SAT higher scores: What should I do?

Test Preparation
1

<p>Hello everyone!
I am a international student trying to do the SAT. I will probably take the October Test or the January Test (It is for 2016 entry). However, I am really scared, because I'm preparing on my own, with some prep books and College Board tests.
By the way, I did the College Board Online SAT Practice Test and got this score:</p>

<p>Reading: 640 (55 Right/12 Wrong)
Writing: 500/ Essay: 8 (30 Right/ 19 Wrong)
Math: 640 (42 Right/11 Wrong)</p>

<p>Well, it is not the perfect score. I really want to achieve 700+ in each SAT part and, with some effort, I think I might be able to do so. But I don't know how. Can anyone help me, please? :)
Oh, here is my essay.</p>

<p>*ESSAY PROMPT</p>

<p>A colleague of the great scientist James Watson remarked that Watson was always “lounging around, arguing about problems instead of doing experiments.” He concluded that “There is more than one way of doing good science.” It was Watson’s form of idleness, the scientist went on to say, that allowed him to solve “the greatest of all biological problems: the discovery of the structure of DNA.” It is a point worth remembering in a society overly concerned with efficiency.</p>

<p>Adapted from John C. Polanyi, “Understanding Discovery”</p>

<p>ASSIGNMENT</p>

<p>Do people accomplish more when they are allowed to do things in their own way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<p>MY RESPONSE</p>

<p>To get out of patterns and standards is the key of success. Doing things in your own way gives you the freedom needed to better understand your trials and to make less mistakes. As James Watson once did with his job with the DNA structure, being independent brings progress and, more importantly, a new way to seize new experiences.</p>

<p>I used to be ruled by common procedures of living, no matter what I had to do. If I had to study, I would need to stick to textbooks only, no internet, no leisure. However, there is a study about "hackstudying" - a way of solving things doing what you like - proving us wrong; The right method does not exist, It just needs to work, and then it will be "correct".</p>

<p>It is a matter of freedom. A lot of people in the whole world follow the standards and are not successful. In fact, most of them are not even an example to be followed. To find your rhythm and understand what you need to improve is the real "secret" of accomplishment. It is simple, obviously, but it is so simple that everyone forgot about it.</p>

<p>Therefore, success is freedom and no pressure. As Watson, there is Einstein and Rutherford, known by their unorthodox ways of scientific work. It is not even necessary to go that further: There are always a few individuals in schools, universities and hospitals who have their own path. It is not a anarchy way of life, though, but a flexible way of thinking. This, of course, is the difference between success and failure.*</p>

2

<p>You still have time to greatly improve your SAT scores, but you do not have enough time to “find your rhythm” in a happenstance kind of way (something to think about for your essay!). Those scores that you listed indicate that you have a really good foundation on which to build. It would be ideal if you could take a structured prep course with someone who can time you, teach you the “tricks”, keep you disciplined, and insist that you review all your wrong answers over and over again. If you are a highly disciplined person, you can do this yourself. I know of one boy who started in his sophomore year, on his own, and by the time he took his first SATs he had completed close to 400 practices and scored 800’s. If you do not have a good math background (through algebra 2, but pre-calc helps) then it might be harder. FYI, the writing is the easiest thing to improve; just read up on preparing and remembering a template.</p>

3

<p>Leyland, thanks!
And… BUMP!</p>

4

<p>Practice practice practice! There’s obviously a lot of room for improvement, especially in writing. I’ll tell you what I did, and maybe you can apply it to your own studies :)</p>

<p>Math- I’ve always been pretty good at math. For me, I didn’t really have to study, but I would just suggest doing a bunch of practice problems and minimizing mistakes! The math is not super difficult, and I personally believe that it is the easiest to improve on. </p>

<p>Writing- I just looked at guides online relating to the writing section. Just google SAT writing guide or something along those lines. I didn’t really study too much, as it sort of came naturally to me. Look at guides, study the rules, and do practice (see a recurring theme :wink: )</p>

<p>Reading- My worst section and in my opinion the hardest to improve on. I’ve heard tons of good reviews on Direct Hits for vocab (one book on most common, the other on most difficult). Remember, answers MUST BE SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE. Reason why certain choices are / are not the answer.</p>

<p>Sorry these are pretty crappy mini “guides”. Just look over CC for more in depth guides, as they give very good tips to improve!</p>

<p>OH YEAH. And the essay. There should be some guide titled “Get a 12 in 10 days” on CC. I wrote like the worst essay ever, but it was two pages, and I received a 10. I was seriously expecting a 6 or 7 haha.</p>

<p>Well…GOOD LUCK STUDYING :^)</p>

5

<p>You have tons of time to improve. I definitely recommend purchasing study books, especially the official blue book. Other books I recommend include Barrons SAT 3600 & Gruber’s Critical Reading Workbook. Online preparation is great since it’s free, but the study shouldn’t end there. There’s nothing like having the book and paper in front of you. As boring as it sounds, the best study plan would be to remain buried in these books and websites for a majority of the summer. This is your future. Your score isn’t bad but improvement is definitely possible. </p>

<p>I’ll break it down into sections to make it easier so you’re not reading giant, trailing blocks of text.</p>

<p>MATH: The best thing to do is to study all the formulas and aspects of the math. They do try to trick you with certain problems, so it’s important to read thoroughly. I know it’s hard to be fully alert and awake at 8-9AM though. </p>

<p>READING: I always stress that strategies are important for this section. People say this is the hardest section to improve. You just have to figure out what works for you. For me, reading the passage in full and then looking at the questions works for me. For other people, looking at the questions could work. It just really depends. Also, vocabulary is very important for this section. Every section counts, and sometimes you could get a lot of questions wrong in vocabulary. Even if you’re in the testing room and you don’t know what a word means, find the words that you do know the definitions of. This way, you can figure out through the process of elimination what the answer is. That works, especially on difficult questions. </p>

<p>WRITING: This is basically grammar. Sometimes questions can be answered incorrectly due to not paying attention. Make sure to go through thoroughly to ensure that you’re not missing a key detail. About the essay, avoid political and religious topics. I don’t recommend using personal voice (first person/I) and anecdotes. I’ve learned that the graders don’t like them. I guess that can be attributed to the fact that SAT essay graders want to be persuaded. Anecdotes probably don’t persuade them enough. So play safe with historic and literary examples. You don’t have to be a history or English whiz to come up with proper examples. </p>

<p>That was a lot of detail, phew! Anyways, good luck with studying! I am sure that with dedication, your scores will go up. </p>

6

<p>Thanks krpoltax and TheDidactic!
I found strange that some guides said I could use personal voice (I used in this essay as a test, but I don’t really like it). I’m in Brazil, and the Entrance Test here doesn’t allow us to use it, so I think I’ll stick to these common rules. I studied English as a Foreign Language for 9 years, but the grammar level of SAT is way beyond my knowledge (I finished ESOL course in 2009, I was 14). I got to improve my skills.
Anyway, thanks again! o/</p>