PLEASE! 20 days can make or break a dream

<p>I'm giving my first SAT attempt in October (and it will be my only shot).</p>

<p>I have twenty days to prepare for it. </p>

<p>I've done a bit of CR and Writing, very little of Math.</p>

<p>Average scores:</p>

<p>690CR
700W
650M</p>

<p>Please suggest a 20 day strategy on how to go about things. </p>

<p>Do I read books for strategies? Do I not care about strategies and just practice practice practice?</p>

<p>Can you guys recommend one book, CONSIDERING the 20 day timeline, for each section.</p>

<p>Writing: Book A ......... approach
Critical Reading: Book B ....... approach
Math: Book C........ approach</p>

<p>Please!!!!!</p>

<p>Thanks a lot =)</p>

<p>well I cant make any recommendation but i can say that no matter what happens it wont make or break your dream. good luck but its really not the be all and end all, even if you want to go to an elite school.</p>

<p>But it’ll definitely affect my chances considerably. The difference between a 2000 and a 2300 can really matter, right?</p>

<p>once you get your scores over the magic 1400/2100 mark..you will likely not be at a disadvantage. </p>

<p>use the SAT 2400 book-I gained a lot of points using that</p>

<p>there is this one book I got from barnes or borders and it is the one that collegeboard itself makes. I would say skim the strategies, but hey you’ve already taken it once, so I would just practice questions and sections. You’ll find your own groove and method to tackle the test</p>

<p>Why is October your only shot? The November and December dates also work for most - except for EA and ED applications.</p>

<p>And have you tried the ACT? There is an October and December date for that, I think. I have read some of your posts, and you seem (to me) like someone who would do quite well on the ACT. Here are the dates: [ACT</a> Registration : International Testing](<a href=“ACT Registration & ACT Testing Dates | The ACT Test”>ACT Registration & ACT Testing Dates | The ACT Test)</p>

<p>Your chances will be your chances. Take the tests and submit the applications and take walks and go to class and talk with friends and stay up late and sleep in on weekends and before you know it April will be here and you will wonder what you were so stressed about.</p>

<p>Assuming from your post, you are a senior applying for ED.
First off, why on earth would you procrastinate this long?
Secondly, don’t worry. There is always the ACT.</p>

<p>You can definitely improve in 20 days. Those scores suggest that you at least have a clue. So just practice your tail off. Do EVERY practice question you can get your hands on. Learn 50 vocab words. Review your algebra and geometry fundamentals. Since it’s your first time it is VERY important that you put yourself through at least one full-length mock exam.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone.</p>

<p>Question 1:</p>

<p>Do universities accept the December 13th ACT score? Would I be in time for RD?</p>

<p>Question 2:</p>

<p>Can you please suggest books, as per my original thread post (A, B, C)</p>

<p>Currently, I am using</p>

<p>Grubers for math
Kaplan, PR, Barrons for CR and Writing
CollegeBoard alone for all tests.</p>

<p>Anything tipsy about that? Any changes or recommendations?</p>

<p>Just practice practice practice. Get off CC and practice.</p>

<p>llpitch, over the past few days, that’s exactly what I’m doing.</p>

<p>Result:</p>

<p>1 PR Full length, timed test: </p>

<p>730M
660CR
670R</p>

<p>1 Full length College Board Practice Test:</p>

<p>690M
680CR
720W</p>

<p>Basically, I’m just continously nudging at that 2100 mark from below.</p>

<p>I DONT KNOW what to do now. I really really want to improve to at least a 2200. </p>

<p>Please, please, please someone help?!</p>

<p>^You’ll be fine, don’t worry about it so much :").
SATs aren’t everything anyways.</p>

<p>A 680/690 in Math is around 4-5 incorrect.
Just slow down, and read it carefully. With this and alot of practice, You’ll get the 800M :]</p>

<p>Are you going over the questions you get wrong after you take those practice tests? There should be no reason you can’t get higher scores after you see what you do wrong and correct it.</p>

<p>Also remember to go over the ones that you guessed correctly.</p>

<p>That’s my question: Are you doing the follow-up work, going over the types of problems you missed?</p>

<p>Yeah I am…</p>

<p>invariably however…I continously make at least four or five mistakes overall, per part (as in Math is one part).</p>

<p>The only trend I have seen is that I get inference questions wrong in CR…</p>

<p>GregoryHouse, I think you have a split personality. You post on other people’s threads with common sense, wit and wisdom (skinned knees, for example), yet in your own threads it sounds as though you never go outside for all your studying, that you are worried, consumed with “stats” and dreaming of the revenge of the ovals. Read your own questions and concerns as though someone else posted them and give yourself some of the good advice you give to others. And don’t forget to skin your knees.</p>

<p>I just told that guy to work hard: something I believe I am doing already. Posting on this forum about suggestions in which I could improve, does qualify as working towards it, in my opinion. I’m seeking out ways in which I can better myself – since I have run out of ways, and I am keeping a constant score whereas I believe that with the right approach, I can still improve.</p>

<p>I’m working here – the guy you refer to had a defeatist attitude. He continually kept saying that he’s given up on it, and that he’s giving it one last time and if it doesn’t increase then ‘screw it’, blah.</p>

<p>Anyway, I do take your suggestions on board, tocollege, and thanks for them. </p>

<p>If I reply to this thread as if it weren’t mine, here’s what I’d say:</p>

<p>It can often be a case of luck, GH. Sometimes you get a work on CR that you just won’t know. However, in math, think about it this way. Most of the questions are terribly easy. So the ones that you really can’t get, are the real essence of the test. The rest are just a formality, like filling your name. So just keep focusing on the ones you’re missing.</p>

<p>Hey, that actually did help.</p>

<p>Oh crap, just realized you were referring to something entirely different.</p>

<p>I apologize – you’re right in saying that I don’t practice what I preach. But I guess I still want a higher SAT score than what I’m getting right now – so maybe I should preach different.</p>

<p>Thanks, and sorry.</p>