#sat advice

[a-pigeon-is-spying-on-me]

hello everyone in the SAT tag i love your commentary on capitalism and neuro-diversity and how college board sucks and college shouldn't matter but I'm really just here for the secret to getting a 1600 so please just. help. please.

[ibuproffie]

hello all! i took my third and final sat on august 25th, for privacy reasons, i will not share my exact scores, but they are in the range for the colleges i am applying to, so i am satisfied with them. here’s my guide to getting the sat score of your dreams; best of luck x

sat breakdown:

evidence based reading section: like act reading but a little more challenging (65 minutes, 52 questions, 5 passages) 

evidence based writing section: exactly the same as act writing and language (35 minutes, 44 questions) 

math (no calculator): don’t stress tm abt this section, it’s actually easier than math w calculator, main issue (for me at least) is timing (25 minutes, 20 questions) 

math (calculator): more complex math, goes up to basic trig and geometry (55 minutes, 38 questions) both math sections have grid-in questions in which you have to write in your answer rather than select a multiple choice option

writing (optional): analyze a piece of writing in an essay, a bit more challenging than act writing (50 minutes) 

highest score: 1600

lowest score: 400

general info:

the sat is made by the college board, who also make the ap exams. so if you’ve ever taken an ap exam, you have a college board account. if not, you’ll have to make one. it’s fairly easy to do. 

make sure your password is something you can easily remember. if possible, set it so your computer remembers it. 

you can later send your scores to colleges using your college board account. 

when signing up to take an sat, make sure that you print out your admission ticket early rather than late. also make sure you have clear directions to your testing center if you’ve never been there before. 

you will also be asked for an additional proof of id. if you take the sat through a talent search program, this will be provided for you. otherwise, bring drivers’ id, passport, or an sat id form. (the sat id form is kind of a pain to fill out, so i would strongly recommend you bring one of the other ids i mentioned.) 

if you’re a senior planning to submit your sat score to colleges, make sure you’ll get your sat scores back before you apply. for this reason, it’s better to schedule a summer test over an autumn test. 

cramming the night before probably won’t improve your score. if you have to study at all the night before, do your best section and look over math formulas. (they won’t give you arc length and that’s almost always on the test.) 

bring a snack! a hungry brain will not improve matters!

check to make sure your calculator is approved by college board. most are, but you never know. 

you can opt to take sat writing on test day if you found out a college you’re interested in requires a writing score. but lots of top schools don’t require sat w writing (all the schools i’m currently applying to are top 50 and none of them require a writing score). you only really need to take it if you have ivy league/uc ambitions. 

ways to take the sat:

self study: this method is what most people do. they do practice tests online or through khan academy, or buy an sat prep book and do practice questions. this method is pretty solid, but you have to be disciplined to do it effectively. if you know you can’t motivate yourself to study, this is probably not the move. 

sat classes/tutoring: if you have the money to do this, or if you can find free classes, this method is also fairly effective. if you know you can’t be trusted to study by yourself, this is probably the best way to study.

blind testing: this is where you take the test without studying at all. you may want to do this for your first sat, but it is not recommended you do this for any sat after, unless you’re some sort of test-taking god (but if you are, why are you reading this post?) 

are prep books worth it?

yes and no. it really depends on the prep book. 

i’ve always used the princeton review books. they’re pretty high quality and the questions are a lot like the ones on the sat. they tend to focus more on “tricks” then how to, like, do the questions though, which bothers me a little bit. 

college board makes its own sat review guides, which are also fairly reputable. they have former sat tests in them, which can be helpful. however many real tests have already been released by college board online and are thus free. 

kaplan also makes pretty good review material. imo kaplan tests are harder than actual sat tests. kaplan is also less focused on “tricks.” which i found more helpful than princeton review’s methods. 

the tea on tutoring:

the summer before my junior year i took a kaplan course to prep for the sat. i got a lot out of it, personally. they gave us tips for taking the test at a much faster pace, and i brought my score up by 100 points. 

that being said, tutoring is def not necessary for success. the course was p expensive, and it was also a lot of work to keep up with. if you’re already pretty busy, you may not get a lot out of a class because it does take up time. 

if you have the time and money, i’d say a kaplan or other test-prep course could be worth it to you. if not, there are plenty of other, less expensive ways to prep for the test. 

for example, studying with a group of friends can play the same role as a kaplan class in that it will get you motivated (or shamed into) studying for the sat. 

other alternatives:

do not sleep on khan academy! if you don’t know what it is by now, it’s a free website with tons of helpful videos on just about any subject ( i especially recommend it for math and science.) they have sat prep material that has been verified by college board and you can customize a study schedule to your needs, and, if you log into your college board account, you can build a study plan that focuses on your weaknesses-based off your psat or your last sat. 

take the psat if you can before the sat. it’s formulated quite similarly to the sat, and if you do well on the psat you may be eligible for a national merit scholarship. 

staying motivated:

make a study schedule and stick to it. and be specific with it, so instead of saying “today i’m going to study sat math” say “today i’m going to review geometry topics and do fifteen practice problems.” 

don’t attempt to do too much in one day. you will almost certainly get burnt out if you take a full practice test every day or something. 

practice tests are helpful, but schedule them for days on which you literally have nothing else to do so you can time them properly (they are about four hours if you practice the essay as well.) 

write down every question you get wrong in a notebook, along with an explanation of how to get the correct answer. that way, before test day, you can flip through the notebook and quickly review what sorts of mistakes you tend to make so you can be extra vigilant on the real test. 

promise yourself rewards for good work! for example “if i get all the questions right today, i’ll buy myself a present.” 

the day before the test, if you have to study at all, practice the section of the test that is easiest to you. this will get you extra confident for the next day. 

i can’t afford the sat. what do i do?

fee waivers are available for the sat. see if you are eligible to get one. 

is my score good enough?

to answer this question, check the sat “middle 50%” range for the college or university you’re applying. do not look at the “average” sat score, as this is a less reliable indicator of the necessary score needed for acceptance to that college. 

if you are in between the scores in the middle 50% range or at the cutoff points for the middle 50% range, your score is very similar to the scores of people who were admitted. at the very least, your sat score will not keep you out of that college. 

if you’re above the scores at the top of the range, you have a good shot at getting admitted, potentially with some sort of scholarship money. 

if you’re below the scores at the bottom of the range, it will probably be harder for you to get in to that school. however, it is not totally impossible to get accepted, especially if you’re only ten or twenty points below the cutoff for the end of the range. 

colleges do not look at just test scores, contrary to popular belief. plenty of people get turned down from top schools with perfect sat scores. recognize that doing well helps, but it’s not everything. the sat is simply a measure of how well you can do on the sat. it is not a valid predictor of intelligence or even success in college and beyond. you are more than just a number. you are. i promise. 

superscoring:

chances are, if you’ve taken the test more than one time, your composite score has fluctuated a little bit. you might have done better in math on one test, but bombed english, yet when you took it a second time, your math score plummeted and your english score soared. so which score do you submit? 

most colleges, thankfully, won’t make you choose. you can now submit multiple tests, and your highest subscores across the board will be taken to create your all-time highest score. this practice is called superscoring. be sure to check the score policies for the colleges your interested in, as not all colleges superscore (cough cough: the uc schools) 

random sat tips that worked for me:

you know those reading questions where it asks you to answer a question and then the preceding question asks you to back it up with evidence? anyway, what i do for those is read the first question, and then, without looking at the answer choices, skip to the second question and select the evidence that answers it. only then do i answer the first question. 

learn the arc length formulas. tattoo them on your forehead. they WILL be on the math section. 

skip hard questions. they’re worth as many points as easy questions. bubble a random answer in and come back to them if you have time. 

remember there’s no guessing penalty, so it’s in your best interest to bubble all the questions. you’re better off guessing one letter for all your unknown questions rather than “christmas-treeing” it. the right answer is not always b or c, contrary to popular opinion so guess a or d if you’re bad ;) 

for english, the simplest answer is usually the best. 

[study-starlight]

Hey everyone! I’ve had this idea for a while and finally decided to do it so today I will be sharing with you guys my tips and advice for the SAT. I’ve taken the SAT multiple times and have scored above a 1400 after lots of studying so hopefully my advice will be helpful and you enjoy!

In this post I will tell you guys how I studied and what I used, tips for each section of the SAT, and general advice for test day. 

Part One – How I Studied

The SAT that I was studying for was in October and while I started doing a little bit of studying during the summer, I didn’t start making it a priority until September. It depends on how comfortable you are with the material on the SAT and how much time you have to dedicate towards studying, but I would say start studying about a month in advance if you’re looking to improve your score. 

The main resources I used to study were a SAT prep book and Khan Academy. Originally, I used the College Board SAT Prep Book to highlight important information and take the full-length practice tests. However, I later realized that the same practice tests (and more) are available on Khan Academy so honestly I wouldn’t worry about getting the prep book as long as you use Khan Academy. Some people don’t like Khan Academy, but personally I think it’s one of the best resources available for the SAT. It allows you to link your past scores and will tell you what areas you need to focus on. There are so many practice questions on there that are very similar to the format and material on the actual test.

The number one thing that I did that helped the most was taking practice tests. This allowed me to get familiar with the way questions were asked, what material was being asked, and get used to the timing of the tests. Other resources that I used included the Daily Practice for the New SAT app by College Board which has new questions daily from past SATs.

Part Two – Tips for each part

Reading Section:

Make sure you understand the passage.

Be able to know what the question is asking and become familiar with the types of questions that are asked.

As far as timing goes, do what works for you. For me, this meant spending more time reading and less time on the questions to ensure that I understood the passage.

Practice, even if that’s just through things like reading online articles.

Writing and Language Section:

Practice to know what areas specifically you need to work on and then learn any grammar rules that you need to.

Practice fixing grammatical errors in your own work.

Know why the changes in practice questions need to be made so that you can apply it to other questions.

Math Section:

Just because a calculator is available doesn’t mean you should use it. Practice and be able to do some math in your head so that you can work faster.

Know what math topics you struggle with and focus on practicing/learning those topics more than others.

Certain types of questions and topics almost always come up so make sure you know how to do them. You can find out which ones these are through reoccurrence in practice.

Be able to understand what the questions are asking so that you know what math to do.

Part Three – Overall and Test Day Tips

Don’t stress and relax as if it’s any other test. 

Take a full length practice test at least once so you’re aware of the timing and know you can manage your time.

Prep everything (calculator, pencils, etc.) the night before to avoid unnecessary stress.

Don’t worry too much about predicted scores on practice tests. They don’t define you’re success on the actual test.

That’s about it! I hope someone found this helpful and good luck on your SAT! If anyone has any more questions, feel free to ask me and I’ll try to help out. 

[yournewapartment]

Hi, I am a junior in hs. I have mental health issues so my school specializes in my needs pertaining to that (it's a very small school). I compiled a list of colleges I'm applying to in the fall (2018). However, I am very anxious b/c my school doesn't help with SATs/ACTs nor have AP courses or extracurriculars. I fear I won't get into college, not even the "safety" schools. My GPA is 3.70 and I take my first SAT in May. What should I do to better prepare (I can't afford outside help)? :/ Thanks!

They can’t fault you if your school doesn’t have AP classes! Are there any community colleges near by? You could take a class or two there during the summer to show that you’re a go-getter. There’s also usually a section on apps to explain any special circumstances (i.e. your mental health and your school’s specialization)

Prep as much as you can for the SAT. Review guides are available for free online and to check out from libraries!

What hobbies or interests do you have? Do you have any volunteering experience? Volunteering in the community is a great extracurricular that looks good on apps. Things like music, sports, community service, work experience, etc. all look great! But if you don’t have them, that doesn’t mean you won’t still succeed!

Good luck! Please check our “SAT” and “getting into college” tags for more– Mimi

[motivationxinspiration]

SAT Tips

Here are a few things that helped me out ‌•Before hand: ◦ If you plan on studying get a practice book as far in advance as possible, working on it over the summer would be best for anyone with a busy schedule over the school year ◦ If you waited a bit more to the last minute(like me) there are plenty of free practice pdfs online and even YouTube videos for a quick refresher on any big topics you don’t fully remember/understand ◦ If you waited to the very last minute and your English skills lack try looking at some basic grammar rules (ex: http://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-grammar-rules-you-must-know http://thecollegepanda.com/the-18-sat-grammar-rules-you-must-know/ ) ◦ If you waited to the very last minute and your math skills lack maybe look at some algebra practice problems (ex: http://blog.prepscholar.com/systems-of-equations-sat-math-algebra-prep-and-practice http://blog.prepscholar.com/functions-on-sat-math-linear-quadratic-algebra ) ◦ If you really don’t have anytime don’t get too worried, the majority of people won’t study at all

‌•Night before/day of: ◦ Get enough sleep!! Staying up cramming is not going to do anything, try to get at least 8 hours ◦ Pack everything the night before: 2+ not mechanical #2 pencils, a calculator, spare batteries(trust me on this one), and water bottles ◦ Eat a healthy and filling breakfast maybe oatmeal with bananas, a fruit and veggie shake, avocado toast, or something else along those lines ◦ Bring snacks for each break and grab a coffee(if you are used to caffeine) ◦ Do not stress out, stay calm and focused, after all you can take the test as many times as you need to ◦ Answer every question, points are not deducted for wrong answers anymore and you have a 25% chance of getting it right

Don’t worry, I promise it’s not as bad as it seems, more and more colleges are no longer even requiring SAT/ACT scores for applications. I hope this was helpful, and if you have anymore questions you’re more than welcome to message me!

[ruby686]

To all my babies taking SAT tomorrow: Do the extended response questions on the math section first. There are some easy points back there. When it comes done to it, it's easier to fill in a bubble than write a number. Take a deep breath. You got this. Best of luck to you all 💜

[genericappblrurl]

Okay so I'm kinda freaking out because I'm an upcoming senior and I recently got my SAT scores back and I did horribly and I'm planning on taking again one last time in the fall but this is my last chance to get a high(ish) score so I can get into my dream school so basically do u have any advice/tips or just how you preped for it? also do you know if there's a way to make yourself stand out in ur applications if your scores aren't the best? thank u :)))

Posts I’ve made on this:

Critical reading tips

CR and math tips + some general stuff

More stuff on vocab learning

A pretty comprehensive powerpoint thing

Free resources

Feel free to ask if you want clarification on anything or have any other questions about this! 

In my opinion, the essays are the best way to show yourself off. A brilliant essay can make up for a lot and will put you way ahead of someone with perfect scores and bad or mediocre essays.

[study-honey]

Any advice for preparing for ACT/SAT? Thanks! ❤️

Get these tests over with ASAP! You don’t want to stress out during college app season bc of these tests

 Figure out which test is right for you! Research the differences between the SAT and ACT. 

Try out some practice problems and see which format you do better in and like better overall.Get a review book! I used the College Board’s SAT book and it was pretty good.

I definitely spent too much time reading the chapters about the test and different strategies to use. Thats not as important as DOING THE PROBLEMS

THIS IS HONESTLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! There are no easy shortcuts. You need to do some practice tests and time yourself on them! Practice makes perfect

This is basically what any prep class or tutor will make you do. These services cost some $ and are only worth it if you tend to procrastinate and you need someone to force you to study

For the essay: prepare some examples ahead of time! The SAT has essays with prompts that are kinda broad. Make sure to use specific details in your examples! Read some sample essay responses too. 

Literature Examples: Review some books that you’ve already read in high school. Make sure to take note of the authors name, plot, major characters, and important themes. Books are good examples to study because often times they have multiple themes in one.

Historical Examples: Same thing. Historical events have multiple complex themes that you can use for your essay prompt!!

Feel free to use modern day examples of technology, sports, medicine, or anything you find in the news! Just make sure you’re able to use specific details and that you tie it back to answering the question

This may sound petty, but USE A LOT OF GOOD VOCAB!!!! It may feel weird and pretentious while writing but trust me it makes your essay grade better. Just make sure you know what the words mean and that you use them in the right context. 

also, most importantly, ANSWER THE QUESTION! Make sure your thesis actually relates back to the prompt and that it is clear and easy to understand.