Need some advice for senior taking the SAT the first time next year.

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>Ok here's the deal. This year(jr) I took the ACT for the first time. I don't think I did horrible, but I don't think I did great either, I really got hurt by the time limit on the next two sections. I don't think I can see myself getting better then a 26 or 27.</p>

<p>The day after that I took the SAT from the Blue Book, with the time limit. I never ran of time on one section, and was able to work at a steady pace.</p>

<p>My scores were </p>

<p>Critical Reading 680-Most of my lost points were on level 5 vocab words, I find this pretty easy. The only issue I can see with this section is a time crunch because I finished one of the CR sections with under a minute left. I think I'll have to be a little harder on the vocab so I can go through Direct hits and hopefully picks those points back up. To be honest, I really think on a good day I can get a 800 on this section. </p>

<p>Math Section 630-This is a problem because I don't think reviewing the concepts will help. I understand almost everything.There might have been 5 math questions on the whole test that I didn't know how to do, with 3 of them being the free response. So my plan is to brush up on those. The problem for me on this section is that I think I tend to fall for their trap answers too easily. </p>

<p>Writing 590 (Assuming my essay is at least a nine) I just suck at this. It just bores me to death. I don't know what I can do to fix it besides do a ton of work practicing grammar, which I find extremely boring. The last section of the test killed me because I was anxious to finish it too. </p>

<p>So I'm going to take the ACT in September because I need a test with a writing assessment, but I find the SAT a much easier test for me to take, and I fell I can definitely break 2000; so I'm going to take the SAT as soon I can. BUT, that'll be cutting it extremely close to college deadlines(I think) so I can only take it once.</p>

<p>SO....based on the information above, can someone give me a good study plan to improve my score over the summer. I can buy books if that's what's required. I currently have Grubers complete guide, The BB, Princeton Cracking the SAT, and Barron's 2400. And I'll be picking up direct hits shortly.</p>

<p>I have pretty much limitless time during the summer to study, but after school starts in mid August I'll have alot on my plate. If anyone wants to help me I'll be extremely grateful.</p>

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<p>Are you applying early decision or early action? Seniors applying regular decision generally have 3 testing dates: October, November, and December. </p>

<p>You should get the blue book (“The Official SAT Study Guide” edition 2) if you haven’t already. It has 10 practice tests made by the College Board, the maker of the SAT. It is the most valuable study source. With that I think you are good to go.</p>

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<p>Really? I can test in December? Purdue says their application deadline in mid-November though.</p>

<p>I already got the Blue Book, but should I use the practice test now, or wait until the October test is more close?</p>

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<p>I said that was “generally” the case. If Purdue’s deadline is in November, then it doesn’t accept the December SAT, but you could still take it if your other schools accept it.</p>

<p>I think you should start studying now and just divide all the practice throughout the summer. Don’t think of the test as something you really need to learn a lot for. The knowledge you need to have (i.e., formulas, topics to write about on the essay, etc.) is generally basic; the vocabulary is probably the only thing you need to worry about in terms of retention/memory. You won’t really forget anything because it is a reasoning test. Once you fully learn how to use reasoning to answer questions on the SAT, you won’t lose any of it. This applies to writing as well. Don’t think there are so many grammar rules to learn. A lot of it can be deduced by reasoning. When you learn rules, try to apply reasoning to them and to make sense of them. It will eventually come naturally to you and you won’t worry about forgetting it come October (or November).</p>

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<p>crazybandit has offered good opinions about test taking time. So I won’t bother with that question. I just want to say that you’ve got to finish with SAT before November.
My only suggestion is: read! read!! you gotta read!!!</p>

<p>An amazing SAT score requires nothing but reading. From my own experience: I finished Barron’s 2400, Official Guide and Collegeboard’s Online Practice. But I could not make it to 2200+. Then I began reading veraciously. George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Carlyle, Willa Cather…every author. then I took the real test in June (before real test I took only several mock tests) and got a score that I personally consider decent enough for me not to retake SAT test.
You have practiced many SAT questions and have got a fairly good idea about SAT questions types. Now you only need more reading! I think George Eliot is particularly helpful. Because that silly girl (:stuck_out_tongue: ) has special preference for long-winded sentences and rare words and big words. I think SAT reading materials are kinda like her writings: stuffed with big words. :D</p>

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<p>Not all college app deadlines mean that your test scores have to be there. For example, UCs app deadline is end of November but they will accept Dec test scores.</p>

<p>Check with each college you are interested in.</p>

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<p>Any help on the writing section</p>

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<p>^^^

voraciously.</p>

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<p>^^ Writing is analogous to Math. To correct syntactical errors with accuracy and speed, you must repeatedly practice and sharpen your skills. You can also improve on Math by the same method of practice.</p>