SAT vocab

How important is vocabulary on the SAT? It is in every single crtical reading section (3 total), so obviously it is an important part of your SAT score. Now the question becomes how can you study the vocab words you will find on the SAT.

There are several ways you can study the vocab on the SAT. First off you should obtain a list of the 1000 or 2000 most common SAT words, which can easily be found and downloaded at sparknotes I recommend you make your own flashcards to study. One for each word.

If you don't want to make flashcards, sparknotes writes novels that help you learn SAT vocabulary words.

How can you get a perfect score on the SAT?

First off, not very many people get a perfect score of 2400 on the SAT. Out the approximately 1 million juniors and seniors who take the SAT, only 200 get a perfect 2400 SAT score.

SAT I vs SAT II subject tests

Can you take SAT I and SAT II subject tests on the same date? The answer is no. The SAT I takes about 4 hours, and each subjec test takes about an hour. There simply isn't enough time to take the new SAT and SAT subject test on the same test date.

Where to download free SAT practice tests

The best place to download a free SAT practice test is from Collegeboard practice test

After doing this free SAT practice test, a great place to find practice tests is:

Sending SAT scores to colleges

Since you are allowed to take the SAT as many times as you want, colleges might see some scores that are not as high as you wanted.

Obviously you want colleges to see your highest scores, but will they? The answer is no, colleges will see ALL your SAT scores. The method of sending scores to colleges can be accomplished when you take the SAT. You can only send scores to 4 colleges, and to send scores to more than 4, you can do so at the collegeboard website for a fee of $9.50 per score report.

Upcoming 2008 SAT test dates

The SAT is just a little over a month away on May 3, and June 7, 2008. Post in the comments if you think you are ready to take the SAT. Also What strategies/study habits did you employ this time around?

Remember it is not too late to start preparing for the May SAT, as there is still over a month left. Studying with a tutor, or by yourself for a few hours a day will ensure you get a high score on the SAT.

Which colleges have the highest SAT scores?

Colleges and Universities that are more competitive tend to have higher average SAT scores. When I say average SAT scores, I mean the average SAT scores of accepted students to the respective universities. Harvard for instance has an average New SAT score of 2250. Here is a useful list of average SAT scores of accepted students to some very elite universities:

Harvard average SAT: 2250
Princeton average SAT: 2220
Yale average SAT: 2240
Cornell average SAT: 2095
MIT average SAT: 2175
UCLA average SAT: 2000
Caltech average SAT: 2250
USC average SAT: 2045
Duke average SAT: 2170

Of course just because a college has a higher average New SAT score, it is not necessarily better than another college. However, this gives you an idea of the SAT score you need to get into the best colleges in America.

How to prepare for the new SAT and the SAT subject tests

There are many ways that a student can prepare for the SAT. The most common are alone, with a tutor, or with an SAT group class.

I have tried all 3 methods, so perhaps my experiences with preparing for the SAT will shed some light on the best ways to increase your score.

First off, I thought I could prepare for the SAT alone, but boy was I wrong! I spent an entire summer (between 10th and 11th grade) studying by myself with the collegeboard SAT guide, and the princeton review guide. My score went up by about 30 points, but it could just be due to random fluctuations. Thus, I highly discourage studying for the new SAT alone, since the results will most likely be limited, and you will only waste your time.

The next way lots of people get ready for the SAT is by taking a prep class, such as those given by The Princeton Review and Kaplan in Los Angeles. You can probably find SAT prep classes in other cities than LA, but might have to do a little more driving. I personally went for the Princeton Review class, which cost me about $1500 total. My experiences were not ALL that bad, but for the most part, I saw the class as a waste of time. Strangely enough, my score actually went down after taking this class. The SAT prep class at princeton review was very unfocused, and the teacher didn't exactly know the SAT as well as he should have. I doubt the Kaplan one in Los Angeles is any better, as some of my friends later told me it was worthless. Also I felt like I wasn't receiving individual attention for my SAT problems since the class had 20 other people in it. This brings me to my next point, and what I consider to be the best way to prepare for the SAT.

If you really want to increase your score, with a minimal amount of time (but not money), you should get 1 on 1 SAT tutoring. This method worked best for me, since the tutor focuses the attention on only ONE student (YOU!). As a warning, the prices can vary greatly for Los Angeles SAT tutoring, as the big companies can charge several hundred dollars an hour. You can find a nice comparison of SAT tutoring in Los Angeles here. Keep in mind that the higher the price, the quality of tutoring is not necessarily better. For example, tutorfox offers the lowest price tutoring of the three test prep companies, and employs all UCLA students who scored above 2200, while princeton review and Kaplan charge much more money, and their SAT tutors can sometimes be in their 30s.

Once again, I strongly recommend tutoring when it comes to preparing for the SAT.

How many times should you retake the SAT?

There are so many different times to take the SAT, that it is important to know how many times to take the SAT. The answer is rather conditional, as it relies on the colleges you want to attend, and the score you get on the first time you take the SAT.

If you wish to go to an Ivy League college, where the average SAT score is around 2200 to 2250, then if you score below the average, you should highly consider retaking the SAT. If of course you score above, there isn't much point in retaking the SAT (unless of course you believe you can increase your SAT score even more, for example getting 2400).

For the elite UC colleges, like UCLA, UCSD, and UCB, you should aim to have an SAT score higher than 2100. If your SAT score is below 2100, you should retake the SAT whenever you are ready. For example if your SAT score is around 1800, there is a low chance you will get into UCLA, UCSD, or UCB, so you should DEFINITELY retake the SAT. To see the next available test dates, read this.

For other colleges, you should look at your current SAT score, and the average SAT score of the college you want to attend. If your score is lower than the college's average SAT score, then you definitely want to retake the SAT after you do some preparation.

When should you take the SAT?

There are many test dates throughout the year, but it is important to decide when exactly you should take the New SAT. A chart of SAT test dates can be found of course on the collegeboard's website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html, but I will make it clear when Juniors (11th graders) and Seniors (12th graders) should be taking the new SAT.


First of all, I recommend that students do not take the SAT before 11th grade, although feel free to take as many practice tests as you would like! During 11th grade, students should register for either the May of June SAT. What is typically done is a student will register for the May 3 2008 SAT, and will save the June 7th SAT for SAT subject tests. This is an especially good idea for students taking APs, since AP classes will not be done with material by the May 3rd SAT. Remember to register by the appropriate deadline or you will have to pay a late fee.

If however, these dates are unsuitable, then students must take the New SAT and SAT subject tests during 12th grade. The available test dates during 12th grade are: October 6, 2008, November 1, 2008, and December 6, 2008. This means if you are only taking the SAT and SAT subject tests a single time, you can avoid taking the exams on one of those test dates. I recommend you plan to take advantage of all 3 of these test dates however. Remember to plan ahead, and register to take the SAT before the deadlines pass, otherwise you have to pay the hefty $22 late fee!

SAT vs. ACT

Many high school students wonder whether they should take either the SAT or ACT, or both. I personally recommend taking a practice test of each, and see which one you score higher on.
You can take a free SAT practice test made by the collegeboard here: free SAT practice test

You can also take a free ACT practice test here

In actuality, it is very likely that your SAT or ACT score will be about the same when converted. If you take the ACT, and want to convert your score to the new SAT, simply use this ACT to SAT score converter.

The other consideration when deciding between taking the SAT or ACT is that some colleges do not accept both (namely the ACT). There are many "elite" colleges which only accept the new SAT, so it is safer to only take the SAT in this case. In the midwest US, it is best to take the ACT however. For westcoast (california and washington) and eastcoast (all ivy league schools) colleges prefer the SAT, since more students applying to those schools submit solely SAT scores.

ALL in all, it is safer to take the New SAT, however the choice depends on the college you wish to apply to, as well as whichever you score higher in a practice test.

Is the SAT linked with IQ scores?

Whether or not the SAT and IQ tests are linked is a valid question. Moreover, does knowing your score for one of the two necessarily give you the score for the other? Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between SAT and IQ scores. Now of course there are general trendlines that can be used to convert SAT to IQ score, and vice versa. But I personally doubt the accuracy. For instance, my SAT score of 2300 would convert to an IQ of about 150 (using the table found on: http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/SATIQ.aspx), however when I was 7, I took an IQ test, and scored 130. This might mean that I got smarter bebtween the time I took the IQ and SAT tests. It is still an interesting question.

Then again, one has to consider what the IQ and new SAT really test. The latter tests general high school knowledge in the areas of math, writing, and critical reading, while the former tests logic and especially quickness in solving puzzles.

SAT Subject Tests

Many people wonder what the right SAT subject tests to take are. There are quite a few to choose from, so it is very important to choose the right subject test. The collegeboard offers SAT subject tests in English Literature, History, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History, Mathematics Level 1, Mathematics Level 2, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese with Listening, French, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, and Korean.

So now the question arises, which subject test should you take? If you are good at math, I recommend you take the math II subject test. 
If you are a science person, you should take the SAT in either physics, chemistry, or biology, depending on which one you are better at. If you are an english person, consider taking the SAT in literature. It is very similar to the SAT I critical reading section. If you are good at history, consider taking the SAT subject test in World History, or US History.

The next question is how many tests should you take? The answer depends on the college you want to apply to. 
The best colleges usually require at least 2, although some colleges (ivy league) require you to report 3 SAT subject tests. In this case you should pick 3 subject tests in which you will score highest in.

How should you study for the SAT subject tests? The best way is with the official collegeboard SAT subject tests book.

Also good is the princeton review book

Tests you need to take to go to college

I thought I would start off my first post with one of the most common question asked by 11th and 12th grade high school students: What standardized tests do I need to take in high school in order to get into college?

The answer depends upon which college you want to attend. If you wish to attend a community college, you do not have to take any tests, but it certainly helps if you have passed the high school exit exam. For most colleges, including UC (University of California college system) including UCLA, UCB, and UCSD, and the most coveted Ivy League schools, you will need to take at least 2 SAT subject tests, and either the New SAT 1 Reasoning test or the ACT. 

Now the question is which test should you take, the SAT I, or the ACT? Once again it depends on the college you want to go to. In general, colleges prefer the SAT since more people apply with SAT scores, thus the SAT is a more reliable standard of measurement for colleges. The ACT has a larger prevalence in colleges in the midwest, but SAT is more popular among east coast colleges (including ivy league schools), and the UC system.