Okay so i've received A LOT of questions on Standardized Testing and i'll attempt to answer them in this post. In my next post (hopefully, if i get around to writing it :P), i'll offer some advice to tackle the personal essay & some miscellaneous application stuff. Please keep in mind that whatever follows is strictly my own opinion. Feel free to disagree with me and/or not give a crap what i think :)

What book should i use to study for the SAT Reasoning Test? Should i go for private tutoring?

The only book i think you guys need to use for preparation is CollegeBoard's Official Study Guide for the SAT Reasoning Test. It's the thick blue book that you can find in any bookstore for less than 40 bucks (in Singapore), or hieu sach Thuat tren duong Ba Trieu (in Hanoi - or you can try those English bookstores along Ly Thuong Kiet street). This is what the one i used looks like, but Amazon tells me the latest one looks like this. But it doesn't matter as long as you use one of them. The book is published by the testmakers and contains REAL test questions so it's most helpful. There's no point practicing on materials that are either easier than the real tests (Kaplan), or harder (Barron's). Plus, the book is so thick that it's going to take a while for you to read from cover to cover (if you manage to do that at all. I know i didn't :|). Once you finish, read again. A friend of mine read the book three times, until he remembers every single question flawlessly and got a 2400, so go figure. Of course he's also extremely talented and good with words, but it can't hurt if you know the test well.

I suppose you can always buy one more book for vocabulary, but i'm not sure how effective in the long run it might be. I bought Barrons' "Hot Words For The SAT" but only managed to flip through 5 chapters. I'm hearing that DirectHit's wordlist is pretty good, so you might want to check that out, but at the end of the day i'm a big advocate of learning words actively via reading & watching stuff, instead of off a wordlist.

I've also heard that Grammatix is a pretty good study guide (from someone who aced the test). I've read its chapter on the essay and it's not bad, so you can give it a try in case it works for you. But for most people, i'd say that the Official Guide is good enough.

I'm not an fan of private tutoring because i think its not worth it, but to each his own. I think you can practice by yourself with the blue book. Review your practice tests carefully and know where and why you're losing marks, and fix it. There's a very clear pattern for the SAT, especially for the Writing and Math sections, and it's possible to beat the game.

How should i prepare for the essay section?

Refer to the Grammatix guide posted above. I'll try to summarize what i can remember. Again, there's no hard and fast rule, but the key is to substantiate your stand (and you HAVE to have a stand. Doesn't have to be a sophisticated one that considers both sides of the argument. Doesn't even have to be one that you'd normally choose in real life. Just choose YES or NO.) with at least 2 well-elaborated examples, or better yet, 3 examples. Feel free to fabricate examples from history and/or literature to make your essay sound more convincing. (The consensus is that historical and literary examples are more desirable than personal ones but there are always exceptions.) Write about 3 sentences for each example, and you'll get at least an 11. Obviously your language must seem somewhat competent, which can be achieved by throwing in a couple of difficult words and varying your sentence structures. Don't write one whole paragraph of simple sentences like: "My dad is an engineer. He works hard. He's a very nice guy." Please, don't. An example of a higher-order sentence: "Having graduated from the University of Transportation one year early, he went on to Germany for a PhD course in diesel engines on a full scholarship awarded by the Communist government." Something like that. I'm very hungry right now so pardon the choppy language. I don't usually write like this (i think).

The problem many people have with the essay is time management. They crank out one shoddy paragraph and the proctor says there's only 5 minutes left, and PANIC! This can be fixed simply by more practice. You have to choose a stand the minute you see the question. Does the past influence the present. Yes or No? Choose right then and there. Don't bother pondering over the question or whatever. Save your profound thoughts and philosophical theories for your midterm exam. Markers have about 2 minutes to give you an essay score on the SAT, and what they look for is a clear stand that is well substantiated with (fake or real) examples. Give them just that. Study the examples given in the blue Official Guide book, and you'll realize the highest-scoring essays are mostly pretty mediocre. The key is to know how to play the game.

Addendum: The SAT essay should ideally contain 300-400 words (go any less and you won't get a high score, 700 word-essays are written by loons) and follow a five-paragraph structure: Introduction, Development (about 2 to 3 paras according to the number of examples used) & Conclusion. Leave 4-5 minutes at the beginning to plan your essay - Planning is crucial so that you know what you're writing about and you don't leave any important points out - and another 4-5 minutes at the end to proofread. You can't underestimate the power of proofreading. That leaves you about 16 minutes to write. Try to fill the whole 2 pages you're given, because i'm told that markers prefer essays that seem long (even though they mightn't be in actuality). Use big words occasionally so that they know your vocab is richer than that of a fifth grader, but do not overuse them! Nothing irritates more than an essay riddled with complex words, 80% of which are used inappropriately. Besides, remember that markers have about 2 minutes to evaluate your essay, and confusing them with too many big words isn't helping your cause. Also remember to write LEGIBLY. Make your points crystal clear, and deliver them well.

When should i take the SAT?

The answer is very simple, when you're ready, and ONLY when you're ready. I don't see the point of wasting your time and money taking the SAT super early "just to get the feel of it". If you want to "feel" the tests, do a timed practice test (and there are 8 in the blue book) and do it honestly. Do all the practice tests published by CollegeBoard, and register for the real test when you feel that you're absolutely sure about the test materials and the way it's timed. They only allow you to leave the room twice for toilet breaks (even though there is a break after each section), but i didn't know that the first time i took the test, so i ended up having to hold my pee (and subconsciously thinking about the bathroom) for the last 4 sections i think. Not something you want to do when you're also trying to squeeze out your brain juice to find the answer to that damn Critical Reading question. Also, ample preparation also helps calm those nerves of yours and that can only help you.

I took the SAT once in May last year (my JC2 year in Singapore or the summer from grade 11 to grade 12 in Vietnam), underprepared, and expectedly i didn't get the score that i knew i deserved. I took it again in October and made it a point to practice as much as possible first. You don't want to tell people that "I have XXXX score, but you know, i didn't study at all", and think that that makes you cool (not studying equals cool for some people). It doesn't. Nobody cares how much you didn't prepare (surely not admission officers), just what score you get in the end. Laugh at the "nerds" and "geeks" all you want, but at the end of the day, they might be having the last laugh standing inside your Dream School and you can cry yourself to sleep at night, wishing that you had been a tad more invested in your SAT test.

Should i take the SAT again? And how many times should i take the SAT?

Yes if you're absolutely sure that you can raise your score, or if something happens on the real test that somehow drastically lowers your score. Don't retake it because everyone else does. If you've done 10 practice tests prior to the real tests and consistently got around 2110-2150, and score 2130 on the real thing, i honestly don't think you should retake. 10 or 20 points more won't make a difference (except for burning a hole in your pocket). Don't retake it because you're hoping that somehow, the Goddess of Fortune will smile upon you on that fine Saturday morning and give you 200 extra points. I suppose there are always those 10 out of 10,000 people who do get lucky like that, but there's a better chance that your score stays the same, or even drops, and you waste your time & money for nothing. My advice is not to take the SAT more than 3 times. We've all heard that story about the guy who took the test 5 times and got his dream score on his last try (do we know this person though?), but IMO by the third time your score has reached a plateau, and if you keep on trying you'll just look score-obsessed and desperate in the eyes of admission officers. Multiple test-taking and its effects is an admission myth, but just put yourself in their shoes for a second, and imagine what you'd feel about a kid prepping for and taking the SAT so often that he might as well put it down as one of his major EC. (Please don't tell me that SAT is "just a 3-hr exam which requires little to no preparation at all". Unless you're a genius, in which case you won't even have to consider taking it more than once.) Do all the timed practicing you need at home, and by the 10th time your score should stabilize.

What's a good score?

It all depends on where you want to apply, and sometimes it varies on a case by case basis. If you're aiming for the stars (i.e. HYPSM what have you), i'd say a fair score would be 2100, which puts you in the middle 50% of all accepted students at these schools. That's not to say that a sub-2100 score would automatically kill your application. No, 25% of accepted students score less than 2100, and you might very well belong in this group. But also remember that you belong in the "Asian" pool (translation: smartest, most gung-ho & also highest scorers in standardized tests). Be safe, and try to break the 700 benchmark for all 3 components of the test.

It goes without saying that "safe scores" get lower as you descend the US colleges food chain. 2000 is a good benchmark for the "2nd-tier Ivies", i.e. Brown Dartmouth Columbia etc, and so on and so forth. (Yes, i mean the little Ivies and all that too. Don't fault me on terminology.)

Don't be afraid to dream big, but also be realistic and know where your limit is. Admission officers do give some leeway for applicants whose first language is not English, but i think it's a bit unrealistic to apply for HYPS with a 1500 composite SAT score. (Unless you're one of those special case applicants - Olympic stars, movie stars, the paralyzed and the orphaned -, but i don't think the readers of my blog are, so moving on...)

How important is the SAT?

Truth is, i don't know. None of us applicants does. The application review process is a big fat myth. But the SAT is (for 99% of schools) a compulsory part of your file, so i'm thinking it must mean something. A lower-than-average score won't necessarily keep you out, and an astronomical score won't catapult you to a place at, say, Yale. But try to get the best score you possibly can, because in this very competitive climate it may not help you, but it certainly can't hurt you.

How did you study for the SAT Reasoning Test?

As i said, i did all the practice tests in the blue book. I bought a couple more books out of panic after seeing my 1st score, but i don't think they helped much (and i never found it in me to read more than 2 chapters :|). I did write crapload of essays to prepare for the Writing section though, because i honestly believed that i could get a 12. In the end, my 11 still stayed 11 but i felt a lot more confident writing my 2nd essay (and ended up writing 700 words - i kid you not - so illegibly. I think that was my downfall.), which put me in a good mood for the rest of the paper. I never doubted that the 800 for Math was within my grasp ONLY IF i could avoid stupid careless mistakes (5x3=12 anyone?) but i never could, so whatevs. Seriously, a >750 is possible for anyone who went through at least 2/3 the lengths of Singapore and Vietnam's educational systems, so please do yourself a favor and triple-check your Math sections before handing them in. I liked the Critical Reading section (giggled audibly twice during the test i think and annoyed the hell out of everyone else in the room. SORRY!) but i know for many, it's like the ultimate challenge. I do think practice makes perfect for CR, and remember to read closely. The answers for all the questions usually are evident within 5 sentences of the identified section.

How many SAT IIs (Subject Tests) should i take? Do i need to take a range of subjects to show "versatility"?

Take as many as your college requires, which usually means 3. Harvard specifically requires that you don't submit 2 Math scores, but most schools don't give 2 hoots what scores you submit, only how high. Feel free to take more subjects if you think you can do well, but please don't do it just because you feel the need to "show a range" (i.e. not sticking with Math & Sciences only like "most other Asian kids" - oh the stereotype!) and end up with a 570 for Literature. A high SAT II score won't necessarily impress, but a very low one might certainly raise an eyebrow or two. Again, benchmarks vary depending on which schools you're going for. HYPSM, and it's best to get >750 for everything. I suppose 730 & 740 are fine (those are my Physics and Chemistry scores respectively btw, keeping in mind that i portrayed myself strictly as a Social Science-major hopeful) but try not to drop below 700 for any subject. The last date you can take SAT II if you're apply early to any school is November, but some schools don't guarantee that scores will reach them in time to be considered, so do your research carefully. I know Yale considers your November test scores though.

I honestly don't know if any SAT II score is considered "more impressive" than the others, but a high score on the Literature test always elicits praises as far as i know because its hard (it's like Critical Reading, only with poems & plays thrown in the mix. I feel dizzy already just thinking about it.) History tests are considered muggable (translation: 2 weeks of hard core memorizing - even if you're starting from scratch - and a good score is yours easily). Math 1 covers easier topics but is harder to get 800 on than Math 2 because the curve is tougher. Language tests are pretty impressive unless it's your mother tongue, then it's pretty lame (obviously).

What books should i use?

When it comes to Subject Tests, there's a wide variety of books to choose from. Again, the stereotype is that Barron's practice tests are harder (and meant for people aiming for 800), Kaplan's easier & Princeton Review's most similar to the real thing. The content parts should be about the same across the board for the math, science and history tests. There's no set content for Lit (well there is, and it's: Prose, Poems and Plays), so you mostly read the book just for fun. I used Kaplan's for my Physics test (because i suck pretty hard at Physics) and it was fine for me, but it might not for you because after all i only got a 730 and i was mighty relieved! LOL. I didn't use any books for the other tests i took (Math 1 & 2, Chemistry) & things turned out fine for me, so i can't give you much advice on this. But then again, i don't think SAT II was a big consideration in my application since i submitted a bunch of Math & Science scores while hoping to major in a Social Science. However, i did consider taking US History & Lit, and found Kaplan's USH and Princeton Review's Lit books to be quite fascinating reads. I was recommended the Lit book by someone online who aced the test and found the book to be the most helpful out of the bunch that she bought, but personally found the tests to be a bit more difficult than the official practice test offered in CollegeBoard's Official Study Guide for Subject Tests. Clearly, choosing SAT II book is an arduous task. Just go with your gut feelings lah (or use a very popular strategy and choose the cheapest ones). If you want reviews of all the books, go to http://www.amazon.com, or http://talk.collegeconfidential.com (The latter is practically a minefield, so be forewarned. Take everything with a grain of salt!)

Is the TOEFL required?

Yes if you're a Vietnamese studying in Vietnam. No if you've studied in Singapore (or any other English-speaking countries) for 4 years. No if you're a Singaporean. That's the policy, but even if you belong in the latter 2 categories, please take TOEFL if you bomb the Critical Reading test (lower than 600 for top tier colleges). Colleges need to know you're able to comprehend written English with ease (you're applying for institutions of higher education in an English-speaking country, hello?) and if your CR score can't show that then you need TOEFL score. If you belong in the 1st category and score extremely well for CR (higher than 650 for many colleges, higher than 700 for Amherst), most colleges waive the TOEFL requirement and hallelujah! You save $150. Check your school policy and when in doubt, email them. I know Dartmouth will tell you that they "recommend" TOEFL (which usually is codeword for "just do it") but feel free to ignore that if your CR score is >700. Many people will tell you that TOEFL is a PASS/FAIL component of your application, which means as long as you crack a certain score, 100 for most competitive colleges, how high you get doesn't matter at all. In their eyes, your command of the English language is good enough and they move on to evaluate other parts of your app. I'm a believer of this theory as well, which of course doesn't mean it's true, but i've heard admission officers from Yale and UChicago say that TOEFL is definitely not required if your CR score is high and other parts of your application tell a convincing story about your English proficiency. Interestingly enough, Harvard is the only school that doesn't require TOEFL score for anybody. Make of it what you will.


How do you study for the TOEFL?

I honestly don't think i'm the best candidate to answer this question. I lived and studied in Singapore's English-speaking environment for four years, so I had to work on my English everyday even if i didn't want to. But i did want to, so that probably helped. For the listening section, i'd recommend watching English movies and TV series without subtitles. If you can't understand them, watch once WITH subtitles, and re-watch with the subs off. For the reading section, i guess you should read more. Read Twilight (or insert the name of your favorite books here) in English instead of the crappily translated version. I know it can be such a chore at first, but gradually you'll realize that nothing beats reading a book in its original tongue. I think that's one of the rewards of learning a foreign language. Hopefully one day i'll be able to appreciate Ricardo Piglia's Plata Quemada in all its Spanish glory. For speaking, practice practice practice! Mobilize your parents, relatives and friends if need be. But don't waste too much time because remember, TOEFL is not that important once you crack 100.

Okay that's all the questions i can think of for now. Feel free to ask me anything you want on this topic by commenting on this post :)

Labels: US Application