Tips

Filling Up the Tips Page

  1. Medium Questions have Medium Answers: If you're working too hard on an easy question (i.e. the beginning of a section), you're probably doing something wrong.  Similarly, if you come to an answer too easily at the end of a section (especially Math, though maybe that's just me) -- you've probably done something wrong too.  This does not apply to the Critical Reading passages which are not in order of difficulty. (Special delivery from Stacey Howe-Lott.)
  2. Calculators: The Ti-89 does algebra for you --  if you can figure it out (I couldn't). Ultimately, I used the Ti-84 which has a lot of useful buttons (Math/Frac, Graphing, etc.) --  but it's expensive ($135 new, though offered for much less on discount sites), and it's not really necessary. Read this Bell Curves blog post to find out everything you need to know on the matter of the SAT and calculators.
  3. Writing Section: Read every single word and complete all exercises in Erica Meltzer's The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar.  Just do it; don't even think about it.  I couldn't have told you the first thing about dangling modifiers or gerunds or subjunctives, until I read that book -- 45 years old at the time, mind you. And, I scored an 800 on the Writing Section after that book, ok?  I'm saying run, don't walk, to get yourself a copy.
  4. The Essay: Practice writing one per day (or at least a few per week), timed with College Board essay prompts, for the few months leading up to the SAT. Try to get a few people who know about "standardized writing" to score the essays for you.  Note: "standardized writing" is not necessarily the same thing as plain old "good writing."  Read these few posts for more on that topic.

 

If you want to see more tips like these, click on the Tips Page of this site.  I'm doing my best to fill up those pages/boxes on the righthand side of this site  with all the info I learned over the course of last year.

Or maybe I'm just procrastinating from what I should be doing right now (i.e. writing a book about this SAT experience)  -- because somebody suggested that my site needed freshening up.

 

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
4 Comments | posted February 2nd, 2012
 

TAGS:
, , ,

 
 
Quotes

I Love A Great Quote

If you're taking the SAT tomorrow, don't forget these wise words:

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

-- Winston Churchill

 

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
8 Comments | posted January 27th, 2012
 

TAGS:
,

 
 
Tips

SAT Prep On A Budget

Are you living on a shoestring?  (Me too, by the way.)

Do not fret about this SAT thing -- I've got you covered.

But.....(big big BUT) -- You must follow this plan methodically. Veer at your own risk. I learned my lesson.

Ok, here goes -- 10 easy (haha) steps to great SAT prep:

THE Surefire $218 46-Week SAT Test Prep Plan*:

  1. End of 10th grade, start yourself an 18 month calendar (free, from Google). Mark on the calendar every single SAT that takes place over the course of these 18 months -- from fall of junior year, through fall of senior year. The official SAT test dates are posted on the College Board's website. And if they're not posted yet, use past test dates as place-holders until the official dates are posted. They'll be roughly the same.
  2. Also, mark down your school vacations, midterms, finals, AP exams, etc. onto this calendar so you can see which SAT dates fit best with your schedule.
  3. Buy The Official SAT Study Guide (aka "The Blue Book"). It's $13.00 on Amazon, and includes 10 practice SATs.  Solutions to the Blue Book can be found on the College Board's website, and about a million other places on the internet.
  4. Get yourself a Ti-84 Graphing Calculator if you don't already have one for school.  The price is $135 -- but, you can find them for much less on discount sites.
  5. Download these three (free) official College Board Practice SATs: 2007-2008 SAT, 2009-1010 SAT, and 2010-2011 SAT.  Now you're up to 13 official tests for study material.
  6. If you can spare another $70, enroll in the College Board Online Course. It's $10 less if you purchase the Blue Book at the same time from the College Board's website. The course includes 10 more practice tests. Note: Not all practice material is created equal. It is an essential ingredient in this SAT recipe, that you use "official" College Board material. Read this post (and comments) for more details about this matter.
  7. Block off a 5 hour chunk of time, every other weekend.  Put it down on your calendar well in advance. That's booked solid time for you.  You're not available then ... because this is when you will be taking the 23 full, timed, practice SATs I just told you about. Use a timer, take your 5 minute breaks, and make every effort to mimic an authentic SAT experience (e.g. use the bubble sheets, an experimental section, etc.). The SAT is as much about endurance, stamina, focus, and performance -- as it is about knowing the core material (cold).  Incidentally, I did not follow this full-timed-test advice until the bitter end. Turns out I'm stubborn. What can I say... I thought I was "different."
  8. Correct your SAT, and spend the next two weeks hunting down the soutions to every-single-question you got wrong. Use the College Board's Solutions, try the Khan Academy, College Confidential -- whatever.  Just make sure you know why the right answer is right.  In fact, know that "why" so well you can teach it to your teacher.
  9. If you still don't understand the answer, ask your teachers at school.  And if you're still stuck, put a question in the online hopper of this 2400 scoring tutor, and he'll get back to you with alacrity, precision, and accessibility -- and maybe even a little whiff of humor --  if you play your cards right.
  10. Ok, you're not going to like me for this, but I'm going to say it anyway: Look up every-single-word you don't know on that SAT -- even if you got the question right. (I know I know...my son gives me a very hard time over this one.)  Keep a list of these words on Wordnick, make flash cards, test yourself, have others test you -- and in short, make abundant use of these words in conversation (expect looks of shock and awe), and weave them into your school papers...often. Fringe benefit: you will get better grades while studying for the SAT.

 

*This SAT plan is the advice of an extremely smart, well-educated and lovely --not to mention highly exclusive, SAT tutor.  It also happens to be the exact same very first piece of advice that I was told by another, very smart and lovely, well-educated, MIT-SAT-score-worthy friend.

Of course, I did not follow his advice.  But for those of you out there who would like to do well on a shoestring budget:

Do as I say, not as I did.

Ok, one more point to make:

This plan requires the student to be motivated and methodical, and I do realize that this could be a challenge for some people (e.g. me....surprise).  The fact that I was described as "disorganized" and "not methodical" on more than one occasion over the course of this year, kills me. I spend a lot of time and effort organizing myself -- not to mention I take great pride in my organizational tools; I consider myself to be aesthetically gifted in the area of methods to madness.

If this feels like it might be "you" -- like you and I could be birds of a feather -- here's an alternative to try:

Call the best test prep company in your area and see if they offer scholarship opportunities for motivated and deserving students. For instance, the Advantage Testing Foundation is an offshoot of Advantage Testing -- and let me just say, speaking from a firsthand (though way too brief) experience -- this route can be extremely efficient (not to mention a lot of fun).

All I'm saying is that you never know unless you ask.

 

 

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
35 Comments | posted January 26th, 2012
 

TAGS:
, , , , , , ,

 
 
Press

I Believe I Was Stymied Enough For All of Us

It's always hard to see your story distilled into a couple of paragraphs -- but I'll tell you this: that one lone little 800 still makes me feel good, all these months later -- especially when I see it in print like that.

Trust me when I say, get yourself an 800 -- it feels good -- and it's a good that keeps on giving. I need to break that baby out when I'm feeling down. Seeing it in print made me realize, I've got a little mood alterer here.

Here's a link to the story below in the February issue of Westchester Magazine.

If I could leave you with one piece of advice, having learned from the error of my ways, here it is:

Be Methodical

Ok, got it?

Don't worry if not -- I've got a blog post on the matter that's marinating.

 
31 Comments | posted January 22nd, 2012
 

TAGS:
,

 
 
Tips

Avoiding “The Porkchop” — And Other Things You May Not Have Thought Of

....Tip by Tip....

  1. The Curve: Don't spend your time worrying about the SAT Curve. For more details, check out this post.
  2. QAS: When you sign up for the SAT, order the Question-and-Answer Service (aka QAS) if you plan on taking the SAT again. It's an extra $18, but well worth it because you get back the test booklet of the test you took. If you have a fee waiver, the QAS is included. The QAS comes in the mail (not online with your scores) about 6-8 weeks after you take the SAT -- so it's not a great tool if you plan on taking tests that are close together. If you miss it during the sign up, you can always order it later. The QAS is only available for the SATs given in the months of January, May, and October.
  3. SAS (not to be confused with the QAS) is the "Student and Answer Service" that's available for non-QAS months. The cost is $13.50, and you can order it at the time of SAT registration, or after the fact. The SAS is a simple report that shows you which answers you got right and wrong. Helpful, not essential.
  4. When to begin test prep: Allow for 2-3 academic semesters (i.e. approximately one full year...or more) to prepare for the SAT. That will take the pressure off, and allow you to learn the material in a deeper, more gentle manner. I do realize that many people will balk at this time frame -- but seriously, if you want to do well, that's what it takes. Plus, the type of "test prep" I'm referring to is actually learning material that will serve you well in school too (e.g. vocab, grammar, etc.).
  5. Tutoring: The right tutor will help you be more efficient, but, a) make sure you have "the right" tutor (more on that later), and b) hiring a tutor isn't the only way to do well on the SAT.
  6. Preparing for the SAT on a shoestring budget: Buy a College Board Blue Book ($13.00/includes 10 official SATs), and print out the 3 official tests on the College Board website: January 2006 SAT, October 2005 SAT, and March 2005 SAT. Take a full, timed, SAT one morning each weekend (allow about 4-5 hours, and make the experience as close as possible to the real thing). Then, spend the next week (or two) correcting the test until you have a deep understanding of each and every problem that you got wrong -- including all of the vocabulary you didn't know, even if you got that question right. There are a gillion renditions of Blue Book explanations online -- from the Khan Academy to College Confidential, and even the College Board's website. Also, you can use your English and Math teachers as resources.
  7. Know your test taking rights: Read pages 1-11 of this ETS test day manual before taking the SAT. Here's my "broken rule" experience, which, incidentally, was reflected in my score that month.
  8. You are entitled to a quiet room during the SAT, so be prepared to say something if the noise is bothering you. I found hallway noise to be distracting if the doors were open, but it took me until SAT #7 to realize I could let the proctor know before the test that I'd prefer the closed doors; she was extremely mindful of my request.
  9. Sit in the front row if possible, so that you have less visual distractions. I only encountered "assigned seating" once in 7 SATs.
  10. Keep your own time: Don't count on the proctors (even though they are supposed to keep the time for you). Get an analog watch and set it back to 12:00 before each section so you don't have to do any more mental calculations than necessary. Read this post for more details.
  11. A proper desk is important: Avoid the "deskette" experience (aka "the pork chop"). Having the proper desk space for a test booklet (8 x 11), answer sheet (8 x 11), pencils, and a calculator makes a difference. Ask your friends or call the SAT test coordinator for the test location to inquire. I'd even go so far as to say that I think it's worth driving a bit further to get yourself to a proper desk. Pork chop desk shuffling adds unnecessary time and discombobulation to an already stressful experience.

Ok, I'm stopping here for the night because 11 is my lucky number. This list will continue to grow on the Tips Page of this site (middle, righthand side).

More tips coming soon(ish).....

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
8 Comments | posted January 19th, 2012
 

TAGS:
, , , , , ,

 
 
Tools

Slowly But Surely, Filling Up the Site with SAT Tips and Resources

Someone might as well benefit from all those SATs I took last year.

Resource and Tips pages will continue to be filled up over the next few days (weeks.....months)....Check out the links on the righthand navigation bar for updates.

And the Books page (my personal passion), well, stay tuned.  If I learned nothing else last year, I have a visceral understanding now that everything takes more time than I think it will.

 

  1. Score Decline: College Board Report on SAT Score Decline, 1977. Think: Mad Men meets the SAT. Fun to read...nostalgia.
  2. Fair Test Rules: The SAT Standard Testing Room Manual published by ETS. READ PAGES 1-11 before taking the SAT (CAPs and BOLD on purpose, for emphasis). Know your rights as a test taker. You deserve a fair test experience. Not knowing your rights could be reflected in your score (said from firsthand experience). Read this post for more details.
  3. Looking for your old SAT Scores?  Click on this College Board link and follow the directions.
  4. 3 FREE Official College Board SATs: January 2006 SAT, October 2005 SAT, and March 2005 SAT.
  5. Best SAT Sites: Credible information without having to wade through the College Board's site (overwhelming) or College Confidential (the wild west): Erik the Red, PWNtheSAT, Ultimate SAT Verbal.

 

More more more tk soon.....

 

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
7 Comments | posted January 18th, 2012
 

TAGS:
, , , ,

 
 
FAQs

FAQ #3: Obtaining SAT Scores From Way Back When

FAQ #3: 

Q. How can I find out my old SAT scores?  

A. Click on this College Board link and follow the directions.

Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
14 Comments | posted January 14th, 2012
 

TAGS:
,

 
 
FAQs

FAQ #2: The Curve

At least once a week, someone asks me some variation of: "What's the best month to take the SAT?"  "Aren't some tests harder than others?" "Shouldn't I steer clear of October because that's when all the smart kids take the SAT?" etc. etc. etc.

Without really knowing why I'm saying this, I always respond, "Don't worry about it." (Somehow, this just-above-average-SAT-math-scoring-brain knows, that's why they call it "a curve.")

I know, I know...there are some months when the test is easier or harder, and Erik the Red has posted everything there is to know about the history of such months, though I can't find any pattern....

Personally, I don't think it's a good use of one's most precious SAT resource (i.e. attention).

That said, I did take the time today to plot my SAT scores from 2011 on "the curve," to see if there was any light to be shed from firsthand experience.

The short answer is, there isn't (though if you see something relevant that I missed, please let me know).

Red is hard. Yellow is medium. Green is easy.

The little red boxes are my 2011 SAT Scores.

WRITING:

READING:

MATH:

And if you still need more convincing about this curve thing, read PWN the SAT's post on the matter.

Incidentally, 1982 happens to be the nadir of SAT scores, as well as the year I first took the SAT in high school (twice).  Erik the Red suggested that maybe I brought down the curve.

Haha.

Possibly.

But, my first thought was, "I knew it; I was hampered!" (Though hampered by what, I have no idea.)

I'm really looking forward to reading this College Board report about the score decline this evening to see what they have to say about the matter.

From the top of page 44, (the summary chapter):

"If you turned to this concluding section for a quick and easy understanding of the panel's views on the decline of test scores, you are indulging in a practice like some of the educational shortcuts that may have contributed to the decline." 

(I believe that might be a little bit of College Board humor, no?)

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
23 Comments | posted January 12th, 2012
 

TAGS:
, , ,

 
 
Press

Sonoma News

Lorna Sheridan from Sonoma News included me in her education column:

 

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
 
2 Comments | posted January 11th, 2012
 

TAGS:
, ,

 
 
FAQs

How To Tackle the Reading Section, and Other FAQs

One of the many joyful aspects of this project has been the encouraging emails, some of which ask questions that I always attempt to answer promptly, and with gusto.

(I'm not perfect though, so if I didn't respond to your email with prompt gusto -- I am so sorry.  Email me again, ok?  I have, on rare and desperate occasions, resorted to email bankruptcy.)

Anyhoo, a primary intention behind this project was always to share what I learned along the way, as much as it was about trying to get the perfect SAT score myself. Hopefully I can spare others some of the wheel-spinning I experienced.

Many of questions I receive are similar, so I'm going to attempt to house them on the FAQ tab of this site (righthand side).

The other place to check on the site for useful information (hopefully), is the Solutions tab (also located on the righthand side), where I attempted to share the lessons I learned along the way (for all three sections).

 

Ok, FAQ #1 (or some variation of), is the most frequently asked FAQ:

Q.  Could you share some tips on how to tackle the reading passages and how to know you're picking the right answers?

     A. Read the passage fast(ish), and the Q & A slooooowwwwwly.  Make sure you have a good, birds eye view, high level idea of what the passage is about.

 

When you get to the answer choices, you can often knock out 3 of them, just on the basis that they are silly, stupid, or obviously not right, which then gets you down to two answers to choose from.

If you have time to go back to the passage and clarify, do so.  The experts say, "the answer is always in the passage" (I'd add to that, think synonym or "word find").  But, if you're anything like me, racing the clock is a legit challenge (and I'm an avid reader) -- which then lead me to the "educated guesses" department.

If you are taking more than a minute to figure out the answer, skip that question and come back.  But, be sure to circle it in your test booklet so you don't forget to come back. I found that the answer would often clarify itself as I answered the other questions (does that make sense?!).

And, if you get back to that question, and time is running out and you still can't figure it out, but you've got it down to two answers, choose the most innocuous one (i.e. the least restrictive).  i.e. Imagine that the test makers don't want to have any problems with a definitive answer that might not be definitive.

Steer clear of confining words such as "every," "always," "must," etc. --  and veer more towards words like "sometimes," "usually," and "often."  And, usually passages about artists, educators, minorities are sympathetic/positive in tone -- so if they ask a question about tone, consider this SAT propensity.

But, this is a strategy to be used only if you can't find the answer in the passage, and you are down to the wire on time. It's not foolproof, and they could do just the opposite on the very next test.  But, I'd call this an "educated guess."

Oh, and here's one more: When you see one of those "what does this word mean in context" questions in the Critical Reading passages section -- replace the word in the passage with the words from the answer choices, one by one.

Just slot them right into the passage and see which one works.  I found this made the answer super obvious and only one word seemed to fit each time. This turns this type of question into a 5 second q instead of a 30 second one.

Ok, that's all for now.  More FAQs tk.  Hopefully tomorrow -- and in the meantime, check out the Solutions page (scroll down) for more Critical Reading advice.

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
6 Comments | posted January 6th, 2012
 

TAGS:
,