I'm not sure about my SAT results;

[Mind Freak]

SAT results finally came in! : )
I got a 660 on reading and 490 in math. I think the math one is tragic. I'm not good at math (clearly).

I've taken geometry and algebra1-3 but still I get the same score on the math part. Granted I didn't study but it still seems like there would have been some sort of improvement from when I took the PSAT a year ago. Do you think being sick would have a major impact on it? I was blowing my nose every 2 minutes. Haha.

To have a better chance of getting into the colleges I want to get into, I would need to improve my math score by like 110 pts to be average. That sounds like an insane amount of improvement to me.

Hopefully I can pull it off though. Would you guys like to share any success stories about improving SAT grades and how you did it?

I'd appreciate it. ^-^

And yes, I could always ask my guidance counseler but I love having y'alls input, it makes me happy.

[NickT]

If you want some help with math I'd be happy to offer it! My most recent score is 590 while my highest is 620. Best not to get too worried about it though.

[Johnnieguy]

I took the ACT....But, in reality, the SAT and ACT do not matter much to colleges. It looks like you've got the score to get you into most state colleges or private liberal arts colleges that are out there. Look at the admissions pages of the schools you are interested in. They will generally give a profile for the freshman class. Things like grades/GPA, challenging coursework, extra-curriculars, teacher reccomendations, admissions essays are all equally as important as the dumb tests (which are expensive, by the way, and once you get accepted into college, they don't matter at all).

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One more thing: do NOT take a Kaplan/Princeton Review/etc courses. They are a waste of your money. Buy a book from those companies, or from the College Board. $30 for a book (which includes practice tests) or $1000's for a course. Take your pick

[Mind Freak]

Whew! $1000 for a class for 1 test?
No thanks. I'm good enough on my own. Lol.

But I'm aware that the tests aren't everything but it could be one more factor in or out of my favor correct?

[NickT]

Try to take AP courses though if you think you can pass those tests. Those WILL save you money! (And it gives bragging rights...)

[Mind Freak]

I'm taking 2. : )
And an honors class.

[thevre]

I took the SATs twice. Both times I got exactly 1700 total. My math went down the second time, but the other part went up... or something like that. That was below average for the college I applied for... but I got in anyway. Not sure what the message there was.

[Hoppip]

I'd say to buff up your test taking skills. The SAT will deduct 1/4 a point for each answer wrong, which means haphazard guessing is a bad idea. Statistically, however, if you can narrow it down to two possible answers, then guessing would be a good idea.

One thing I used for my math ACT was simply logic. A lot of the times you may not know the answer or how to get it, but you can quickly guess-and-check a lot of the answers or find ways "around" the answer. Remember that even a Ti-83 has a BUNCH of ways to solve problems for you. I know that advice is super super vague, but a lot of multiple choice math problems can be solved using guess-and-check, etc.

In any case, I wish you luck! Don't stress about standardized test scores. You'll likely do just fine. :')

[jazzrawr]

I'm so glad we don't have the SAT in Canada. 0.0
It sounds way too stressful to be any use. The closest we have to it is the literacy test in grade 10, but it's idiot proof. It's almost impossible to fail, unless you can't read.
I hate standardized testing. Here, they accept you into Uni for your grades in general, not one grade on a test.

[Swamp56]

500 is the average for each section, so you did well.

[Chip]

Do a little research on books put out by the Princeton Review. They have a series that I think is called "Cracking the SAT" which is *specifically* about strategies to improve your score.

They take the approach that the test is stupid and pointless, and so they essentially teach you short-cuts to raise your score (therefore defeating the entire purpose of the test.) If your math score is 490, it's likely there are just certain types of problems you don't know how to do. The "Cracking' book helps you identify your areas of weakness and strenghten them.

One of my friends used to teach SAT prep for Princeton and he said that often by teaching a few select skills to students (aspects of math they never learned or didn't understasnd), they could raise their scores 100-150 points. The "cracking" book attempts to do the same thing for about $990 less than the course

[chrisg]

Hey, I got a 760/710/760 (CR/M/W) on the SAT. At first my math score was lower, but I bought a book, I think from Princeton Review, that helped a lot. Good luck!

[biisme]

If there is anything that you know you need help with, feel free to PM me about it. I'd love to be able to help. I scored 720 on the math SAT. It went up about 70 points between the second and first time, but I think it was just a combination of having a better day, and having another few months of math in me, since I didn't study or anything between the two times.

[Lexington]

Here's a question I remember from the SAT in 1987.

A barrel holds 42 gallons of liquid.
Which is larger:

A. The number of gallons the barrel holds when it's one-fourth full
B. 11
C. They're both the same
D. You cannot tell with the information given

Why do I remember this question? It's the one question I missed. Twenty-some years later, I can't remember a single question I got RIGHT, but this one will haunt me forever.

The only thing I'd suggest is finding some books or websites that have SAT-type problems for you to drill yourself on. If you weren't used to those type of problems, getting a better feel for them might make them easier when you encounter them again.

Lex

[Shevanel]

Well definitely take it again. When I took mine the 2nd time, Every score was almost exactly the same, except the Math one, which went up exactly 100 points. You know what to expect now, and there's a lot of other good advice in this thread. I'm just here to let you know it's easy to do, because I did it, and I didn't do anything xD So yeah, read a SAT Prep book (that's what I had from my school) and make sure your test taking skills are polished.

Oh, and take the ACT as well for good measure, IMO it's an easier test, and much more enjoyable (The SAT is like... torture). It's just something good to have on your records when sending apps to colleges, especially ones that look at ACT scores over SAT scores.

[Mind Freak]

Cool beans! Thanks guys. I appreciate it. I'll just actually put some effort into it this time. Lol.

[RaeofLite]

Originally Posted by jazzrawr

I'm so glad we don't have the SAT in Canada. 0.0
It sounds way too stressful to be any use.

I agree..