KonnoYuuki's (Very) Detailed Guide to SAT 2400

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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I don’t think you will be disappointed after reading this. It’s not even long compared to most guides, so stop watching your low-tier waifu/anime and read.

Guess it’s time to repay this wonderful community. I dedicate this to all of my waifus (anime and irl) hehe.
Hopefully, this will help some people before they phase out the 2400 SAT.
Into: Each person is different, but this guide will try to present a foolproof plan which you must improve upon individually. I can tell you to write a sentence, but you determine how good that sentence is. Note that I believe there is a relatively significant “foundations” factor, but I assure you it’s more about prior learning/reading than how “smart” you are (if that can be defined).

1.Essay
Arguably the easiest part of the test (or writing) for anyone with decent writing or that intuitive “it sounds right” feeling. As others like academichacker have proposed, you must make a universal template. But I want to take this concept deeper. The main problems with templates are 1. example quality and 2. terribad structure. Assuming you follow the 5 paragraph standard essay, your examples should be diverse and attack the subject from different perspectives. Try chronological order: eg1=ancient civilization, eg2=literary, eg3=contemporary/personal. This sequence will guarantee a consistent format.

Then is structure. Time is really short so you must have a pre-written template whenever possible. This means almost your entire intro should be predetermined. You will write a template and memorize it. A very simple intro template might look like this:
General statement. When A and B, will ultimately C. Acknowledge opposite side of argument. Several events from the lives of X, Y, and Z demonstrate the power of to D.
If you are a good writer, you will have less absolute structure because you can write a “general statement” better than you can some fixed line. If you are not as prolific, I advise you to write a more rigid template, at least for the intro.
The body paragraphs will have pre-written intros which should tell us, in preferably 1 sentence, topic, perspective, result. Topic=like your thesis eg. Honesty is good Perspective=how our example attacks this thesis eg. when Sam cheated on his SAT. Result=should be quite significant eg. he received a zero, undermining his reputation and costing him a job at ArcelorMittal. Notice that this is rather specific. SAT loves details. Don’t just say his reputation dipped. Write about his precise score, his personal and financial loses. It wasn’t just any job offer. It was a job at the prestigious sounding ArcelorMittal. In the body, you will describe, specifically but concisely, what happened and the consequences. Now, use your predetermined transition for the next body paragraph. For me, I had two set transitions depending on the relationship between the two paragraphs. (eg. one for a similar perspective, one for a counterexample.) Use a counterexample. This is often best in your personal example because it’s easier to make it up. Oh yes, by the way, you are making these up. No matter how much your tutor wishes for you to memorize Steve Job’s memoir, you yourself will be able to come up with unique, impressionable examples which can be used universally. Why bother wasting your life and deciding which examples to use when you can make examples up on the spot. Of course, you will specifically look over CC’s consolidated list of essay prompt archetypes and generate a suitable example which fits every one. Eg. The sample ancient Greece essay on CB can be very universal. You will usually end up talking about a Greek general/ruler if it’s a prompt like “is honesty good.” A general can also notice the “little details” or have guidance from “experienced elders.” You get the point. Repeat this process with your 3 examples, not forgetting to prepare for “technological progress” which stumps ancient Greece. However, I find that there are no exceptions like technology if you play your cards right.

Your conclusion is similar to your intro, fully structured already. You should also acknowledge the opposite argument, but downplay it with your thesis. Eg. Although deception may be occasionally justified in exceptional circumstances, honesty will eventually prevail through the test of time. At the end, to fill up hopefully that last squished half-line, you will push the argument deeper. If it’s honesty/deception, write, after your repeated thesis, eg. In a world of social media and networking, it is of paramount importance that we uphold the quintessential values of honesty, integrity, and ethics. A finisher like this will triumph over your friends’ “end with a quote” or “make some bs up about politics.” Yes, your intro will be soon forgotten. It’s more important to end on this kind of fulfilling note.

Make sure to form a coherent argument which should ideally reflect American beliefs eg. don’t write about how great dishonesty can be even if you can fully support it. After reading your well structured essay, a coherent argument, diverse examples from ancient times to present, a counterexample, and subtle acknowledgement of the opposite side, the reader will say “Wow, finally someone with an ounce of sophistication. This DESERVES a 6!”

2.W Writing is also very simple. Get Erica Meltzer’s Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar and memorize all the rules down to every little detail. This is by far the best resource I can recommend and goes beyond a typical list of rules into the niceties of test structure, etc. Then, just practice. You should be at a point where, if given unlimited time, you can answer every question perfectly. There is a bit of memorization required with idioms and prepositions. Just watch out for diction errors. See? Ez-pz

  1. M Math is very simple on the SAT. But even if you feel completely confident, you still end up getting one wrong. There is some studying to do. If you are not fully confident, you may want to brush up on each of the question types. I recommend Dr. Chung's SAT Math book. It has 67 question types and you will likely find a few you don't know. Standard review books are simply too easy. You need to look for higher level, quality resources like the 2 I've mentioned. Then, it's just about focus and reading the question.

This guide continues below.

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Continued.

  1. CR Oh, the dreaded critical reading. This one goes something along these lines: You start off, improve, and plateau. CR is by far the hardest section to improve on because you are limited by what you've read. International students will find that sometimes they simply don't understand wtf is going on with the insecure city girl walking through a random town. For this, I used Erica Meltzer's The Critical Reader. But as I've said, your progress here depends largely on difficult to control factors. Did you read the Odyssey in elementary school? Exactly. Some people will start far ahead of you, especially if you grew up speaking "Asian. The book may be of help, but Meltzer clearly warns that this book will not make up for past reading. It is more of an explicit guide that outlines typical feature of an SAT passage. It includes discussions of all the question types, from main point to inference. I found some parts very helpful. Eg. the section on tone. She will teach you the difference between all the words that mean "funny." (There is no difference as far as the SAT is concerned.) If I had to summarize the main point of the book, it would go like: Every author has a point. Passages about Japanese-Americans, African-Americans, and visible minorities will always be positive af. Dual passages are either completely opposite points, or similar points from different perspectives (hard!). She covers all the standard stuff and goes into much greater depth than most guides. Again, stay away from the big names, except for maybe Barron's. Below is the KEY to CR. Apart from my rave about this book, CR is, tbh, very difficult to improve on. Once you plateau, you will struggle until you "click." I think this does happen, as it did for me. Do not mindlessly do practice tests hoping you somehow improve your reading by looking at the right answer. Instead, stare down questions you are unsure of, without looking at the answer. Then, think about it until your hair turns white, figuring out what word makes each answer incorrect. Examine the authors main point and the perspective from which the indicated lines support the argument. You will probably find yourself doing this when stuck between 2 choices. Do not check answer. Hopefully, you will click. Then you will see questions clearly, easily recognize plausible but specious answers, and hopefully never have to take the SAT again.

“Don’t study until you get it right, study until you can’t get it wrong.”

Essentially, I’ve recommended 3 books and helped you a great deal with your essay template and CR approach. If you have time and care, here is my discourse on life:

Life is unfair. But success, as most define it, can be achieved without much prerequisites. Many shady things occur but there is no need to speak up. Instead, work around it. Use your brain. If you know you’re doing something wrong, change your approach. Don’t simply stay in your languor. In this way, we can easily prevent things like procrastination or greed. If you have power, use it, but make sure that your children will be able to do the same. If we don’t spoil our future, society can be a lot better off. If you dislike someone, don’t take action. Just ignore these potential conflicts and go on your own way. Yes, it’s incredibly important to find your own way. This means, just because everyone is learning cs or biology doesn’t mean you should do the same. Truly successful people have the foresight to find problems and identify future winners. CS will probably get outsourced to particular third-world countries. If you are poor, do not be jealous of people with private tutors or private jets. By staying focused on your prudently chosen path, you should have no trouble surpassing the less determined, but privileged individuals. When others are unethical, don’t follow them, unless 90% of the population is doing the same. Do not waste time reading tomes or the entire fiction section. Go out do something that society currently values (but may not necessarily have great value for you). This might be volunteering to show society how much you love Africa. Don’t just study at home with no friends because you’ll get screwed sooner or later. When a teacher has bias towards a cute, but insincerely perfect girl, there’s nothing you can really do about that. xD You can’t change human nature, but you can change your own life. If there’s one thing you should do every once in a while, think about your ideas and goals. Are they prudent? Will you be truly happy learning CS because your parents heard it was nice? Will you really enjoy 50 years of theoretical mathematics? Make choices that you find viable after long consideration. If you can retire at 40, then you can still enjoy playing the piano, or would you rather be unemployed at 40? Unless you’re powerful/rich/a genius, you need to carefully consider your choices in life.
For anything,
“You don’t want to look back and know you could’ve done it better.”
Thank you, mes chers waifus.

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Great guide!

To those of you who will inevitably ask if you can go from score X to score Y, the answer is a resounding yes you can. Just search up Shia’s Just Do It. It’s both entertaining and helpful. One line that especially struck me was “Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.” It’s so easy to dream about fluking a high score. In reality it’s incredibly hard. You must be the one who works hard, the one who wants it more than anyone else. Don’t let people scare you into thinking your SAT score is set in stone and dependent on intelligence. Nothing could be further than the truth. While it’s obvious that one’s socioeconomic status can give one a higher starting score, the end score is entirely dependent on how much work you choose to put in. If I can go from 1800’s to 2370, if spuding102 can go from 1420 to 2210, if hundreds of cc’ers have done the same, there is no doubt in my mind that you can do the same.

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Just curious, did you score 2400 on your first try?

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I’m also curious to know whether most 2400 scorers get it their first time or another try?

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Nah, most of the ones I know are 2nd try or superscores

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I got it on my second try.