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Viewing all posts tagged "SAT"
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The SATs and Me (or is it Me and the SATs?)
Kidding.
I do have a new goal though: To Get a Perfect Score on the SATs.
A few weeks ago I decided that my son, who just finished 9th grade, needed to start studying for the SATs. He thinks I’m out of my mind (I’m not), but agreed to do 20 minutes per day on weekdays.
In an effort to turn this into a mother/son bonding experience, I signed up for the SAT Question of the Day from the College Board.
The first few days I got every question wrong — even the English questions! Granted, I was only taking a few seconds to try each one before giving up, but I decided I needed to focus more. Once I started trying, I was able to get the English questions right.
A month later I still have not gotten one math question correct on the first try.
There’s more backstory here, which I’ll talk about on another day, but for now I’ll cut to the chase:
I’m going to see if it’s possible to master the SATs and get a perfect score. I haven’t decided on all of the details yet, but here are a few things I do know:
- I’m going to take a baseline test so I know where I’m starting from. I may try to do that this weekend.
- I’m not going to put a time limit on how fast I do this, though I’d like to make major progress in the next year or two.
- My friend Catherine Johnson, who is one of the smartest people I know, is going to train me like I’m running a marathon.
- I’m going to do my best to share the process on this blog, as openly and honestly as I can, though my baseline score may be so embarrassing I’m not committing to specifics at this moment ;)
I’m saying this all out loud so I’m accountable — kind of like telling the world you’re on a diet so if they see you going for a donut, you feel the shame.
UPDATE: Right after I wrote this post I went to take the Question of the Day, and low and behold, I got my first math question right on the first try.
HALLELUJAH. On my way……
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SAT Project, Week #2: Hack the SAT
I decided I’m going to post once a week about my progress. In case you missed the first post, I’m seeing if it’s possible to train myself to get a perfect score on the SATs.
Mind you:
- I’ve always been a terrible test taker (I choke under the time pressure)
- I haven’t taken a math class in over 25 years
- the only math I’ve done in decades is “check book” math
- I haven’t been able to help my kids with math since about 5th grade
- I went to Bennington because they didn’t require SAT scores.
My theory is that if I can train myself to get a perfect score, ANYONE (i.e. my kids) can do it.
I was going to take the Full Practice Test this weekend, but never got to it. It’s a 4 hour commitment, which seemed impossible to carve out. 4 hours……wow. Seems like a crazy long time to have to sit still, no?
I did however make a small bit of progress.
I met with my brilliant friend Catherine Johnson who is going to be “training” me and she made a list of what I’m to do this week. She’s SAT obsessed too, and in way deeper than me. She brought over a huge stack of SAT books that she’s reading, and I ordered a few for myself, including Hack the SAT, which I’m very excited about.
A few other SAT revelations:
- When I took the SATs, it was Math and English. That’s it. Now they’ve added Writing (fine), BUT, it turns out that they also added SAT Subject Tests that students need to take in ADDITION to the 4 hour Math, English, Writing test. Huh? How did I not know that? That seems so unfair.
- The bar is WAY higher than when I took the test. Back in the day, we didn’t study, and I believe I only took the test once. Now, the median score to get into NYU is 1400 and you have to be in the 99% on the PSATs to even be considered for the National Merit Scholarship. How did the bar get so high?
- Catherine explained that math is taught differently now, which explains why I don’t understand a thing.
I have to say, I’m really enjoying the process of learning how to do this and only wish I had more time to devote to it.
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SAT Project, Week #3: This is Totally Doable
“Hi, I’m Debbie, and I’m bad at math.”
It turns out that might not be true. Somewhere along the way (10th grade geometry?) I got that idea, and it just stuck with me and became part of who I am.
I’m letting that go right now.
I’ve decided that I’m going to focus exclusively on SAT math until I master it. After that I’ll move on to the English sections, which I’m pretty sure will be easier for me.
Here are my discoveries for the week:
- My biggest challenge is going to be carving out the time to make it happen.
- I have no lack of enthusiasm. In fact, I love studying for the SATs so much it’s all I want to do (CRAZY, I know).
- Progress happens very quickly. I worked with my friend/tutor Catherine Johnson yesterday for a few hours and I feel like I learned 2 years of math in an evening. If you had told me that after a few hours of tutoring I would get the following math problem right, by myself, the next day, I would not have believed you.
Truth be told, this whole project grew out of my desire to get my son interested in the SATs.
My crazy obsession may have eclipsed the original mission, but I have not forgotten. Yesterday, he and his friend were playing video games while I was working with Catherine, and when they walked by, I roped them in to see if they could do the problems I was struggling with (the answer was yes, they could. In fact easily, which I took to be a good sign).
They ended up sitting down with us, and we’d pick out hard problems and see who could do them first and explain the answer to the others.
Turns out this was hugely fun and I can see this growing into a great family and friends project — like a Scrabble or a card game or something.
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I Think I've Found the Secret Sauce: TI 89
If I can learn how to master this thing, I can see hundreds of extra points on my math score.
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The Enemy of Contemplation
How do people concentrate with the internet at their fingertips? I’m finding it harder and harder to deeply think.
Illustration by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
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SAT Scores Got you Down? Don't Worry. You're in Good Company
I have a question: Have your kids asked you what your scores were? Thank god I’m doing this crazy project, or there would be NO WAY my son would take me seriously when I told him to prepare for the SAT.
Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
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Perceptual Intuition
Get over the fact that it feels like counting on your fingers. The number line is SO HELPFUL!
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The question is, are all those SAT test prep impostor questions good for you…..or a threat to the mission
Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
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This is long, but worth the read if you are facing the world of the SAT. Seriously smart people have weighed in here.
Illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
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ettcd (by woodcum)
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FEB. 3, 1863:
SAMUEL CLEMENS USES MARK TWAIN PSEUDONYM
On this day in 1863, writer and...
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Want a free copy of the PWN the SAT Math Guide?
The whole reason I started PWN the SAT is...
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Marina shack in Gouldsboro, Maine. Photo by Greg Hartford.
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catedrals asked: Isn't there a significant curve on the SAT? I thought it was widely accepted that the curve is higher in the fall, lower in the spring. Or it might be the other way around. Either way, more seniors take it at a certain time, and more SAT-prepped students take it at a certain time, pushing the curves up. And at higher scores, one question is valued at more--missing one question could drop you from a 2400 to a 2360, but only from a 1600 to a 1590. Something like that?
Each test has a slightly different scoring table—that’s true. But the differences aren’t due to...
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