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SAT and ACT
I'm taking the SAT and ACT in June. I wanted to know if it really is hard, and how exactly can I study for it? And do colleges really look at your scores and does it really matter? Because I do somewhat well in school, but I am terrible on the SAT. =[ Please and thank you!
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I've taken both the ACT and the SAT and I have to say I thought the ACT was much easier.
Ok, so both tests are different and you'll have to understand the differences when you study. Here's a link that will explain the differences: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
I think the best way to study is to buy the practice books. You can buy the slightly older versions real cheap online and they will help tons. It's great to have an idea of what to expect on the test before you take it and it's filled with lots of tips and tricks that will help.
Colleges will look at those scores when you apply, but after that they are pretty much useless. It stinks, but if you get into your top choice, then it'll be all worth it.
I would also try these searches because they come up with great results:
Best of luck!! You can do it!
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Okay, so I've never taken the ACT, but here's what I know about the SAT:
There's like 10 sections. One is an essay, the rest are either reading, math, or writing (grammar stuff). In each section, you'll pretty much be pressed for time.
The reading sections = basically reading one or more passage and answering questions about it. The most common questions are about main idea, tone, etc. But one that pops up a LOT is "in line [insert number], what the author meant by '[insert word]' is similar to:..." and you have to pick a word that is synonymous with the one in the question in the context of the passage.
The reading section also starts off with vocabulary questions. I hated this the MOST. I would suggest buying flashcards of SAT vocab words and learning their meanings ASAP.
The writing section is basically all the rules of writing. This encompasses the essay (which is Section 1 on all SATs) and the grammar sections:
> For the essay, you will be given a quote. You have to agree or disagree with it and support your answer with two examples. Now, these examples can be ANYTHING, but I'd recommend a book, movie, or (better yet) an example from history. Things like this are usually much stronger points. If you write that the quote is true/false because "my mom told me one time", that's a WEAK point.
Also, do your best to write as much as possible in the time period you're given. Statistically, longer essays receive higher scores. Just make sure it's a GOOD essay and you're not throwing irrelevant info in just to take up space.
> For the rest of the writing section, you will basically be a peer editor. They'll throw very short paragraphs at you and ask which sentence is grammatically incorrect. They'll give you one sentence and 5 answer choices with that sentence reworded in some way; you'll have to pick which version of the sentence is grammatically correct. They'll give you a "rough draft" of an essay to look at and ask you random questions about how to fix it.
The math section is very VERY basic math. Know your precalculus and you'll be good to go. Knowing calculus might help, but it's not required or necessary.
In each section, the questions start off easy-peasy and get more and more difficult.
The best way to study is to get a review book and do problems. You need to get familiar with what they'll ask you. You'll need to learn random tricks that will help you get ahead on the tough questions on the test.
And yes, the SAT DOES matter. It's important for colleges to see how you stack up against the country, not just your school. Colleges know that each school has different standards; a 95 average in one school may be a LOT harder to attain than a 95 in another school. So they use the SAT to help them.
Moreover, SAT (and PSAT) scores can help you get scholarships and other good stuff. For instance, the college I'm going to gave out full scholarships based solely on the Merit Scholarship (which you qualify for by scoring high on the PSAT). Though my friend has a super high average, she didn't qualify because of her PSAT score.
The best advice I can give you is to practice your ASS off. I can't answer if it's hard or not because it really depends on who you are and what you're good at. I know people who got a 2400 on it and people who got a 1600. I thought the math and writing sections were easy as hell, but did poorly [ 570 :( ] on the reading. If you're more of an English than a math person, you may find the reading questions easier. So it all depends.
The SAT is a stupid and time-consuming exam, but it really does matter. On the bright side, once you finish applying to college, NOBODY gives a shit about it anymore. Nowhere in college will anyone ask you what you got on your SAT.
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