<p>I need help to try and figure out what to do in order to get a higher SAT score, and now that I have a lot of time as a Freshman, I can get started right away. </p>
<p>Please read this entire post before commenting. :)</p>
<p>The situation is as such that I am in dire need of guidance: Books, websites, vocab lists, prep classes, anything you know of that helped you get a great SAT score, preferably in order. I'd really appreciate it of some of you 2100+ posted on here since you provide the great tips/guidance. I took the SAT after 8th grade and got a 1520, I didn't study a second, but I still feel like crap after that score. I already ordered the College Board Blue Book, since I've seen in numerous places that it is a must. I have above a 94 in each class and complete my homework in less than 3 hours, so I can definitely handle some SAT.</p>
<p>2 questions:
1. What was your Freshman (or closest) SAT Score?
2. What was your final SAT score and, how did you do it?</p>
<p>My goal is a 2200+, and I know it won't be easy, but I will try my best to make it happen. </p>
<p>keep this in mind. you were around the average score…of college bound seniors…before you began hs. you have tons of time to study! the last thing you should be doing is feeling like crap. the fact that you are even on this website is a good sign. </p>
<ol>
<li>my psat @ the start of 10th grade was 187 irrc. </li>
<li>i haven’t taken the sat yet. i’m currently averaging around 2100 and i’m still practicing regularly. i’m aiming for 2200+ too :D! </li>
</ol>
<p>prep classes:
-friends have taken and wasted lots of $. i’d recommend not taking classes. private tutors would seem to be the way to go but i imagine they would be costly, and wouldn’t offer anything you can get elsewhere.</p>
<ol>
<li>Freshman year, I took a practice one and I got around 1850 iirc…</li>
<li>I took a prep class during the summers of 10th and 11th grade, and took the 3 actual pre-administered tests from the blue book to study. I took the actual SAT for the first time this october (currently a junior), and I got a 2360. As opposed to elvis, I think you should invest the money in a prep class. The classes itself still help somewhat, but the real help came from the 40+ practice SATs they had that I could take on the weekends.</li>
</ol>
<p>I really have to thank you guys for the help you have given me. It is spectacular, I think I’ll just but Meltzer’s Grammar Book since it’s highly commended.</p>
<p>I think I’ll do some prep classes this summer too, as you said practice tests are a primary help, and this is what they provide. I’ll look for the best one around in my area.</p>
<p>Could you tell me the prep class you used cheese?</p>
<p>I suggest reading a lot in general, especially books that use a lot of SAT vocab. Doing that throughout high school helped me the most with the critical reading section. Other than that, I definitely suggest the Princeton Review book. The questions and descriptions were helpful. Also, I had some book called Barron’s SAT 2400; the questions were harder than regular SAT questions, so I think they were really helpful in preparing me for the harder questions on the SAT.</p>
<p>The class I used is only available in the North Texas area so I won’t have much to offer other than that lol - here’s there website:
<a href=“http://www.kdcollegeprep%5B/url%5D”>http://www.kdcollegeprep</a>. com/ </p>
<p>I got a 2060 on my first SAT and 2240 when I gave it five months later. Combined score is 2280 CR 800 M 760 W 720. In case you are wondering, I studied A LOT for both my SATs. My average diagnostic score was 1750 for several months. Personally, I just used the Blue book and some past papers for practice and I did Word Smart I for vocabulary. Word Smart helped me pick up my score from 620 to 800 but I had did the book very thoroughly. I know a few lads who have gotten 800s in M and W and they recommend Barrons for math and sparknotes Writing for W. As elvis stated afore, you seem to have a lot of time on hand therefore, I suggest relaxing a little and enjoying high school while practicing the SAT for just a few hours a week with a few diagnostics for the time being. Cheese is right, diagnostics are a huge help but I believe that a good score has more to do with the hours one puts into studying for the SAT, regardless of whether these hours were spent on diagnostics or not. I took prep classes when I first started preparing but the fact that the tutor was charged with lots of kids meant that we got no one to one attention and my score saw little improvement. Hence, I suggest avoiding the prep classes. I hope this helped.</p>
<p>The fact that you’re this motivated in the 9th grade, shows that your score will increase… lol</p>
<p>^^ Take this advice. and other forums on CC.
Prep in a class, but make sure you prep by yourself also. There’s no one universal method. Everyone studies differently.
As long as you put in the hours… you will do good.
I suggest, instead of doing a full practice test, Do practice sections. timed and no time and compare how you do. Also, after finishing a section, go over every single question(no matter how redundant it seems). DO this for about a month… Seriously, you will see some changes.</p>
<p>Also, always read. Everyday, every time you can. (NY times, high level books)
you will develop better reading skills ( Over time ) . by 11th grade, you will be at a 2000+</p>
<p>WannaBeDocc is right. Reading lots of books is essential not just to improve your english but also to develop your knowledge, widen your perception and vastly enhance your comprehension. Reading is a must. However, I disagree with his point that we need to read ‘high level books’. I think the desired result as far as the SAT is concerned can be achieved with books like Harry Potter which are generally not considered ‘high level’. Though, be sure to dot your reading with the occasional Hardy or Tolstoy for this will eventually benefit you. BTW, Hardy is awesome. Period.</p>
<p>I agree that is an excellent score for your level. I honestly think it is premature to do test-specific preparation at this point. I would focus on reading at a level of difficulty that stretches your vocabulary, and learning general strategies for solving math problems quickly. For the latter, the Mathemagics apps by Blue Lightning Labs are a great resource.</p>
<p>Later, as the PSAT approaches, you can spend a few months prior doing practice specifically for the test.</p>
<p>But honestly, most of your improvement will be organic. Study and practice will give you an extra edge, but the first 2 years of high school will also introduce you to some math concepts that are essential for mastering the test, and will begin escalating your reading difficulty in class (though I recommend reading additional books outside of class). If you’re applying yourself at all, high school itself is going to significantly increase your score.</p>
<p>Thanks guys I really appreciate the help you have given me. I’m about to take another diagnostic test just to see how 9th grade has fared for me in terms of improving my score. I have bought a few books such as Direct Hits, WordSmart, the Blue Book, and Erica Meltzer’s SAT Guide using some of my birthday money :). Hopefully it won’t turn out to be a waste. </p>
<p>Reading the above posts, I can judge that books are a necessity in order to improve reading scores, I’m not a huge reader but would any of you recommend some interesting and beneficial books to read? I am clueless on a good book, I’m a sport and action loving kid if that helps. :)</p>
<p>@DreamSchlDropout, I apply myself endlessly, straight A’s so far and I hope to stay that way for the rest of the year :).</p>
<p>Hi, so this is what I did to raise up my score. I started out at sophomore year with a 1760 PSAT Score. For me, my weakest parts were vocabulary and writing. This year, as a junior, I took the SAT for the first time. I got 2310 with a 800 math, 780 writing, and 730 reading. </p>
<p>What I did:</p>
<p>-Use the blue book. I did a practice test almost every week from that book a month before the test. If you don’t understand anything, look at khan academy because they work through the answers. It’s good to do this so you get comfortable with pacing. (Time yourself)</p>
<p>-Get a grammar book. Understand all the rules and test yourself on them. It’s essential to do so because the writing multiple choice part is the best way to boost up your score. Do tons of essays (timed) to get a feel about how fast you should write them. It’s a good idea to come up with an idea bank about what to write about- I only give myself one to two minutes to come up with examples.</p>
<p>-Get a vocabulary book. This is what you should be focusing on the most as a freshman. Vocabulary isn’t built up in a day- I know this now and that’s what hurt me the most on the SAT. The reading passages were always a breeze but my vocabulary was horrible. I recommend the insiders essential 500 words for the sat. Memorization is key to getting a good score here.</p>
<p>-I have no idea what you should do for the passages. My only advice is to read everything and to choose material that pushes your reading level. I have done this all my life, and so the reading passages for me were really easy. (Again it’s the vocabulary that brought me down)</p>
<p>Summary: As a freshman, just start memorizing vocabulary. Good luck!</p>
<p>I firmly believe in reading for your own enjoyment as much as possible, so the best method to pick a book will be a visit to the local bookstore. Any book where you’re having to look up an average of one or more words per page in the dictionary will be a good stretch of your vocabulary. Choose something you’ll enjoy reading and look up words as you go.</p>
<p>Some authors who use a broad vocabulary, to narrow your search a bit: James Joyce, Ken Follett, Thomas Pynchon, John Fowles, Cormac McCarthy, Neal Stephenson, Carole Maso, Samuel R Delany, Margaret Atwood, Charlotte & Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens, David Foster Wallace, Jeanette Winterson, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf</p>
<p>My S read a book that incorporated many SAT words and had a glossary in the book. It was a mystery–“Tooth and Nail” or something and one of the first of its kind. He got 800 or close to it for reading but has always had amazing vocabulary and always loved reading, which he does a ton of for fun–online and all other media.</p>