<p>Hey CC, right now I'm a sophomore thinking of starting my ACT/SAT prep a little early. Anyways, what are some good ways you guys prep for these tests? I've gotten decent (but not great) grades on both the PLAN (25 comp. 17 in writing brought down my other two scores) and PSAT (174, def could have done better) but at the same time there not as high as I wanted them to be this year. My aim is to get atleast a 31 or 32 on the ACT and a 2250 on the SAT (and also reach NMSQT on PSAT)</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback!</p>
<p>For the SAT, buy the blue book- read through it carefully, do the exercises, and follow the steps it recommends. Also, buy vocab cards/books like Direct Hits to improve your lexicon as much as possible. If you can afford it, take classes- Princeton Review’s Ultimate course bumped me up to the 2100s on the SAT. Of course, you can always self study and do well, but make sure to continuously practice and do a little research online on how to best prepare for the tests.</p>
<p>I’m currently a sophomore as well, and I’m planning to just do the SAT. I would love a 2300+, but I got a 197 on my PSAT, so it seems like a bit of a stretch. I think that if we both start our PSAT/SAT prep now, we’ll be able to achieve our goals!</p>
<p>Right now, I’ve signed up for a local PSAT prep camp that starts at the end of January. I think that’s going to be the thing that really kickstarts my studying. I also have 2 PSAT books from the library, and am in the current process of going through my old PSATs and looking over what I missed/how to get those problems right in the future. I haven’t decided when I want to take the SAT, so I’m saving my Blue Book for closer to when I actually take the SAT. I’m actually planning to talk to my guidance counselor soon about when to take it. =) Then, I’ll evenly divide out the BB tests, so I have one to take at least every week, and several per week as the real test date comes along. Right now, I’m just planning on using review books.</p>
<p>Also, now is a perfect time to start working on vocab! I have direct hits and I’m planning to do just a few words per day. By the time the SAT rolls around, you’ll be fully prepped and ready to go. Make sure you read all the SAT guides and stickies here on CC as well.</p>
<p>Good luck! <3</p>
<p>Thanks guys, I’ll def look at Direct Hits and getting the blue book soon. Have a few more questions though.
How well do tutors/classes help for these kind of tests? Are they worth it?
Do you guys have (or recommend) a specific schedule for studying for the SATs/ACTs this early?
Any other books besides the blue book that you guys recommend? Either practice tests or concepts?</p>
<p>I started classes around this time during my sophomore year, but the earlier you start, the better shape you’ll be in. If you go to a highly recommended place, you’ll probably get good tutoring. Tutoring does cost a lot, but you actually do improve if you choose a good place so the decision is really up to you. The most ideal scenario is probably to knock out the SATs before junior coursework gets too strenuous.
Although the best book is the blue book since it contains official tests, get McGraw-Hill and Princeton Review’s 11 Practice Tests. They aren’t as reliable and are sometimes easier/harder than the real thing, but it’s still really good practice. By the way, you want to save the tests in the blue book and start doing them probably the month before your test and do the unofficial tests from the other books first.
By the way, I got practically the same PSAT score as you did in my sophomore year and then this year I scored around your goal on the SAT, so vast improvements are definitely possible :)</p>
<p>I’m a senior who got a 2200 on the SAT and a 33 on the ACT. Here’s my advice:</p>
<p>SAT
*make the blue book your bible
*if you want specific writing practice, use McGraw Hill’s Writing Book
*if you want specific reading practice, use Barron’s CR book
*for math, idk I’m good at math</p>
<p>ACT
*make the red book your bible (official ACT prep)
*if you’re taking the SAT, take this test after you take the SAT (and soon after). I took the SAT in March and the ACT April and only did 6 tests in prep.
*practice timing more than material, you’re really scrambling for time on the test</p>
<p>General Advice:
*don’t do group tutoring. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to get a 2200.<br>
*get a private tutor if you think one would help. I had one for reading for 2 weeks, but it didn’t help too much so I didn’t use it when I retook the SAT
*just practice. and study vocab.</p>