<p>I'm taking the SATs (For the first time, my senior year) in October. I wish to take it only once so I'm aiming for a high score. (not too high, 2000+), I used the Official SAT book and solved through it. I also used Kaplan 2013 and solved through that too, I then used College Board's online course and solved the 6 tests on it, I'm not kind of running out of materials to use (Despite the fact I have Princeton, Barrons, and all that, but I wanna stick to CB material, that's much better, right?)
My scores on the practice tests are about 1900. Which isn't my goal at all, and I'd love to get to AT least 2100 on the PRACTICE tests. (which would make it more possible to get a 2000 in October) Do you have any recommendations on how to boost up my score? I solve tests and review them, and I do it about every 3 days. Is that enough practice?
and do you think it's possible to score over a 2000 on my first SATs? And do you have any tips on what to do on the actual exam day to kind of.. be less nervous?
(Also does anyone have Dr.Chung's? What are your thoughts on it, and do you think I should buy it online and use it instead of CB material?)</p>
<p>Ps; any tips about the essay would be very beneficial to me, any general tips would also help.
Thank you.:)</p>
<p>Untimed tests from the Blue Book (especially for CR and Math) are helpful, since they will build accuracy and ensure that you know how to answer the questions. Avoid PR/Kaplan’s/Barron’s at any cost - they misrepresent the test (as far as difficulty goes) and provide tips that are far too basic for people at your level.</p>
<p>Here are some resources that I have gathered from my own personal experience and through skimming College Confidential:</p>
<p>CR:
-Vocab: Direct Hits (book), Quizlet (online), Mindsnacks (found on the Apple App store), Test Your English Vocabulary (Android app - just drills you on vocab with 10 question quizzes; great for on-the-go practice rather than studying)
-Passage Practice: Untimed Blue Book tests, Erica Meltzer’s CR Guide (book)</p>
<p>Math:
-Khan Academy (online), PWN the SAT Math (book), Dr. Chung’s (book - mainly geared for high scorers to get up from 650ish to high 700s), Untimed Blue Book tests</p>
<p>Writing:
-Erica Meltzer’s Grammar Guide
-For the essay: Make your own list of canned examples organized by people, literature and history, with themes/attributes for each.</p>
<p>Faith, you absolutely can score over 2000 your first time. As for being less nervous, I have two suggestions:
- Sign up to take the SAT twice. If you go in knowing that you have two chances to get your desired score, you’ll feel more calm.
- Get friendly with your anxiety. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when you understand that your anxiety just means that you care, it’s easier to deal with. If you think of anxiety as a bad sign (which it’s not) or as something you need to be totally free of (which is unrealistic and unfair), you let it control you. If you say, “oh, I’m anxious. It just means I care,” you’ll learn to handle it. This has worked with my students and it works with me before I perform. </p>
<p>BONUS TIP: If you find yourself very nervous, check that you’re breathing. A lot of people stop breathing when they’re nervous and this makes things much worse. Then, describe how the nervousness feels, such as “I feel my legs shaking and my throat feels tight.” The nervous sensations you’re feeling occur in a part of your brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions such as fear and anger. When you’re nervous, there’s a lot of brain activity in the amygdala. But you use a different part of your brain to describe things (your prefrontal cortex). So when you explain the sensations, you’re taking activity away from your amygdala, which lessens the severity of those feelings. It’s why talking about your feelings helps you feel better. </p>
<p>As for books, Dr. Chung’s is very helpful, but take it untimed, as it’s all difficult questions. I don’t have a problem with The Princeton Review’s practice tests. The reading comprehension is hit or miss, but the math and grammar are solid. </p>
<p>Lastly, if you want to improve, really study your mistakes. What did you get wrong? Why? Could you solve this problem if you saw it again? There’s a lot of repetition on these exams, so you’re going to see the same problem-types again and again. Learn from your mistakes and you’ll get over the 2000 bump. </p>
<p>Best,
E</p>