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The new SAT changes suck so much for me (I'm a freshman). I was planning on studying for the SATs this year, but there aren't any new SAT-prep books out for the new test. Now that I will have to take the new test in junior year, I'm afraid that I won't be able to score as high as a 1400.
BTW, for those that don't know, the new changes will be: No more analogies, in its place will be more crit. reading, alg2 questions added to the test, and what pisses me off the most, an ESSAY. fck college board.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Shrug. The changes make the test more indicative of the skills needed in college. Students who can't write worth jack are a serious problem...even in Engineering school, let alone the Humanities.

I believe the new test will be scaled to a 2400 total score--like the PSAT x 10--so I'm afraid that a 1400 wouldn't do you much good anyway.

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 02:29 pm: Edit

Come on, the glass is at least half full. If you are a freshman, at least you haven't wasted hours of your life contemplating SAT analogies! IMO, they were slightly ridiculous, anyway. Did you take the PSAT this year? You can certainly study for that in the meantime. If you are really committed to starting your test prep this early, then consider using an ACT guide. The ACT includes some of the material to be added to the "new" SAT. Most important of all to a good score, I believe, is to READ a wide variety of material. Plenty of time for that.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 02:50 pm: Edit

MomO2, I agree about the analogies.

That was a section that I always rolled an el perfecto on...while thinking that what it measured was ridiculous. The critical reading made me sweat...hell, it _still_ makes me sweat when I look over my daughters' practice tests...but that's a reality-based skill.

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 04:47 pm: Edit

Thedad - my problem with the analogies was that my reasoning is pretty non-standard, left-brain stuff (I am a musician ) So I really had to train myself to think like a "normal" person. At least my life since school has never required any analogy matching skills! I just hope the new SAT is an improvement - my 2nd child will face that one.

By Incognito (Incognito) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 04:50 pm: Edit

A question for Momof2:

"Most important of all to a good score, I believe, is to READ a wide variety of material. Plenty of time for that."
***I have been reading like this for quite some time. I have also given the same advice to many because I feel as though it helped me. But how much time is needed? I mean, like, I understand that it is a "long-term" stratagy, but how long, exactly? Should it span for a dacade? 3 years? Several months? A few days? etc. What do you think?

Also, do you have any literature that you can recommend for me and the rest on this board? I have read all sorts of stuff, but I'm open to new ideas!....

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Hmmm - I know that Barron's has a list of sorts. OK, here is a quickie list in no particular order:

New York Times - OP-ED section, esp.
New Yorker magazine - access it online
Anything by Dickens
Anything by Joseph Conrad
Anything by Huxley - besides Brave New World
Anything by C. S. Lewis

If all of the above is just too dry...

Anything by Tolkien (well, it can't hurt )

The main problem with critical reading sections, I think, is that both the sentence structure and vocabulary (to a lesser extent) is much more complicated than most things that even well-educated people read today. That's why it seems so exhausting to most people - the only way I know to "get in shape" is to practice on other complex, maybe dry, writings! No easy answers here, sorry!

By Incognito (Incognito) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 05:54 pm: Edit

I actually read most of what is above (I read the NY times OP-ED section a lot, I've read Gread Expectations, Heart of Darkness, and The Screwtape Letters). Thnx for the advice, Momof2. I'll be sure to check out this other material.

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 06:10 pm: Edit

Try some of the Huxley - maybe Chrome Yellow. Pretty subversive stuff for these PC days!! (I still have that perverse streak from my youth)

Have you read Lewis' Space Trilogy? - a little outdated now, but entertaining and a good backstory. Also his Til We Have Faces - GREAT retelling of the Cupid and Pysche (sp?) story, if that appeals to you.

Gotta go report for kitchen duty now.

By Incognito (Incognito) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 06:16 pm: Edit

Yeah I'll take a look at Huxley.

As for Lewis' Space Trilogy, I have not read it. The reason is that I generally like to read books by different authors. I try my best to read only one book from each author. Rarely do I ever read two different works by the same author (there have been, however exceptions to my rule. For example, I love to read the non-fiction works of S. I. Hayakawa. He is fantastic. He's one of the few authors who has more than one work that I have read). The reason is that I try to maintain diversity (in terms of prose style) as much as possible. I figure that by restricting myself to a smaller number of authors, I am failing to read in the "diversified" manner prescribed by many. There's the basic theory that says if one reads many different authors from many different fields, one will become more well-rounded (in terms of assimilating different types of literature styles) But perhaps I will check out some of Lewis's other works and see how it goes. Thank you for your input, Momof2 (and dont let anybody tell you that you belong in the kitchen).

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 07:18 pm: Edit

Mom02, I had a writer friend who was explaining something about mood and feeling and how word were used to convey them and a musician said, "WORDS?!"

By Johnnyd (Johnnyd) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 08:51 pm: Edit

hey when do the SAT changes start? this fall or the fall after that?

By Incognito (Incognito) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 09:25 pm: Edit

they start in March, 2005

By Blahdefrickenda (Blahdefrickenda) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 11:59 pm: Edit

LEWIS WAS AN AWESOME AUTHOR!!! SAME WITH TOLKIEN!!!

By Dolce (Dolce) on Monday, March 03, 2003 - 07:29 am: Edit

Looks like students who are currently freshmen will be affected the most by the SAT changes. If they take an SAT early to middle of their junior year, it will still be the old format, but after March of jr year, it will be the new. Does anyone know, will colleges require their SAT to be the new one? Or if they are satisfied with an earlier score (old format) will that be sufficient? Also, I am wondering how in the world that many essays are going to be graded objectively? Does the score on the essay contribute toward the 2400 total? Or is there a writing section like the PSAT, which is mult.choice?

By Incognito (Incognito) on Monday, March 03, 2003 - 04:09 pm: Edit

If you ppl want to read about the New SAT, this link might be useful:

http://www.collegeboard.com/about/newsat/newsat.html

As you can see, the new exam has its pros and cons.

By Track4life17 (Track4life17) on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 11:35 am: Edit

hy since ur a freshman & u dont wanna take the new SAT 1, just take it sophmore yr & do really well. that way, ull be taking the older version

By Incognito (Incognito) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 05:55 pm: Edit

become a good essay writer...