Hi,
So I’m a Canadian high school student (either Grade 11/12 next year, not sure yet), and I’ve decided to give the SAT a shot in Oct. after preparing for it over the summer holidays. I’ve been using the Khan Academy online prep program, in addition to some SAT prep books borrowed from the library that I’ve leafed through. So after 3-4 weeks of this (1h/daily), I took a shot at the first SAT practice test (on paper), and managed to get 1430, with 750 on reading/writing and 680 on math. My brain just sort of fizzled out by the end of the Calculator Math section, which kind of explains the much lower math score. My lowest in the math sections was on Passport to Advanced Math.
Is this a good score to start off from, to make a good uni? Can I expect 1500+ if I continue to prepare like this for 2-3 more months? How can I improve some of the math areas I haven’t really covered in school (polynomials,etc)?
I would greatly appreciate any feedback. Please tag or refer me to anyone that can help.
A 1430 is a very good score, especially without having really studied. With 2-3 months of intense preparation I could see you breaking a 1500, as long as that 1430 was timed. You have to realize though, if you’re talking about truly elite schools (Ivy’s, MIT, Stanford, Caltech etc.), they look for a lot more than just a great SAT score. A huge percentage of your application will be based on your grades, course rigor, extracurricular activities, fit, your major etc. If you want to go to one of these schools as an international a 1500+ is pretty much necessary in order to get your foot in the door unless you’re incredible in one of these other areas. Your breakdown matters a bit too. If you’re trying to get into a top engineering program, that 680 could be an issue. That being said, there are hundreds of really good schools in the US, and many of them would be happy to have you if you have a 1430, good grades, and good EC’s.
Regarding studying math, you should be able to find pretty much anything on the test in a college level algebra textbook. Polynomials, for instance, you should be able to find in any basic algebra textbook at the library.
I am aiming for the truly elite schools, because if I don’t make them, McGill or U of T in my own country are much better than the alternatives (and they don’t require the SAT).
I’ll likely aim for a humanities major (political science, history, etc), but again, I have never had the chance to take an AP or IB course, so that will work against me.
The 1430 was timed, but Khan Academy is starting to feel a bit repititive, and their program is more for revision than actually learning the math concepts.
Can anyone point me towards a book specifically for Passport to Advanced Math for the New Sat?