<p>Hey everyone. So I took the March SAT and scored a 2230 (790M, 730 CR 710W). I am aiming for 2300 in May, and it's the last chance for me to take it (subject tests in June, and QB/EA Senior year). Obviously, I need to improve writing and CR. I took a few practice tests since then and on the last one I got a perfect writing score, but my CR and Math went down. It seems like when I get one score up, another one falls down. </p>
<p>-If my score is lower in May, would that hurt me a lot (for the schools w/o score choice)?
-Is it worth it to buy Direct Hits (advanced) TWO weeks before the exam?</p>
<p>Half of my CR errors are vocab, the other half are reading. So it's evenly split. I usually only get the very last vocabulary questions wrong, and sometimes the most random reading ones.</p>
<p>Writing, I feel like I have trouble with the essay (although I get perfect scores on AP essays, so I don't understand) and the MC questions are usually silly errors because I am nervous about the time and rush through. </p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<ol>
<li>It probably wouldn’t hurt if it dropped by a little, but if you think it will drop drastically, don’t take it. There’s nothing wrong with a 2230.</li>
<li>The math problems you should be able to get easily. If you’ve gotten through Algebra and Geometry, you should be able to easily answer the questions. You get 25 minutes for 20 questions, use all of it.</li>
<li>Immerse yourself in vocab. Flashcards work, and remember to not infer in CR unless explicitly told to do so.</li>
<li>Relax on the essay. Try your best, and you’ll be fine. In the MC, for the 35 questions, the first 10 and the last 6 are a breeze. Shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds. The harder ones are when you spot the error in the sentence. Take a little more time there.
You’ll be fine. 2230 is a great score.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks, beatlesdisturbed. </p>
<p>For the writing, I feel like the spot the error ones are much easier than the first 10 and the last six (the find the error ones take me very little time, and I rarely get those wrong). Strange. </p>
<p>The math, I agree, is very easy, I just make such stupid mistakes sometimes; it’s frustrating. </p>
<p>I think I’ll get the Direct Hits book and finish it before the May exam and work on the essay section (seems to be dragging my writing score way down.) </p>
<p>How do you guys feel about the Barron’s 2400 book? I have it on loan from the library, not sure if it’s worth the time.</p>
<p>The Writing part for the barrons 2400 is impressive; I have the book and it helps in finding all errors giving various examples and practice. The CR is ehhh and the Math part mainly focuses on the harder questions, in your case I would say it is helpful since your looking to nail the hard questions.</p>
<p>@metrical: How are you grading your essays?</p>
<p>I’m not really grading them, because I don’t think I could accurately do it. I got a 9 on the essay last time, so I am assuming it’s what my essay score will be. I usually read the example essays they give for each test, but I think that the SAT essay completely contradicts how formal writing should be. Using “I” excessively and drawing from sappy personal experiences, is not the way an essay should be (unless one is in 7th grade). I guess I just don’t write “from the heart” but rather use concrete examples and evidence. That’s what my AP teacher said when I talked to her about the SAT essays. Clearly, I’ll have to adapt if I want to raise my score.</p>
<p>^I agree with you. But you have to remember, smart to dumb kids take the SAT. Only the moderately intelligent and up take the AP Exams. Which exams have you taken?</p>
<p>By the end of May, I will have taken:</p>
<p>AP Euro
AP US
AP Chemistry
AP Bio
AP Physics C
AP Physics B
AP English Language
AP Statistics
AP Calculus </p>
<p>I think that’s it. Senior year is about another 6 or 7 >< </p>
<p>As for the SAT essay, I guess I’ll learn to dumb it down a little. It’s kind of hard though because my brain is screaming not to write in that way. I guess I can pretend I am responding to a rather philosophical thread here on CC? :D</p>
<p>There you go! lol
What schools are you looking into?
So far, I’ve taken most of your exams except for Physics B and C, and Euro and Chem. I’ll have taken all of them by the end of my senior year (this year) except Phys C.
Which are you taking in two weeks? Remember, if you ace an AP, you will ace the corresponding subject test.</p>
<p>I’ll take Physics + Math II + Bio OR US History in June. Not sure which, but US history has a much nicer curve, and will make me seem more well rounded, so it’s probably my best bet. </p>
<p>I’m looking into a lot of the top schools. Among my top choices are Harvard, Yale and MIT. Not sure how realistic that goal is, but then again, admissions are such a crapshoot that I may as well try. I qualify for QB too, so that may be beneficial (although, I am not a minority). </p>
<p>Mostly, I want this whole process to be over! Congrats on Yale, by the way.</p>
<p>Thank you for the congratulations.
I’m guessing you’ll be a science/math major? MIT, Caltech, and Princeton are great places for those subjects.
It’s best to be jagged, instead of angled or rounded. You want to be good in many things, but excel in 2-4 things. So take USH, it’s got a nice curve, trust me.</p>
<p>Okay so I’ll have the Math + Physics and the history. Yes, I will be science/math major (haven’t decided yet, perhaps applied mathematics or physics). </p>
<p>Yeah I can see the benefits of being “jagged”, but also importance of not only being good at math and science - especially when applying to liberal arts colleges. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s certainly true, and I absolutely love MIT. However, in the event I decide to change my major, or do law (yes, strange possibility) after undergraduate, it’s better to go to a school like Princeton. I also think that while Harvard and Yale are not famous for their science departments in particular, they are quite good in all areas, and for undergraduate the difference between Princeton and Harvard for… say, physics, is probably negligible. I would be happy to go to any one of these schools though.</p>
<p>What are you majoring in?</p>
<p>I plan to major in Poli-Sci and I"m deadset on it. But because I have the option, I may choose to double major, with another major of biology/history/East Asian Studies/Philosophy.
Being jagged is key. I excel in politics/history/social sciences, but I also excel at sports, and English. My best friend is exceptional in mathematics, technology, and business. You get the idea.
I also plan to be a lawyer, working in federal hate crimes. If you plan to be a patent lawyer, majoring in science is necessary.
As someone who has lived near P-ton, the school is better for biology/chemistry rather than physics, although the program is great. Yes, the difference between those schools is marginal, but P-ton and MIT have more opportunities in science and math than Yale and Harvard.</p>
<p>I have a friend who attends Princeton (she’s majoring in applied math), and absolutely loves it. </p>
<p>I’m not really sure if I’d fit your definition of jagged. Most of my ECs are science related (such as research at a lab and a few math/science clubs). I get good grades in all subjects, but my only ‘different’ ECs would be tennis and an academic competition team. I’m not sure if this counts for much, but I have 8 years of 2 languages (Latin and Spanish), so often it takes up a lot of space on my schedule. </p>
<p>In any case, I’m trying to get the SATs out of the way and finish my applications in August-October. Then it’s all out of my hands 
(Finally, for better or worse.)</p>
<p>That seems jagged enough to me lol.
As for the SATs, I got mine done early, in 9th and 10th for both Reasoning and Subject Tests.</p>
<p>Oh wow that must have me your Junior year so much easier and less stressful. I didn’t think to take any SATs in 10th or 11th, luckily I only need to improve a little, so I won’t run out of time.</p>
<p>Yup, I could just worry about APs.
What’s your AP track record so far? I’ve gotten nothing but 5s, but I think AP Physics B may ruin me.</p>
<p>Ditto on the 5s, but I am kind of worried about Statistics ruining that. I am taking the class at a university so the curriculum is different and we’re not nearly done. I have to study a lot of the topics on my own, which I haven’t had time to do because of all the other exams. It’s okay though, since APs are self-reported. I was just hoping to get National AP Scholar (still going to try XD).</p>
<p>NAPS motivated me so much lol. So glad I am one, but I have to protect my title.</p>