[NOTE: this applies to the pre-2016 version of the SAT] It is hard to write an SAT essay in only 25 minutes. You barely have enough time to write it, much less come up with two examples to prove your thesis right on the spot. Luckily, the College Board isn’t looking for a perfect […]
Strategy
Math Strategy: Is This Really a Scary Dragon?
Happy Halloween! Since you are going to see many monsters today, I thought I’d talk about how to distinguish the cute wannabes from the truly scary ones. We’ve already talked about vampire bunnies – tough, tricky problems that masquerade as mild-mannered bunnies. Let’s look at the other case – scary-looking dragons that aren’t so intimidating […]
SAT Math Strategy: Grab the Small Pumpkins First!
How can picking pumpkins increase your SAT score? PWN the SAT, in another unique analogy, explains: Imagine you work at a pumpkin farm and you’re being paid $5 per pumpkin harvested. That’s it. No size restrictions. Just $5 per pumpkin. How would you go about picking the different sized pumpkins? Would you lift any heavy ones […]
How I Raised My SAT Math Score by 220 Points
[Note: This refers to the old SAT. However, the process is still the same for the new SAT: take official practice tests, identify your weaknesses, fix the problems, then take another practice test.] I was a 40-year-old new mother at home with her baby, battling sleep deprivation, and desperate to find some sort of intellectual […]
SAT Reading Strategies: Don't Miss the Forest for the Trees
The fabulous Erica Meltzer, who writes the Ultimate SAT Verbal blog, has written a great post about keeping your eye on the big picture. She says: “…[The College Board] will always deliberately choose passages containing bits that aren’t completely clear — that’s part of the test. The goal is to see whether you can figure out […]
Test Taking Tips
Sue Shellenbarger at the Wall Street Journal talks about some of the best ways to study for a test. Here are my favorite points, restated: 1. Recall, not review Taking practice tests, not just reading over your material, forces your brain to recall and apply the information you’ve learned. 2. Distractions are distracting While all the teenagers I’ve met […]