The "Track your SAT Progress" Thread

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>With college applications and SATs coming up (or already started/done), I figured it would be cool for us all to share our progress here. We can compulsively obsess about it all - "should I study section per section or take the tests in the given order?", "should I be timing my tests or not?", "how am I doing? is 790 bad or good?", so on and so forth. And here's the best part...we can do it all together. On a message board. How fun. </p>

<p>[/slight-sarcasm]</p>

<p>I'll start it off. If this takes off, I'll create a similar thread for the subject tests.</p>

<p>Attempt #: 1
Date:: Some time in April '12, I believe
Book Used:: Blue Book
Section: CR
Score: 670</p>

<p>Attempt #: 2
Date: Late July
Book Used:: Kaplan
Section: CR
Score: 600</p>

<p>Attempt #: 3
Date: See above
Book Used:: Kaplan
Section: CR
Score: 670</p>

<p>Attempt #: 4
Date: August 13th
Book Used:: Blue Book
Section: CR
Score: 720</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>It took a while for me to get used to the format. I've always hated multiple choice exams but rather surprisingly, I found the SATs somewhat enjoyable. Does that make me weird? Oh geez, what will the girls say?</p>

<p>I have a feeling I'll regret that comment if (read: when?) my scores start dropping but we'll see how things pan out. As was made evident by the above, I've only been doing CR. I tried the math section on Kaplan once but haven't gone back to it. I've been putting off reviewing for those "angles" questions. I also tried "Writing" once, back in April, and it was a disaster.</p>

<p>As for the time constraints, I try to stick to the amount of time allowed. However, for yesterday's test, I did things a little more leisurely, but I didn't go over the time limit by too much. Max. was probably one minute or so. I also correct each section once I'm done. I dropped a total of 8 marks (iirc) in the first two sections and went unscathed in the section having the one long passage (some cool chick who didn't want to get married to Maximus Brutus).</p>

<p>I'm off for attempt # 5! If I can't score high on those tests, I'm gonna be as good as grilled octopus tentacles, which admittedly, aren't so bad and are perhaps an acquired taste but I digress. The point is that if I can't ace those, no USA for me. Boohoo.</p>

2

<p>Haha, when I was studying for the SAT I graphed all of my scores on excel and recorded it. Then I printed it out and taped it to my TV to stay focused. I even made regression lines, extrapolations, etc.</p>

<p>That’s probably something I shouldn’t share anywhere except a college forum.</p>

3

<p>I’ll be honest: I sort of enjoy studying for the SAT too. I think of it like a challenge and it’s fun to always try to beat my previous score. I surely don’t find it stressful; it’s so much better than AP exams!</p>

4

<p>Dates: idk, over the summer</p>

<p>I GIVE MYSELF 10’S ON EVERY ESSAY just because it’s around that level.</p>

<p>Beginning of summer:
CR: ~750
Math: ~800
Writing: ~740</p>

<p>Attempt 1, bb test 1:
CR: -2
Math: -1
Writing: -1</p>

<p>Attempt 2, bb test 10:
CR: -3
Writing: -1</p>

<p>Attempt 3, bb test 9:
CR: -2
Math: -3 (I didn’t see 2 of the problems. don’t ask)
Writing: -0</p>

<p>Attempt 4, bb test 8:
CR: -2
Writing: -3 (don’t ask either)</p>

<p>CR is the only thing that makes me nervous, everything else is fail stupid mistakes that make me facepalm.</p>

<p>I was like you guys…sigh…enjoying taking SAT tests. Then, after spending my summer on it, the omnipresence of SAT left me jaded and feeling like there had got to be something else in life. -.- so I’m doing 0 studying now, hoping I can maintain CR up.</p>

<p>NOTE: for those of you contemplating the ACT. Here is a general review of which you will do better on:
ACT: if you work very diligently in school, get 103.46% in every class, rarely procrastinate, do your homework, you will do well here.
SAT: if you consider school a joke, get A’s by studying for like 10 mins and laughing at those ppl who try but still get only C+, use 1/10 of your mind at school and 9/10 sleeping/talking/doing nothing/etc., the SAT is for you.</p>

<p>As for me, I took a practice ACT and failed it. Hard. like, 25 reading or something. yeah, uh, i quit that endeavor.</p>

5

<p>PSAT in October 2011: ~220
BB Test 1 (Today):
Math: 800 (-0)
CR: 780 (-4)
Writing: 800 (-1)</p>

<p>I have to recommend Erica Meltzer’s Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, it’s around 150 pages, took me like <10 hours to completely finish and brought my writing score from ~700 in October to me being able to breeze through the writing section.</p>