Here are some terrific resources for SAT and ACT study.
SAT Prep New York Blog Check out my new blog! I keep it updated with news about testing and college admissions, study resources for high school students, and more! Your comments and feedback are welcome, too.
collegeboard.com - the organization which administers the SAT. Their website has all the official information about the tests including dates, fees, etc. Make an account and review your PSAT results, do additional drills, sign up for questions or word-of-the-day. Research colleges, register for the SAT, download practice tests. Terrific resource from the makers of the SAT.
act.org - The alternative test to the SAT is the ACT. Some students score higher on this somewhat more straight-forward test of academic achievement. Check out sample questions, download a practice test, and see which colleges accept this test.
princetonreview.com - The Princeton Review has tons of resources on their site ranging from info on the tests to study tips to college choosing information and links. Even if you just study at home with one of their commercially available texts, there is online help for you on their site.
The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition by The College Board - The SAT prep "bible," now with ten real tests for practice.
Tutor Ted's SAT Solutions Manual: The Ideal Companion Volume to The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition by Ted Dorsey. The title says it all, except that Ted is also funny, very smart, concise and no-nonsense. If you buy the College Board's book and really intend to learn, then you should buy this book, too.
Cracking the SAT, 2011 Edition by Princeton Review -The Princeton Review's techniques and strategies are still a cut above the rest.
Kaplan SAT 2011: Strategies, Practice, and Review by Kaplan - Kaplan's math chapters are particularly well-designed.
Barron's SAT Math Workbook by Lawrence S. Leff - Barron's math workbook can function as a text for students weak in specific areas tested on the SAT. Lots of focussed drills, great resource.
Crush The Test SAT Math Prep: Hard Questions for 700+ by Matthew Kohler Ph.D - A new text for high-scorers. Score 800, get a scholarship!
Tips for book buying:
Check out Amazon.com for best prices and ideas on what is popular and to read what other students think of the books. Also, don't leave your text buying to a month before the SAT. You may find local bookstores sold out of the best/most popular texts. For students studying for the SSAT or ISEE tests, be aware that the big test prep publishers such as Kaplan, The Princeton Review and Petersons recycle their texts - word for word! - from one year to the next, so you might want to buy last year's text online for a good discount over the "new" edition. SAT prep books also tend to be mostly recycled material. Just make sure that your textbook applies to the new SAT, from 2004 on.
Khan Academy - Khanacademy is an amazing resource: a totally free, ad-free compendium of hundreds of lessons in YouTube format, starting with SAT math explanations to every single math question in the Collegeboard's book of practice tests!
ShowMe SAT -Check out Show Me SAT, an easily navigated, free new site for SAT students, with video whiteboard explanations to every question in the Collegeboard's book of practice tests created by New York area tutors. I've created a number of lessons on this site, too.
A number of publishers offer new and classic novels which feature SAT-level vocabulary, highlighting and defining the words so students don't have to run to a dictionary every page. It is a great way to build vocabulary while enjoying a story.
Kaplan's classics collection includes: The Scarlet Letter, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Wuthering Heights, The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein, The Ring of McAllister (Simon and Schuster Publisher)
The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder, by Mark Phillips, A. J. Cornell Publications 2003
(This book is conveniently 365 pages long, making it ideal for planned long-term study: Read a page a day for a year.)
Simon's Saga for the SAT I Verbal (Paperback) by Philip Geer
Vocabulary Cartoons II: Building an Educated Vocabulary With Sight and Sound Memory Aids (Paperback) by Sam Burchers, Max Burchers, Bryan Burchers
vocabsushi.com - Fun online tool to build your vocab with personalized lists and drills.
Podcasts
Got an iPod? Podcasts are a great new way to learn on the go. A number of websites offer free SAT vocabulary podcasts for download. Here are some good links to get started:
The Princeton Review vocab minute podcasts (all free, junior and senior levels):
http://www.princetonreview.com/vocabminute/default.asp
Get the lyrics here:
http://tprvocabminutelyrics.blogspot.com/
Hip-hop SAT vocabulary podcasts (a couple freebies on website):
http://www.flocabulary.com/vocabularysample.html
Big Dog Grammar Drills
Fun, interactive, well-organized grammar drills.
Notorious Confusables
Check out this website for two great pages of "Notorious Confusables": homonyms that are often confused. Has cute illustrations and is interactive.
College Goals College Goals is a highly experienced college admissions and higher education consulting practice. Their experts have extensive backgrounds in college admissions in the Ivy League and work with students worldwide, guiding them through the college prep, search and application processes.
Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances for Admission to the College of Your Choice by Michele A. Hernandez, Ed.D., Ballantine Books. Ms. Hernandez has made a career out of getting top students into top schools, charging upwards from $10,000 per student for her elite college counselling. The book is a good place to start if you haven't got Michelle to personally guide your student.
Colleges that Change Lives by Loren Pope - Pope really hates the Ivy League and other top prestige schools, but if you can forgive him that, he has done his homework and presents a very compelling case for under-recognized colleges in every part of the country that accept a wider range of achievers.
The Insiders' Guide to Colleges by Yale Daily News Staff. This is the one that really gives you the low-down on what it is like to live and study at many of the most popular colleges and universities in this country.
U.S. News and World Report annual guide to colleges, available year-round at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble.
