<p>Assuming that I,
1. Do not have ADHD
2. Already do pretty well in school without drugs(GPAs 4.0 Fresh+Soph, 3.8 Jr)
3. Have taken Adderall 3 times in the recent past for exams and essay-cramming, and did well on said assessments(though I don't know how much adderall had to do with it)
4. Won't do something stupid like take it on an empty stomach or caffeine/pull an all-nighter
5. Am comfortable and familiar with its effects
6. WONT get caught</p>
<p>Would it be a good idea for me to take Adderall for the SAT? 20mg XR, if you must know. I'm mainly just worried that it'll mess me up that ONE day due to nerves and what-not, and I won't have another chance to do the SAT until next year. I'm sitting on a 1980 from my first time, and I REALLY think I can do much better.</p>
<p>If anyone has any experiences with Ritalin/Adderall and the SAT, do tell.</p>
<p>I really don’t think it’s a good idea. Why not just stick to the traditional breakfast, coffee and good eight-hour night’s sleep, and hope for the best?</p>
<p>You should take a practice test with realistic testing conditions and take an adderall to see if it positively or negatively impacts your performance. Personally, I am taking one because it really helps me focus on the critical reading portion.</p>
<p>You are cheating yourself, my friend! You may get a good SAT score and get into a competitive college but remember that everyone else reached there with their talents, skills, and study habits!</p>
<p>kingsoftav if you’re still there, please respond! I am in the exact same boat as you, everything you just said describes me perfectly, down to our first sat score (except I have only tried adderall once). so my question is how did that work out for you?! how did the adderall affect your score/did it at all?
thanks so much i really appreciate it!!</p>
<p>testtakerr: If you need Adderall for a high-school-level test, you’re doing it wrong.
Social Darwinism will take its course eventually–your SAT test score should help to place you in a college that’s best suited to your capabilities. You’ll just end up making yourself miserable if you can’t handle the rigor of the college you get into.
You’d be better off brushing up on problem areas than thinking up ways to cheat. CC has infinite resources to help you improve your skill with hard work. Adderall is not a “genius pill” that’ll make you jump from, say, a 1980 to a 2400.</p>
<p>I strongly disagree this is some form “edge”. The real “edge” are students who have ADD/ADHD who not only take these medications, but also receive one & half the normal time.</p>
<p>I personally received a 2400, albeit superscored, without the use of medication, but I do not have anything against anyone who takes ADD/ADHD medication in order to boost his or her scores.</p>
<p>supine:
I’m not trying to “cheat” my way to a better score at all, I just know I can do better than a 1980 (and I’m not lying to either of us) and was wondering about this person’s experience with this medication. but thanks for your humbling advice, it was fairly offensive.</p>
<p>Just want to throw in some advice. Taking any medication that isn’t prescribed for you is a BAD idea. You don’t know anything about appropriate dosages, and it you take it without an ADHD diagnosis it’s likely to at best do the same thing as drinking coffee and at worst turn you into a wired, anxious, agitated, crazy mess. It can also make you overconfident and encourage you to guess when you really should leave a question blank. There has also been recent research showing that students who rely on stimulants to boost test day performance tend to have worse grades. It’s not a habit to start, because it won’t serve you well in college or beyond.</p>
<p>The best way to get a great score on the SAT or ACT is to put in a lot of hard work before test day. Short cuts don’t exist.</p>
<p>If you have any problems at all paying attention to VERY long tests like the SAT, I would highly recommend taking one before the test.</p>
<p>Personally, I have slight ADD and have get distracted easily (especially on tests lasting several HOURS at a time). IF you have experience with the exact dosage and are comfortable with the effects, there really is no harm to be done. Granted, it won’t help you understand concepts that you failed to understand previously, though it will help you stay concentrated and focused throughout the testing period.</p>