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October SAT Scores Have Arrived (How’d You Do?)

Given my inexorably optimistic nature, all I can see is the good news (Sorry. I realize that must seem annoying).

Hopefully I'll come down from my cloud in time to study for the next SAT (Nov. 5)

The math.....what is wrong with me?

1. I love it......still, despite my score. Love. Well, maybe love/hate. But more love.

2. I've learned a ton of math, regardless of my SAT score. No Question. Ask anyone who knows me.

3. I'm not giving up (never never never)

4. I'm feeling like it might be time to try Dr. Chung again.

5. All of you math show offs from comments in this post, I refuse to let you bring me down. I'm having fun. I'm working hard. I'm smart, for goodness sakes.**

**I have a former boyfriend who used to always say to me, "I'm not lazy!" -- Like I was calling him lazy or something; except that I wasn't. In fact, I wasn't even thinking it (because he wasn't lazy). But after the 50th time he told me he wasn't lazy, I asked him if someone had called him lazy when he was a little boy, because I was not calling him lazy.

That's what I feel like with this SAT Math -- like I want to post my IQ score so everyone knows "I'm not dumb you guys...." And, I'm not lazy (I swear. Ask my kids.)

It's got to be the fault of the test. (I'm kidding. Don't pounce.)

Ok, gtg hit the books now.

I GOT AN 80000000000000000000 ON THE WRITING!!!

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

54 Comments | posted October 20th, 2011

http://blog.pwnthesat.com PWN the SAT

Worry (or go back to worrying) about the math starting tomorrow. Today, celebrate your Writing victory!
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  Oh, you crack me up. I'm trying to worry. I am I am I am.
  
  But I can't stop exulting no matter how hard I try.
  
  But I'm sure tomorrow, I'll start worrying again.
  
  I'm cleaning up the wreckage of my life at the moment so that tomorrow, when I do the full, timed practice SAT (again), there will (hopefully) be NO interference.
  - http://sidheag.livejournal.com/ sidheag
    
    Congrats! I'm sorry if (that, I guess) you felt I was showing off in saying that the problem with the maths isn't that the question setters are tricksters, and felt that I was trying to bring you down. That wasn't my intention. Quite the reverse: as you clearly know, you're intelligent enough, and you work hard enough, and I was hoping I could help see through the probably wafer-thin barrier that keeps you from 800 in math. If you blame it on tricky question-setters, you'll never be sure they couldn't come up with something even more horrible on the day. If on the other hand you get to the point where you know you can do any question they can legitimately set, and you know the only reason you used not to be able to is a psychological barrier you've since dismantled, you'll be safe.
    
    My most influential math teacher used to say "Maths is the art of being lazy" (because so much of math is about how to answer questions easily that you would otherwise have to do real work to answer, e.g., being able to use Pythagoras instead of having to go through the hassle of constructing the triangle and measuring) and my son delights in finding "mathematician lazy ways" to answer math questions. Maybe what you need next is a "how hard can it be?" attitude, and some practice at setting SAT questions that are *not too hard* (as a change from trying to set evil ones). I'd also suggest, as untimed exercise, taking some questions and writing out explanations of how to answer them in the easiest, most efficient way you can possibly find, after trying all the methods you can think of. Getting used to looking for the easy way might help you to use the easy way when under time pressure, perhaps?
    
    How do you do in timed practice tests? Around the same score you get in the real things, or very different?
    - http://blog.pwnthesat.com PWN the SAT
      
      "Maths is the art of being lazy"
      I'm gonna use that one once in a while. :)
    - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
      
      Thank you!! And I wasn't referring to you....specifically (I received emails and comments that were much less gently and eloquently stated than yours) ....and in fact I'm really mostly kidding, and maybe a little bit envious of those who have had better educations than me......and definitely envious of people who find it easy.
      
      Why not me?!!?**!!
      
      I've tried every which way till Sunday. If you scroll through this crazy blog you'll see the whole story of "how I've tried." I'm taking another full, timed, practice test tomorrow morning.
      
      I score pretty much the same on everything in practice -- within a range.
      
      That said, I have definitely scored much higher in "the range" than I did on this test day.
      - Jessica Loria
        
        Hi, may I ask your MC score for Writing and Essay score? Did Ultimate SAT Grammar Guide help you answer all multiple choice questions with ease without hesitation? Thanks and CONGRATS!
      - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
        
        Multiple Choice I got an 80, Essay 10. See attached. Does 80 mean I didn't get any MC wrong?
        
        Check out my friend Catherine's post about the Essay http://kitchentablemath.blogspot.com/2011/10/writers-should-take-sat.html She's got a PhD and has written bestselling books -- and SHE got a 10! Her son got an 11, btw.
        
        And YES, Erica's Ultimate SAT Grammar Guide is THE book you need for the Writing Section.
      - bogo
        
        Do you remember if you put "No Error" for the New Zealand question?
      - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
        
        I don't recall even reading the question (but I'm really super tired right now).
      - jessica
        
        Although New Zealand (had fostered) music for decades, it was not until the 1980s (when) musicians began (to reach) an international audience. (No Error)....What did you put for that question? do you remember? ;)
      - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
        
        I don't remember!
        
        I don't even recall that question.
      - Anonymous
        
        Jessica,
        
        The error in the sentence was "when"; it should have been "that." If you'd like an explanation for the question, please see: http://ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-makes-score-high-enough.html#comment-341364467
        
        Erica
Anonymous

Yay! I'm so thrilled for you! Way to go!! You are a rock star!
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  Thank you Stacey!!! You are my hero (aka Highest Score Improver I could find)
- Dylancatlow
  
  What was your SAT score improvement?
  - Anonymous
    
    I went from the 50th percentile to the 93rd percentile in math. But I'm an adult and it took me the better part of a year to achieve it.
    - Dylancatlow
      
      me too! well in practice tests. The first time I took my practice test I got a 510 math. The next time I got a 650.=)
    - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
      
      Will you write a post about how you achieved that score increase? How many hours you put in and how you spent them?
      - Anonymous
        
        Yes - it will go something along the lines of "so there I was with a newborn, endless piles of laundry, no sleep, and my brain slowly atrophying right before my eyes....when I discovered the SAT math....and I spend 6 months learning math from 2 decades ago....and I probably did 2500 SAT math problems figuring out why the right answer was right....and I went from the 50th to the 93rd percentile. Hoping to crack the 95th percentile this Dec..."
        
        Is that what you had in mind?
      - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
        
        Well, I was thinking something more methodical and systematic -- but given the newborn issue, somehow I doubt that it was any more methodical than what you just said.
        
        I can't believe you managed to improve that much (speaking as someone who HASN'T!).
V-Tang

Congrats!

But be aware that a 740 in CR can mean that you could have missed up to 5 or 6, depending on the curve.
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  oh, interesting. I was looking at my old tests and I'd missed 5 and was around 700, so I assumed I'd done better.
  
  Good to know.
Elise

Congratulations!

Maybe you should just get it over with and tell everyone what your IQ is...maybe it will make you feel better.
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  haha! No. I actually don't even believe in the whole IQ thing. I just HATE that people think this is easy and I can't do it.
Guest

Congratulations on the 800!!! score in writing :) Did you study for this section the most??
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  I studied for it the least :( I studied for the math 100 times more.
  
  But, if you want to study, get Erica Meltzer's Grammar book. http://ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-not-about-what-you-do-in-english.html
  - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
    
    I did do her book, cover to cover ;) And it helped.
    - Guest
      
      Thanks for the help :) and good luck on your next exam
      - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
        
        THANK YOU!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Catherine-Johnson/100001040094552 Catherine Johnson

I have been chuckling about your 800 on writing all morning long!

CONGRATULATIONS!
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  And congratulations to you about all of it!
  
  I just had this weird epiphany, which is that I honestly had NO IDEA how I did. I knew I had fun, but I didn't know what that meant in terms of my score.
  And that is the exact same issue that my son has that I always get so frustrated with him for. "How'd you do?" He used to say "great!" But after years of "not great" coming back, now he just says "I have no idea mom."
  
  I GET IT NOW.
anotherSATmom

That is awesome. I'm with PWN the SAT: celebrate today; work tomorrow. Congratulations.
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  Trust me, there is NO work happening today. I just got back from yoga and am eating an 800 calorie bowl of spaghetti.
  
  But tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'm taking a FULL TIMED PRACTICE test (which I'm psyched for).
Dylancatlow

post your IQ scores! =)
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  hahaha Dylan. Never. I don't even believe in "IQ," really. But if I did believe in it, I'd be a lot smarter than I think I am.
Halloumi

Hi, I've just discovered your blog and it's very interesting….. Congratulations on the 740 and 800 Sat Scores. I'm confident that the next time you'll ace the exam with a 2400!! what books are you using now for math?? I've finished both Sat Study Guides and have done all the Sat Free booklets, but I don't want to spend anymore money on Prep Books. Would Revising both Guides + plus the Free booklets be a good idea??
Thanks and good luck with your test. Hope I can get a 1900 + Score too :-)
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  Thank you so much for your confidence. Today was such a terrible day that it made me feel SOOOOOOO much better.
  
  When you say "revising the guides" -- do you mean going over your mistakes? If so, YES. Go over them and understand them DEEPLY.
  
  Also, I have found that writing my own SAT questions in the style that they do (i.e. with the tricky answers) is really helpful (though my "feeling" of helpful has yet to show up in my score....BUT IT WILL!).
  
  I've written a few posts about that process: http://perfectscoreproject.com/2011/10/the-cure-for-graph-dyslexia-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/
  
  Also, the College Board Online Course offers a lot more material to use. It's about $70 for a year's subscription, and I think worth it for the material alone. And there's more than that too -- but that's what I've found most helpful.
  
  Good luck and keep me posted about how you do. My fingers and toes are crossed for you. When do you take it?
  - Halloumi
    
    No problem . Yes, but I also mean going through everything.
    That sounds like a great idea, but I seldom have time to sit down and formulate Test questions (wish I did though) .
    Thank you for the link. I haven't done graphs in ages, so that's where I struggle the most.
    Does the College Board Online Course offer extra material apart from the information that's in the Guide? I'm currently using the Book Owner's Area from College board to grade the Tests I took from the 1st Guide Book.
    Thank you :) I will keep you posted as soon as possible. I Take the exam on December and on January ( I'm only registering for the December one,but a few days after I take the exam, I will be revising for the January test incase I don't score Higher than I would've liked. I hope that it isn't the case this time).
    - Anonymous
      
      Do you mean graphs as in coordinate planes (like finding slopes of perpendicular lines) or functions (like what is g(h)=4)
      
      In either case, I'd recommend Keller's book: The New Math SAT Game Plan (Here's a link: http://www.redhorsetutoring.com/resources/)
      - Halloumi
        
        both. But i've also learned that I can score very High by not answering most /or none of the most challenging questions, and only aiming towards the easy and medium questions.
      - Anonymous
        
        Yep - that's one of the "SAT Secrets" to getting a high score!
      - Halloumi
        
        Great, is it advisable that I read the whole book, or not?
      - Anonymous
        
        Of Phillip Keller's book? It's all valuable. I'd start with his first three chapters on overall strategy and then work on the graphs and functions chapters. (The functions chapter is the best I've ever seen)
      - Halloumi
        
        Yes he's book. Thank you, I will keep that in mind.
    - http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
      
      Love Keller's book.
      And trust me when I say the time spent writing the hardest graph question you can will be worth your time. I FINALLY "get it."
      - Halloumi
        
        Thank you for the advice :) I actually ordered the book about a week ago, it has yet to arrive.
        I'm glad that you can now understand 'em( I wish there was an easier and faster way to solve them though).
Katieluvgold

Wow 740 on critical reading....you must read a lot...if you prepared a little more with practice tests or studied some more vocab..I think you would have gotten an 800. :) Great JOB!
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  I read an insane amount. I worked in book publishing for over 20 years, and the (unfortunate) outcome was that I was forced to read faster than one should ever have to read.
  
  I always say it was like that episode of I Love Lucy at the Chocolate Factory (did you ever see that?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztA6JCKB4s
  
  When I was in publishing, it kind of took the joy out of reading (I tell people who ask me, if you love to read, book publishing is not the industry for you).
  
  I read in big giant eye gulps. I can down a book in a sitting, no problem.
  
  The problem is that I actually think this has hurt me on SAT reading where you have to read like you're picking through blades of grass and parse every single word. THAT was not the kind of reading I was doing.
  - Katieluvgold
    
    haha! THank you.! I never laughed so hard! ;)
http://www.wegrowmedia.com Dan Blank

Wow - congratulations!!!!
- http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier
  
  Oh, thank you Dan.
  
  Of course, ever since i wrote that post my life has fallen apart and I live in fear that I flew too close to the sun and my wings are melting.
  
  Oh, the hubris.
  
  I had a lucky day. THAT'S what I should have said. It was good luck. And I pray I have some good luck again.
  
  Blog post tk.
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Devon

An interesting take on your blog:

http://combatblog.net/?p=3527#more-3527