Painless SAT Success

By Amy Wu
Parkway Central High School Senior

(Editor notes:  Amy Wu had a perfect SAT score 1600.)

	There is no magical formula for doing well on standardized tests.  I remember last year, when I was the one reading advice on how to improve my score.  Some of the advice was pretty helpful, and I hope that mine is helpful as well.  Hard work and determination, not luck, determine how well you'll do.  Here is my advice on scoring high on the SATs (it's more fun to take them once and get on with life than to take them over and over, so try to do well the first time!).

	First of all, plan ahead.  I sometimes like to procrastinate myself, but I realized that procrastination only hurts you.  So, instead of watching American Idol and other TV shows, go to the bookstore and pick up a few SAT books to do in your spare time.  If you're a junior, now's the perfect time to start reviewing for your senior year SATs.  I recommend taking them as early as possible.  Doing so will ensure that you have scores you are satisfied with to send to colleges.  The test material is intended to be pretty basic - the math is almost all Algebra and Geometry - but the Verbal section can be harder than expected.  It requires you to know definitions of uncommon words, or the uncommon definitions of common words.  Therefore, it's smart to start building a large vocabulary right now!!  Waiting till the last minute won't get you anywhere.  Most review books have a list of words that frequently show up on tests.  Barron's SAT I book is extremely helpful, with vocab cards in the back that can be torn out.  (Yes, I really memorized all 300 of them).  In my opinion, Barron's has the best review books.  The math review was comprehensive and the verbal review had the cards and other lists.  It is a useful book for learning testing techniques, short cuts, and so on.  If you feel like you still need more practice, I recommend Ten Real SAT's by the College Board.  Its review materials aren't very good, but the ten practice tests are really helpful.  And if you STILL want more practice, buy The Princeton Review SAT book.  I also bought their CD-Rom, but didn't find either particularly useful.  

	Now that you have the materials, start working.  Even if you only do a little each day, you'd be surprised how far you can go in a month.  Every little bit counts.  I suggest picking five vocabulary words or so each night to study.  It doesn't take long, and with constant review, you'll have them all memorized pretty quickly.  Studying roots, suffixes and prefixes are also helpful.  Sometimes, if you don't know any of the words in a question, you can eliminate some just by looking at its components.  Eliminating any answers can increase your chances of getting it right.  Some people choose to take The Princeton Review, a course that may be helpful.  If you want to take a course, sign up early to you'll have time to study other materials if you feel the need.  Since you may be a little rusty at the easier math, review!!!  The math review goes surprisingly quickly, and most of the time a quick glance will help you recall a particular theorem or postulate.  After you finish the reviewing part of the book, move on to the practice tests.  I promise that these are vital to your success.  I always tried to mimic actual testing conditions by having a timer or clock nearby, and all the necessary materials (pencils, calculator, eraser, etc.).  Time strictly, take the breaks they suggest, and whatever you do, overcome the temptation to look at the answer key (you'd be cheating yourself!)!!  Practice tests are the reason 10 Real SATs is such a great resource - I could see my improvement as I went along.  After taking a practice test, take a break (you deserve one)!  But the next day, I recommend going back over all the problems (even the ones you got right) and reading about their methods, which may be simpler and quicker than yours.  If you review well, you'll be more than ready when the big day rolls around.

	So, it's time.  It's the night before, and you're really nervous.  What should you do?  Relax!  If you've studied hard, you should have faith in yourself.  In my opinion, cramming doesn't help.  It just causes stress and makes you tense - two factors that may even cause you to do worse.  Take it easy the night before, and take your mind off testing.  Watch a nice movie (horror movies probably aren't a good idea), talk with your friends, read a novel, LISTEN TO MOZART, or some other activity.  Before bed, get your admissions ticket, and other stuff ready so you won't be in a rush the next morning.  It's important to get a lot of rest, so don't go to bed too late.  If you want, you can refresh your vocabulary quickly, but I don't recommend sitting at your desk trying to memorize definitions until dawn.  Bring extra batteries, wear layers (rooms in some testing centers vary in temperature - kind of like my high school), and bring a snack and a bottle of water.  Set your alarm clock, so you won't be late (it has happened before) and go to bed.  I wish you the best of luck!