<p>I'm a junior. As a sophomore I got an 1840 on my PSATs, and I got an 1830 on junior PSATs (I made really stupid mistakes..like fillign in the bubble correctly..I circled the right answer on the test booklet, but filled in the wrong one in the answer booklet)..Well anyways, I got that score after taking a Kaplan SAT classroom course once..I retook the course again for free (part of the offer). I have until January 23 to prepare. My goal is to get more than a 2100. Should I take another Prep course? Maybe Princeton REview, C2, or Mek Review? Are any of these good? Or should I just study on my own using Practice books? Is so, which books would you recommend? I already have the SAT Sparknotes Powerpack, Kaplan (300) flashcards in a box, Blue Book, and Princeton Review 11 Practice Test. Also, is there anything I can read to improve my CR score (that's the lowest). </p>
<p>…Lol…I’m a junior…I wish I was a sophomore…I took an Sat prep course the summer of my sophomore year and again in Oct-Nov of this (junior) year…I am promising myself that I will study really hard and bring my grade up (over 2100)…I don’t to fail myself…i will definately check out the link…please continue to give suggestions…</p>
<p>I don’t know if this is usual but on my very first practice test, after my freshman year, I scored 1580, with the same range of scores across all three sections. Afterwards, I took the Princeton Review intensive courses every summer and as I began my senior year, I took the Princeton Review premium tutorial for three months. My first SAT score was 2180 (I took that one in December 2008) and on last November SAT, I scored 2360 as a senior (that was my second and the last SAT).<br>
I don’t know if i can say that the summer SAT review courses helped me a lot. But definitely the premium tutorial tremendously helped me. I was lucky enough to have a good teacher whose final touch enabled me to fulfill my potential of breaking in 2300 range.
Yet, I studied on my own. I did my fair amount of extra curricular activities and tried to keep up my grades. But, I abandoned my social life and treated the SAT almost as if it is my wife.<br>
So, from my experience, I think the best way to approach this is to get a good tutor and study independently as well.
I hope it helps.</p>
<p>Well, i took an SAT Prep Course and raised my PSAT score from a 176 to a little over 200 so in a way i do recommend taking a course. However, take the course for the resources (SAT practice tests, shortcuts, etc) and make sure to use them. Best thing you can really do is practice so get some real SAT tests and work to make sure you understand what questions they ask so you know what to do when you encounter them again.
Best of luck.</p>
<p>We had really good results with the testmasters online course for my son (increased about 400 points and currently at harvard). they also offer classroom courses, but I am not sure where. their solutions to the blue book are also really well done. I believe their site is at [Test</a> Masters Official Website - Testmasters](<a href=“http://www.testmasters.com%5DTest”>http://www.testmasters.com). You might want to also check out studyworks, although we went with testmasters.</p>
<p>Before I enrolled in a SAT Prep course, my SAT score was 1520. After 5 months of the course, my score improved by 320 points (1840). I only took the course because I knew I would not make separate time for myself to study SAT vocab/math shortcuts/reading techniques through SAT prep books-there was just too much distractions at my house. The improvement on my SAT is initially through my involvement with the prep course but my effort and dedication also have a significant role. The amount of points that increases is wholly up to how much one’s effort is put into prepping for SAT. I just took the Dec SAT and I feel I just may have gotten over 2000. </p>
<p>If you are like me and know that you will not be able to study enough independently to feel confident during the week of SAT, then invest in your future by enrolling in a proper SAT prep course. They give you all the tools you need you just learn to utilize it during the actual SAT.</p>
<p>Good luck and set your goals high!</p>
<p>P.S. I advise you refrain from online prep courses because they are not as helpful as a one-to-one session, or even a class course.</p>
<p>I took the Kaplan Classroom Course twice…and after seeing my 2nd PSAT score I’m thinking about taking another Course…I was positive that I had improved over 100 pts and had gotten atleast a 1900, if not more. However, I made somme stupid mistakes (like bubbling the answer correctly) because I was extremely nervous, and now I’m even more nervous for the real SATs…I mean with the Practicve TEsts I take at home (in the Princeton Review and Collegeboard bks( by score is b/w 1850 and 1950…but I know I can do better…</p>
<p>from personal experience, I scored better studying on my own. I used workbooks but those cost wayy less than SAT prep courses. I got a 2180 by self-studying but u need the motivation. (I even woke up at 7am Saturday mornings to make testing like the real SAT and people laughed at me for it… o__o but i think it helps). I got 186 for my PSAT junior yr and 1980 on my first SAT. My goal was also 2100.</p>
<p>For bubbling, although I’ve never had any trouble with bubbling the answer correctly, I usually mark it in the answer booklet and after every page or two, I would bubble my answers into the answer sheet. </p>
<p>I suggest using Princeton Review’s 11 practice tests for the SAT, baron’s SAT for math, official collegeboard blue book, and sparknotes for vocab.</p>
<p>Thank You So Much! Every Saturday I take a practice test and I have the Princeton Review 11 Practice Test Book. I am going to work really hard…Also, I like the idea of taking the test @ 7 to get hte ‘real feel.’
Thanks!</p>
<p>in my experience, classes didn’t help me too much. i took the SAT in october during my junior year, after taking a really expensive SAT prep course and scored a 2170. i retook it in november of my senior yr after self-studying and got a 2380…</p>
<p>i think if either CR or W is your lowest score though, go ahead and take a class. math is easier to self-study…</p>
<p>S: His score actually decreased 100 points after taking a popular and expensive course, one on one, at our home. His best score was the first time he took the SAT with no previous tutoring.</p>
<p>D: She increased her score 120 points from her first time taking the test, to the second time (summer’s break in between), with no tutoring and minimal studying on her own. Go Figure!</p>
<p>I think it depends almost entirely on if there is discrepancy between your high school grades and your natural intelligence. If you get good grades (assuming you get good grades) by working really hard, then I would definitely suggest you either study extremely hard or take a course. However, if you find that you’re a pretty lazy student who gets good grades by being a good test taker and learning info quickly, the SAT will be pretty easy. I’m definitely more in the latter category, and I took 1 SAT class before finding out that it was essentially common sense-- if you can think fast and critically, you will have no problem with the SATs. For reference, I didn’t study at all and got a 2300. Also, the Princeton Review classes and others don’t teach anything you can’t find by reading one of their books.</p>
<p>Thank You…I fall more into the 1st category…but you’re actually right…everything the Kaplan Course taught me was essentially in their bks as well…I gues I’ll practice a lot b/f 1/23 … my test date…</p>
<p>I used to teach prep courses for Kaplan. Absolutely nothing that I taught my students were things you couldn’t find in the test prep books at your local bookstore or library, and I found that with students who had scores of over 600 in the sections I taught (critical reading and writing), my tutelage wasn’t extremely helpful anyway. I was teaching them strategies that they already knew how to use. With an 1840, I’d say that you’re probably on that borderline between where prep classes cease to be helpful. Self-study is probably the best option - save your money. (On the old SAT, I originally scored a 1360 in my sophomore year and brought that up to a 1460 by my senior year).</p>
<p>One thing that I will caution, though, is thinking that either a prep book or a class will get you up much farther than you already are. Of course there are outliers - people who increase their scores by 300 points or more. There are a couple who have commented on this thread. However, much more commonly students make more modest increases, maybe 100 points - especially if you are already a junior. Were I you, I would aim for a 2000, and hope for 2100+. A 2000 would still put you in the 93rd percentile.</p>