tests MUST be done. As many as possible.
Although other posters recommend otherwise, I would suggest you stick to only official CB papers. Lots of them are available on the net.
As for the writing section, find a pattern in the questions. Lots of rules are same.
For the essay, send me a personal message on CC.