<p>I envy the people who can take the SAT without any prep whatsoever and score a 2200+. The SAT is entirely different from any test I've taken in high school and requires at least some getting acquainted to the style and format of the test. Even though CollegeBoard claims that the SAT "isn't designed to trick you " and that if you "take rigorous, challenging courses in high school, you'll be ready for the test," this couldn't be further from the truth.</p>
<p>My sophomore PSAT score was a 177 - 56 CR / 61 M / 60 Writing. Mind you, this was without any prep except for the official practice booklet that I was required to do in English class. I didn't know anything about the PSAT except that it might predict how well I would do on the SAT and that there was a guessing penalty of -1/4 of a point for answering a question incorrectly. </p>
<p>Now, I would say that I'm a pretty intelligent person. I'm taking as many AP classes as I can take, and I can usually get A+s in them without killing myself through studying. Most things come naturally to me, and if they don't, studying a little always fixes that. Basically, I'm not perfect but I would describe myself as smart (hopefully, this doesn't come off as conceited). </p>
<p>I was utterly baffled by the PSAT though. Now that I'm looking at my sophomore year PSAT score, I really had no idea what I was doing. I omitted questions left and right, easy and difficult. I didn't really understand what the questions were asking, especially in the CR sections. I'm an analytical person and I would often reach for answers that just weren't supported by the text, the blame for which falls on me, I admit. The math section was a killer for me as the last 3 or so questions in each math section would utterly stump me, despite the fact that math is easily my strongest subject. </p>
<p>I took the PSAT again in my junior year. I improved by not be that significant a margin: 190 - 65 CR / 62 M / 63 W. Looking over the score report, I made the same silly mistakes and omits, except this time I got luckier. I definitely felt like I knew more/was smarter from sophomore year to junior year, just not the type of "smart" that helps on the SAT. Again though, this was without much studying except the official practice booklet. </p>
<p>Then it was time to actually study for the SATs. My first practice tests gave me score ranges of 2000 - 2280 and 2070-2310. I figured I would score somewhere in between those ranges on the actual test. I kind of plateauing at the latter range for a while and didn't improve much. I was happy that when I took a few of the practice tests that gave exact scores, I was typically scoring from 2230 - 2340. I was content with this but it bugged me that CR was still my lowest score, with me typically getting anywhere from 5 to 10 wrong. </p>
<p>I took the SAT for the first time as a senior this past October, and the results were pretty good but at the lowest end of what the practice tests were predicting: 2230 - 680 CR / 750 M / 800 W. The harsh math curve was disappointing but I had already signed up for November so I figured I would be able to increase that score and CR then. </p>
<p>I took the November test and I think I definitely broke the 2300 mark, if not in that single sitting then definitely with my superscore. I don't think I got the 800 writing again, as I got 1 MC wrong and I'm not expecting anything amazing from the essay graders (the SAT essay, might I just say, is one of the most superficial tests of writing I have ever seen). I don't know what happened, but I thought the CR section was so much easier than last time around, and I only know of 2 questions total that I got wrong this time. I probably got more than that wrong but certainly not as many as the 9 I answered incorrectly in October. I'm positive I got the 800 in math this time, or at least I'm hoping.</p>
<p>Anyway, this was long-winded but what I'm trying to say is this: don't be discouraged if you do well in school but score low on the PSAT/SAT the first time around. There's always room for improvement and, like I said earlier, the SAT really is unlike anything else you'll take in high school, regardless of what CollegeBoard says. And I'm not just saying that to comfort people who don't score well on the P/SAT.</p>
JDong that write-up would be fantastic if you would =]</p>