<p>After receving my SAT scores today, I was pretty dissapointed, considering I went down in almost everything. So far I have taken the SAT 3 times, and here is the breakdown of my scores:</p>
<p>I really want to get into an ivy league school (perhaps Columbia), but I feel my SAT scores are holding me back. I am a very hardworking student with a high GPA and unique ECs, but during the test I seem to freak out and second guess myself. On the questions I am unsure of, I can always narrow it down to two choices, and somehow end up picking the wrong one =(. Should I retake it in October one last time, and somehow try to relax during the test (and study even more over the summer), even though it would be my 4th time? I would probably use score choice, so I guess they wouldn't know how many times I took it. Any advice for me to improve my scores (aiming for a 2200). Thank you!</p>
<p>Your scores are definitely low for an ivy league school.</p>
<p>There is no easy way to improve your score by 200 points.</p>
<p>First you need to get some practice SAT’s to take. When you correct them make sure you understand why each answer was wrong and even why each answer was correct. Eventually you should be able to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are easier to correct in math in writing than they are to correct in CR.</p>
<p>In math just review the mathematical concepts that you have difficulty with. In writing a grammar review should be sufficient for the MC section. As far as the essay goes there are a lot of good threads that should help you. Basically you should prepare yourself with good examples and be able to create a very strong argument with good backup.</p>
<p>For the CR I would suggest that you read a lot. This makes you a better reader and strengthens your vocabulary. If you see a word and don’t know what it means while reading then look it up. You might want to set your home page to a newspaper and read a couple of articles every day.</p>
<p>Finally after all of this take more practice test sections this time, time yourself to emulate the real thing more effectively. Once a week you should take a full timed test. By the time the real test comes around you should feel like an SAT professional.</p>