Every year, the number of students taking the SAT rises. And every year, colleges are becoming more competitive. Throw the weakened economy into the mix, and it creates a perfect storm for Up Your Score: a book of invaluable test-taking wisdom, the only book written by “been-there-done-that” kids, the only guide that kids will enjoy using. It’s proven to work—the students who created Up Your Score all nailed the SAT and went on to the colleges of their choice, including this year’s 2,400-scoring guest editor.
A guerrilla guide that’s a perfect complement (and reality check) for the student who has already tried Princeton Review or Kaplan, Up Your Score injects real-life humor and attitude into the dry business of test prep. Its vocabulary is rich and lively with examples that kids will relate to, and with proven tricks to make definitions memorable. It covers the eight main issues of math, with test-wise, problem-solving techniques. To help students ace the writing section, it addresses the 13 most important grammar rules to know. And it shows how to “psych out” the test: How to think like the SAT. How to prepare the essay in advance. The best ways to fill in answer circles and other strategies to save precious minutes. Plus, tips for maintaining concentration, why it’s always better to guess than to leave a question unanswered, and a recipe for energy-boosting Sweet & Tasty 800 Bars (and how to smuggle them into the testing hall).
FREE: An iPod download to help users learn the 600 key vocabulary words.
Tired of those stuffy test-prep books written by people “who were born before the invention of the number 2 pencil”? Wouldn’t you like a bit of mirth with your math, some vigor in your vocabulary? Then try Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT. Of the six authors, three scored perfect 1600s on their SATs (the others earned respectable 1500+ scores) and two of them were still in high school when the book was written. As a result, the book is both humorous and helpful, and packed with strategies to outsmart the SAT. This guerrilla guide contains key rules to remember for the verbal and math sections (for example, know that questions always get harder in each subsection), a great word list with helpful mnemonic devices, hints on educated guessing (and a reminder that it can’t hurt you to guess–at worst you’ll probably break even on points), and even a section on writing better essays for the SAT II. Best of all is the “But Wait! You Also Get” chapter, which offers advice on improving your concentration, relaxation techniques, the moral quandary of cheating, the fastest way to fill in the answer ovals, and even the secret of food smuggling (and a recipe for sugar-packed “Sweet and Tasty 800 Bars”). Easily the most entertaining of the SAT guides, Up Your Score will certainly help you do just that. And remember what the authors say–”It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you outsmart the ETS.” –C.B. Delaney
List Price: $ 12.95
Price: $ 1.66
I used the older version back in 1997.,
Please note that I have not used the updated 2005-6 version. My review is based on its predecessor, which I used in 1997.
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Up Your Score (“UYS”) raised my score roughly 200 points. I took a few practice tests, didn’t like my score, so I borrowed the Princeton Review book (“PR”) from the library. PR raised my score about 50-100 points total, but I still wasn’t happy with the scores I was getting…in the low 1200′s.
Then I read UYS. It taught me the way to think about the test, and how to approach it. It gave me confidence in my abilities and helped me comprehend thoroughly elimination strategies, vocabulary memorization tactics, and the general thought processes necessary to get inside the head of the ETS and select the answer they want. It enabled me to control the test, instead of letting it control me.
When answering a question, you read, understand, analyze, process, and respond. UYS helps you become more effective and efficient at each step in that process. (PR does this too, but not as well. I will say this for PR…it fills in the few gaps left by UYS.)
In addition, UYS is so enjoyable to read that everything you read will stick with you. If I could only recommend one book, it would be this one.
What it did not do: teach me math or English skills, or teach me vocabulary. It did not explain what the test is, but rather HOW the test is.
When all was said and done I got 690 verbal, 780 math.
My recommended study schedule:
1. Read the free booklet from the ETS.
2. Take one practice test to get your baseline score. (This is helpful later on to understand your intrinsic strengths/weaknesses and to see your progress, which will further motivate you.)
3. Read “Up Your Score”
4. Take 2-3 practice tests.
5. Read Princeton Review’s SAT. Focus on the sections that are your weak points.
6. Take 2-3 practice tests.
7. Memorize the vocab in each of those two books (make flashcards).
8. Continue taking practice tests until 36 hours before the exam. Get a good night’s sleep for the TWO nights prior. Do something relaxing and fun. Be confident. Don’t talk to your friends because they will psych you out even if they mean well.
I would suggest spacing this schedule over 2 weeks/full weekends. Develop a ritual before you start every practice exam, such as aligning your pencils. Then, when you do the ritual the day of the test, it will clear and center your mind, and relax you so you will perform optimally.
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|For Motivation,
If you are reading this review, you don’t need this book. You already have what it offers-motivation. If you care enough about the SAT to read reviews of the best practice books, you will do well; trust me. This book is for students who need a push to prepare. While not a bad book for its purpose, it spends too much time motivating, and not enough time teaching. There are relatively few practice exercises, and the answers are too basic for motivated students. Instead, I recommend buying Cracking the New SAT 2005 from the Princeton Review. It has three complete tests, and the main text provides excellent strategies for attacking questions in math, verbal and writing. With time and practice, you will definitely do very well on the SAT.
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|Not another dry, boring SAT book!,
I teach an SAT Prep course, and I recently was thrilled when I found this book. It is totally in tune with a teenager’s sense of humor. I was even laughing out loud in some instances! Even better, it is an excellent preparation tool that identifies tried and true techniques. They have updated this edition so that the jokes are new and fresh, and the writers are completely down-to-earth. They truly seem to recall what it is like to be an eleventh grader who is extremely anxious about taking this test. Additionally, it’s not too long and cumbersome that it will scare away students who truly wish to up their scores; I read the book in one evening. (I wish I had read it when I was in high school!!!) It’s a necessity for any college-bound high school student!
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