<p>Hey guys,
So I got a 2080 on my SATs: 660: CR 730:M 690:W (11 on essay).
I would like to improve my critical reading at least 50 points
I would like to improve my math at least 20 points
I would like my writing to improve around 20 points
Ultimately I would like to get a 2180+ on my SATs </p>
<p>I am looking for your advice in terms of the best study methods specifically for critical reading. So if you guys could recommend me specific books, flashcards, and practice methods it would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>CR- focus on building your vocabulary. This will help you tremendously and could get you like 70 more points. I used the vocab list from “Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT” but I heard that the vocab list from “Direct Hits” is very helpful. Building your SAT vocabulary for words that often appear is crucial.</p>
<p>Math- Math is simple. Have a good pace, check your work, and don’t fall for the obvious trap. The difference between low 700s and an 800 is often only 3-5 questions.</p>
<p>Writing- You need to know the fundamentals of grammar to ace the writing section. Learn all the basic grammar rules. I used KlassTutoring’s “Ultimate SAT Tutorial” to help with the writing section. It helped me get an 800 on the Writing section.</p>
<p>Overall, continue to do practice tests. Make sure you go back and review what you got wrong and why. Often the difference between a 2080 and a 2200+ is several questions in each section.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks so much!
Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>You know, 2080 is not a bad score. You should be able to get into most places with that… or are you set on getting inti an Ivy? If that’s the case, you might be better served focusing on other parts of your application, or developing a more realistic set of expectations. I think that most improvement on the SAT happens due to statistical noise rather than improvement… unless you feel like something went wrong at the last test, I doubt very seriously any conscious effort is going to raise your score 100 points.</p>
<p>aegrisomnia I know 2080 is not a bad score, but my GPA isn’t as high as I would like it, and I already have strong extracurriculars and recommendations (I am starting my essay this month). So I have to try to improve anyway I can to get into the schools that I want. I am not looking any IVYs per say, but other prestigious universities. Raising it 100 points would just be my dream situation. I mostly just want to raise my critical reading score 30-50 points. I think that it is possible if I put the work into it. So if you have any suggestions or advice please share!</p>
<p>You should definitely work on writing because it is the easiest section to improve on. I went from a 49W psat in my sophomore year to an 800 May SAT writing section and did this by taking a lot of practice tests and also buying barron’s writing workbook and going through it. However, as long as you take a lot of practice tests, you begin to notice the patterns that appear frequently on these sections and your score should go up. I can’t really comment on your CR because I only got a 650 on mine, but for math, I think you just need to check your answers more carefully or just get lucky with the questions because you have the potential to score high.</p>