<p>Hi guys,
it's my first post on this forum. I'm an European (from Poland) and in next three years I'll leave high school and go on a college. My aim is to get into an American university and as I've found so far on the Internet, it is necessary to pass SAT exam. So I gonna prepare a lot for next three years to do my best and get a great score on the exam. I know it'll take me much time and need a lot of effort but I'm ready to try. But I need a good plan of preparation to make it effective. So I ask you guys for help because most of you are somehow experienced with SAT. At the beginning there are few things I'd like to ask for:</p>
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<li><p>Prep book. I know that there are many books, study guides, practice tests available to buy. In the next week I gonna buy CollegeBoard's books: at least blue one with DVD and black one. I think about buying online tests but I'll do it later. But there are also e.g. Princeton Review's, Barron's, Kaplan's materials. I read somewhere that they are fake, unuseful. I'd like to ask whether it is the truth or I can use them too and they'll be helpful. I want to do a lot of tests at home before I take part in real SAT and CollegeBorad doesn't have enough. For me the most important is SAT 1 where are Reading, Writing etc. From subject tests I gonna pass only Math & Physics but it'll be a smaller problem.</p></li>
<li><p>Vocabulary. I heard that on SAT there is specific vocab and there are about 5000 weird words that should be learnt especially for that exam. Is it really necessary to learn them? If so, where can I find them?</p></li>
<li><p>Exams. I know I can take part in SAT many times but when should I do it first? I mean I don't want waste my money and go unprepared but on the other hand it'll important to analyze my progress and skills.</p></li>
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<p>That's all I want to ask you so far. i hope you'll help, recommend best materials to study and your experience. I think I'm ambitious and I'll study hard but I only need to be sure what should I do.</p>
<p>1) Pretty much all the sat prep books help prep for sat in some way. The thing is which book is best for studying than the others. That’s why most people stick with Cb textbooks, since they’re the ones administering the test.</p>
<p>2) You don’t need to memorize they many. O recommend you check out Direct hits core vocabulary. I think they can out with 2 vocab books or so. also study root words. You can just Google those.</p>
<p>3) Take it when you feel comfortable. But you should take it at least once your junior year. I don’t know if they do it internationally but in US if you apply for free lunch then you can apply for free waivers which let you take the Sats multiple times. </p>
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<li><p>You’re definitely right about not using test from the Barrons, Princeton Review, and similar books. The College Board has their own book released (commonly referred to the the blue book, or BB) with 10 practice tests. If you feel you need more books, buy books dedicated to one subject, or just the test in general without emphasis on practice tests. (such as Cracking the SAT). Here is a good thread for discussing SAT books: <a href=“SAT Books? Do not start new threads. Post HERE! - SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums”>SAT Books? Do not start new threads. Post HERE! - SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums;
<li><p>It’s not absolutely necessary to know all 5000 words. It could help, but you’re probably better off using that time refining your skills in math or writing. If you do want to learn some of them still, even just to review, a lot of people use the Direct Hits book. I personally like to take the vocab words from previous tests in the blue book that I didn’t know, and make flashcards out of that.</p></li>
<li><p>Most people take the SAT for the first time sometime junior year (16-17 years old), sometimes twice that year. If the PSAT is offered in your area, definitely take that sophomore and/or junior year. It’s a shorter (and slightly less expensive) version of the SAT and offers a fairly reliable estimate of your score without further studying.</p></li>
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<li><p>To be honest, Collegeboard’s Official SAT study guide isn’t all that helpful either. I only bought it for the 10 tests that come with it so I could practice the real test in the actual format, but the first 365 pages are all basic facts and strategies like “If you can go down to 2 choices on the multiple choice problems, take an educated guess” or “ratios can be expressed as fractions, with a colon, or using the word ‘to’”; basically things that everyone would know without needing a book. So, I would suggest buying the official collegeboard SAT guide just for the practice tests, but don’t waste your time reading every sentence of the first portion, because it is meaningless.
The first SAT book I bought when I was a complete newbie was “SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps” by Shaan Patel. I recommend this book so much because it had all the strategies I need for the SAT and helped me so much more than the official collegeboard SAT book’s first 365 pages. My score got 470 points higher on my first SAT than when I took the PSAT (which I didn’t study for at all) after I worked on this book only. Then, I used the methods I learned from “SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps” and did practice tests every week from the official collegeboard book and got a 2190 on my second SAT. </p></li>
<li><p>As I took practice tests every week and studied the list of vocabulary words in “SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps” I mentioned above, I noticed some words that reappear in multiple tests, and that many words on the test were in the SAT 2400 book. I mostly focused those repetitive words while studying other vocab.
I have 3 vocab studying strategies: 1, make flashcards and lay them on a table next to your bed and study them right before you go to bed and as soon as you wake up. Sleeping helps your brain organize and memorize, so it’s best to look at the words, sleep and let your brain memorize it, and review in the morning to refresh. 2, this video’s method <a href=“How to learn 50+ vocab words a day - YouTube”>How to learn 50+ vocab words a day - YouTube; helped me a lot since I am bilingual as I think you are as well since you are from Poland. 3, memorize vocabulary in 1 word synonyms instead of long definitions for faster and efficient memorizing.</p></li>
<li><p>I heard that the SATs aren’t offered as many times as in the US in international areas, so it would be best to make sure of those dates and take the tests when you feel comfortable. Take it once after you study a good amount, and when the results come in, focus on the areas you didn’t do as well in so you improve the second time you take it.</p></li>
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<p>Sorry about the long post, I hope it helps.
Best of luck to you! (:</p>
<p>Why not use Barron’s or PR? I found those helpful on top of the Blue Book.</p>
<p>And as for Vocab, I think 5000 is overkill. I’ve got 2000 flashcards I’m studying with.</p>