<p>okay, okay, this is another thread about prep books. I'm sure there are other ones out there, but I just couldn't find them(I blame my poor searching skills). But anyways, I just can't get people to get a consolidated opinion on prep books- so far, people have suggested me to take a look at:</p>
<p>10 Real SAT's
Barron's 2400
Kaplan 2400
250 Sparknotes hotlist(for vocab)
Maximum SAt
Gruber's SAT prep(for math)</p>
<p>i'm currently using princeton 2007, barron's new sat(2500), and the blue book for studying. I would say that except for barron's, the other two books aren't really helping me much(I'm constantly scoring low, like in the low 600's). </p>
<p>So this is WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR- I'm looking for a prep book that is something like this: a prep book that has GREAT CRITICAL READING STRATGIES, WITH a GREAT VOCAB LIST, AND one that ALSO REVIEWS ALL THE MATH TOPICS THAT APPEAR ON THE SAT. </p>
<p>I would appreciate any suggestions from you! Please, please help!</p>
<p>Throw away anything PR. They just suck and will bog you down. I'm getting perfect scores on the practice tests in the Blue Book (the ones that are legitimately made by the people who make the SAT) and apparently I'm getting 1900's on PR tests. Don't let PR discourage you and throw it out now.</p>
<p>I'm using:
Barron's 2400
10 Real SATs
The blue book
Barron's Math Workbook</p>
<p>Basically the same conditions, except when I took the PR test I was around other people.</p>
<p>I have the little test booklet they gave me, and I compared it with my official CB tests, and it's amazingly harder. Probably because PR wants to make you feel like you NEED the practice</p>
<p>meh i thought PR was pretty good. I used it as my only review book and got a 2280 as a sophomore. I'm planning on studying more for next year (11th grade)</p>
<p>okay... so I will definately take a look at barron's 2400... But, how about the others like Maximum SAT and Gruber's SAT? Is barron's better than all of them or should I take a look at them as well?</p>
<p>sorry to intercept your post OP but i also have a question regarding prep books.</p>
<p>i'm in the market for a new sat prep guide. i already have the "OFFICIAL" study guide and PR cracking the sat. these 2 books were great for studying math but they didn't help me much in writing or cr. so i was wondering what book should i get if i want to find a book that can really help me with CR and W also with a load of practice testes.</p>
<p>sorry if i am not answering the question, but from personal experience (actual SAT scores), it's tutors/prep courses, not SAT prep books, that do the job.
truth is, i don't think prepbooks help that much. first time i took it, i ordered all the prepbooks available. (princeton review, kaplan, barron,s official collegeboard,e tc. even got the kaplan workbooks for individual sections.) did a crapload of practice, got 2280</p>
<p>second time, i got a tutor. 15 hours spent with the tutor in total, didn't start studying on my own until 4 days b4 the test, watched MTV for 4 hours on the friday b4 the test, did a total of 3 practice exams, and got 2400.</p>
<p>judge for yourself. and i am not coming from a moralistic standpoint. just personal facts.</p>
<p>so.... has anyone used Maxmimum SAT? I think it's Xiggi who recommended Maxmimum, but I've never seen it so...</p>
<p>And to Von_herrs: I have to disagree. I think prep books are wonderful when it comes to prepping for the SAT. My math score alone has increased by 170 points(I was getting around 610 before). Although, I guess it depends on what kind of person you are- if you learn much better without someone next to you, then prep books are good, but if you're the other type and you need someone sort of coaching you through, then I guess tutoring is a far better option than SAT prep books.</p>
<p>point taken, schoolgirl. although i must say i tire entirely of SAT's. i must say i feel like "l'infame" (as Voltaire characterised the Church, so i have characterised the Collegeboard) really ought to be scrapped. prepping for SAT's, in retrospect, was the biggest and most pathetically wasteful drain on my time and energy in quite a while. i think i have digressed. i apologise.</p>
<p>My 2 cents worth: prep books and tutors can be great help, but different people respond differently. A few students ace the test right out of the box. Some students excel just by taking practice tests. Others respond well to one book or another. Some won't really see improvement until a pair of outside eyes sees where they're making mistakes. Some simply won't improve much despite a lot of work. Every student needs to figure out the way he or she works most efficiently.</p>
<p>And von_herrs, I completely agree with you. The SAT should be scrapped. It's a terrible test. It wastes time and creates huge anxiety. I understand why schools use it, and the original idea of the test was noble, but it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. But there are endless discussions of this already posted on this forum, so I'll stop here.</p>