Hey you can use any or all of the below mentioned resources:

WEBSITES:

1. Khan Academy; Official partner of the College Board. It consists of videos & questions related to each & every section of the SAT Test with detailed explanations & performance tracking. And it's totally free!
   
2. UWorld; This websites boasts of having a collection of more than 1800+ questions. with detailed explanation, detailed rationales for incorrect answers, performance tracking, vivid illustrations, track time to improve your speed, compare your results to peers and a lot more. PAID.
   
3. 1600.io; Offers multidimensional online instruction for the SAT. In addition to it also offers course-by-course basis preparation. It covers about 3,000 real SAT questions in 200 hours of video instruction. Although I don't have an experience with this site but it's highly appreciated by other test takers. PAID.
   
   BOOKS:
   
   

• Mathematics: Personally I don't fine this section on SAT abstruse so I think following books are more than enough to ace the SAT-Maths section;
  
  

1. The College Panda's SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook for the New SAT; The best thing about this book is that it focuses on every particular section of SAT making it easy to comprehend & more helpful than the books that randomly talks about all the topics at once. Practice questions are incredible and are backed-up with Nielson's very simple & easy to understand answers & explanations. Also, there is a Website and any errors made in printing are mentioned on it.
   
2. The College Panda's 10 Practice Test For The SAT Math; Running out of Practice test? Want something more? Well this book has some relatively realistic versions of the SAT's mathematics sections (both calculator and no-calculator).
   
3. PWN The SAT: Math Guide; Still not satisfied with your SAT preparation? Longing for something more? When you're done with this book you'll be able to approach the SAT with confidence - very few questions will surprise you, and even fewer will be able to withstand your withering attacks.
   
   

• Writing:
  
  

1. The Ultimate Guide To SAT Grammar, 4th Ed; It isn't about drilling as most of them (books) are. It's about the philosophy of the SAT. Author backs up her advice with relevant questions from Khan Academy in each chapter & provides comprehensive coverage of all the grammar & rhetoric tested on the redesigned SAT Writing & Language Test. Two things that you'd miss - lack of enough practice questions & its overpricing (Especially for International Students). She had a Website where you can look-up for Errata & other college related information. You'll also get a practice question each day prepared by Erica herself!
   
2. The Ultimate Guide To SAT Grammar WB, 4th Ed; Fall short on practice questions? Need something to execute what you've learned so far? This accompanying workbook to The Ultimate Guide to SAT® Grammar contains six full-length tests in redesigned SAT format, each accompanied by thorough explanations designed to reinforce the concepts and strategies covered in the main grammar book.
   
3. The College Panda's SAT Writing: Advanced Guide & WB, 2nd Ed; This one is truly geared towards the student aiming for the perfect score. It leaves no stones unturned. It has clear explanations of all the tested SAT grammar rules, from the simplest to the most obscure, tons of examples to illustrate each question type and the different ways it can show up, hundreds of drills and practice questions to help you master the concepts and a lot more. AND, THREE PRACTICE TESTS.
   
   

• Reading: Probably the "hardest-to-score" section on the SAT test.
  
  

1. The Critical Reader, 3rd Edition; Intended to clearly and systematically demystify what is often considered the most challenging section of the SAT, this book provides a comprehensive review of the reading skills tested on the redesigned exam for students who are serious about raising their scores. Meltzer's explanations and tricks are very descriptive and include hints to easily discern the correct answer through process of elimination. Major drawback? Well, it lacks enough practice questions & is highly overpriced!
   
   

• ESSAY: For this section I'd say Khan Academy + these 2 books are more than enough. If you work with these modestly I guarantee you can easily achieve a perfect score on SAT Essay;
  
  

1. The College Panda's SAT Essay; The writer covers all of the main facets of the new SAT Essay, including the scoring, structure and key elements of a rhetorical analysis, combined with more strategic advice regarding such topics as paragraph structure, transitions, vocabulary usage, length, writing speed, quotations, examples, and the elements of persuasion. Author's high-scoring essay from the May 2016 exam is included where he shares everything from what he did right as well as the subtle things he initially missed.
   
2. SAT Vocabulary: A New Approach; Covers key vocabulary for the Reading Test, Writing and Language Test, and Essay. This book offers an approach that is aligned with the new SAT’s focus on vocabulary in context. The concluding chapter on the Essay is short but outstanding. The chapter features a particularly helpful presentation on 6 persuasive devices, a list of 25 top Essay vocabulary words, and best of all a real Level 24 essay written by a real student on the November 2016 SAT.
   
   Hope this helps. If liked, please don't forget to up-vote. And all the best for your preparation and test.

1.) Something that is grey.

technically it's gray, but i have a feeling you won't quibble over semantics




2.) Something reminiscent of rain.

sometimes when you get a really good rain it sparkles




3.) Something food related that is unusual.

the ingredients are edible foods




4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!)

this is for my youngest daughter, she was named after it's author.




5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it!

you have probably already read this book, but it's always worth reading again




6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!

a gift card for less than $1




7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...)

it even has a picture of a cat on it!




8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it.

this isn't useful in any way, but it's the Boss so I feel compelled to have it.




9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?

this is one of my favorite movies of all time. it's magical, and funny, and beautiful, and it always makes me smile.




10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain.

if i get turned into a zombie i would be able to use the knowledge contained in this book to disguise myself




11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.

I want to be a librarian. I need this to study for the GRE to get into library school




12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.

I think this may be my only add-on




13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why?

This game is out of print, so it's hard to find. I loved playing it as a kid and want to share it with my daughter who LOVES board games




14.) Something bigger than a bread box.

this is definitely bigger than a bread box




15.) Something smaller than a golf ball.

These are smaller than a golf ball. Maybe I could wear them when I go golfing. (I don't golf)




16.) Something that smells wonderful.

i think this stuff smells lovely




17.) A (SFW) toy.

Playing with this at work could get you fired, but not because it's explicit.




18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

If I were going back to school I would definitely take my iPad. iPads are definitely helpful. I would use this to keep it safe.




19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.

I have been making a lot of bath bombs lately. I use silicone molds like these to make them in fun shapes.




20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.

This book is about the song Hallelujah (which is a beautiful song) and how it became to be one of the most recorded songs in history. It was originally kind of a failure but somehow made it to the place where it is today where it has been performed by hundreds of musicians. I find it amazing that this song that almost didn't make it onto the album it was originally written for. When it did make it to the album it was a flop, yet here we are listening to this song that has become so popular.


fear cuts deeper than swords

Certainly, the time is takes depends largely on your baseline score and your score goal. So go ahead and start by taking an official powerprep practice test and see how you do. Your improvement will also depend on how many hours per day you study, and how quickly you learn.

Generally, verbal is harder to improve in than quant is. I would give yourself as long as possible. The reason for this is that there are two often essential parts of studying verbal that are much better with more time: vocabulary and reading. First, you have to memorize vocabulary. The PowerScore Repeat Offenders and PrepScholar 357 lists are good to take from. There will probably be a good amount of words on there that you don't know but should.

Then, you have to be reading high level English material every day. GRE verbal is largely a reading test. Strong readers score well, and poor readers score poorly. Ideally, you'll want to be reading things like the New York Times or The Atlantic. It's better to read for, say, an hour a day, though. Reading for multiple hours per day has diminishing returns.

Otherwise, make sure you buy the official materials, published by ETS, the same people that create the real test. That's the best resource possible, so you'll want to start by learning those materials very well. Don't worry about timing yourself, but try your absolute best to answer problems correctly: really think about them, and try to understand their solutions.

Spend as much time as you can without burning yourself out. Your future self will thank you :)

I'm here to help if you have any further questions or concerns as you go!

-Magoosh Student Help

I really respect the time and effort you are putting into studying for the SAT. That is quite a number of practice tests you have completed.

To bump up that reading, I highly recommend Erica Meltzer's SAT Critical Reading (2nd Edition). It's been an outstanding book for many to bump up that score. I find her to be a very outstanding author.

If grammar/writing seems to be the issue, fortunately, Erica Meltzer offers a book covering this topic! Link to her 3rd edition grammar. To reiterate, Erica Meltzer is an outstanding author who really uncovers tips to score high for SAT.

As for math, your best option is College Panda's SAT Math Workbook. I have heard great reviews about this book and I am looking to purchase this book, too. This book should really help you for the math section.

I hope you find these options helpful. You should continue to use Khan Academy daily for general practice on the three categories.
Always remember, quality over quantity. A person that practiced with 4 tests could outperform a person that practiced with 21 tests. I appreciate your studying and wish you the best luck to improve your great score!

When I said "51 onward" I was referring to PrepTest 51 and onward. PrepTest, commonly abbreviated as PT are previously administered LSATs. Every LSAT is released as such, except for those pertaining to the February administration. The most recent PrepTest is number 77, which corresponds to the LSAT that was administered in December of 2015. Each PrepTest contains the four officially scored sections of the LSAT plus the writing sample question, it however does not include the experimental section as this would compromise future LSATs. When you purchase the LSAT PrepTest volumes, you do not receive explanations, only an answer key and percentile conversion chart to each exam. However, the LSAC has released a book called SuperPrep II which includes 3 PrepTests, of which is there not only an answer key, but official explanations to each and every question, explaining why the right answer to each is the, well right answer. Although the LSAC does not have an explanation for all of their PrepTests published, there are many forums, websites and even published books which will do so for you. For example, The Princeton Review will be shortly releasing "LSAT Decoded" which will explain all of the answers in corresponding LSATs(PrepTests) I listed the following books that I purchased and recommend. Go to your local bookstore and read a couple pages of the Prep Company's book and see if their method of teaching works for you, if not, find another. Lastly, I would like to say that it is of absolutely no trouble for myself, I am more than happy to help, and thus I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour! :D

I posted the links to the books I bought and have been enjoying, please take caution before purchasing it from these links, as I posted the Amazon Canadian links as I live in Canada. Anyway, I believe either the Kaplan Premier 2016-2017 or LSAT trainer are an absolute must, although you could get away with not getting a prep company strategy set, I strongly encourage getting at the very least a comprehensive all in one. Any more questions or concerns about anything related to the LSAT please feel free to send me a message/reply.

http://www.amazon.ca/10-Actual-Official-LSAT-PrepTests/dp/0986045519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457253768&sr=8-2&keywords=LSAT

http://www.amazon.ca/Official-LSAT-SuperPrep-II-Champion/dp/0990718689/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1457253768&sr=8-10&keywords=LSAT

http://www.amazon.ca/Actual-Official-PrepTests-Comparative-Reading/dp/0984636005/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1457253768&sr=8-9&keywords=LSAT

http://www.amazon.ca/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457253799&sr=8-3&keywords=LSAT

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1937707784?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1937707776?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0990718697?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0986045543?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0986086231?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

hmm so you’re pretty evenly split there. 41 days may not seem like a lot, but it is plenty of time for a large improvement if you study well and consistently. i can’t truly predict any one number since i don’t know you or your work ethic/capabilities but i’ll try and give u some tips for each section to maximize ur time before the august test :)

math: if you haven’t already, purchase the college panda SAT math book ( The College Panda's SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook for the New SAT https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989496422/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Ze.kDb1QDZA61 ). it’s truly a godsend. work through this entire book over the course of around two weeks, highlighting, taking notes in the margins, and doing EVERY PRACTICE PROBLEM. you’ll see significant results right away. use khan academy to practice individual problem types if you still have trouble after using this book (i swear this book & uworld — which is sadly no longer free but if you can afford it it’s a great resource — got me -0M)

Writing: you really need to get a strong foundation in “standard” american english grammar. i put standard in quotes cuz college board keeps its own grammar rules and likes them a distinct way. all of the rules you need to know (as well as helpful tips for the other section) i learned from the SAT black book ( SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692916164/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.i.kDbWGRK8W2 ). again, highlight and take notes in the margins and read through a couple of the walkthroughs this book provides

Reading: this is the toughest to improve in, but not impossible. really work on math and writing before attempting to tackle this section. if you don’t know this already, the best advice any person on this sub can give you for this section is that THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS IN THE PASSAGE, AND IS 100% SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE AND CAN BE BACKED UP WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE PASSAGE. that being said, CB is a nasty bitch that excels at making tricky answers that readers with poor comprehension skills tend to choose. this is best remedied by reading a lot in your free time, specifically high level texts

I don't know what your exact position involves, but I'm sure that your school has at least somewhat of a set curriculum, particularly for the math part. I'm a K-4 science teacher and think I might have one of the best jobs in the world. Teaching science to kids is so much fun, because it naturally appeals to them so much. Put in as much hands-on stuff as you can. It's more fun than reading out of a textbook and doing worksheets, and the kids learn so much more.

If you want any help with curriculum, now or through the year, I'm happy to share lesson plans with you. My favorite parts of fourth grade science:

• Having the kids change the tire on my car as part of the simple machines unit
  
• Building boats out of recycled materials while studying buoyancy, then sailing them in a local pond
  
• Visiting the tide pools to see the animals the children have been writing reports on
  
• The annual Invention Convention, when the students show off their inventions to their parents and everyone
  
• Teaching puberty - this surprised me by turning out to be one my favorite things to teach! Don't worry; it might not be part of your curriculum. :-)
  
  Edit: two book suggestions: Understanding by Design, for how to design effective curricula, and Primary Science: Taking the Plunge for inspiration about being a science teacher.
  

You're at a 152, and you want to jump 13 points. You have a little over five months, and two breaks (Thanksgiving and winter/holiday break).

I know literally nothing about you except for what is included in that post, but I'd say you can improve 13 points (from a 152; would be a different story if you were at a 165 trying to improve 13 points to a 178) in five months.

I've gone through most of the legitimate books. From your post, I'm assuming you've only read/are reading the Powerscore books.

I'd recommend:

The LSAT Trainer,
Manhattan LSAT Logical Reasoning, and
The Blueprint for LSAT Logic Games

You said you're looking for vast LR improvement; if you can do that with the Logical Reasoning bible, great! That means you're smarter than I am, because I couldn't do it. MLSAT LR and The LSAT Trainer are significantly better at helping with LR. It's really not even comparable. As regards LG, PS LG is still very solid, relative ordering notwithstanding (I think PS calls it sequencing? the whole tree, with A > G/D etc.). I personally like Blueprint LG a little better, but with hard work, PS LG can definitely get you there.

There is a noticeable difference between MLSAT LR/LSAT Trainer and Powerscore LR.

After reading the books, you need to practice, and get familiar with individual question types/game types. How you want to do that is up to you, but I used the Cambridge LSAT bundle. It divides PTs 1-38 into question types for LR, game types for LG, and passage types for RC, so that you can focus on problem areas and work on proper habits/seeing patterns. It also has PTs 39-68 untouched, so you can just use them as regular tests. If you don't want to buy the whole shebang, I'd recommend you at least get the LR and LG bundles.

tl;dr: 152 to 165 in five months is definitely doable. Get The LSAT Trainer, Manhattan LSAT Logical Reasoning, the Blueprint for Logic Games (optional), and the Cambridge sets.

Here are the links to what I referenced in this post:
http://www.amazon.com/The-LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377229180&sr=8-1&keywords=THE+LSAT+trainer

http://www.amazon.com/The-Blueprint-LSAT-Logic-Games/dp/0984219900/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377229201&sr=8-1&keywords=Blueprint+for+LSAT

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Logical-Reasoning-Strategy-Edition/dp/193570785X/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377229214&sr=8-2&keywords=Manhattan+LR

http://www.cambridgelsat.com/bundles/ultimate-prep-package/

HTH

I think that the content of this post, especially for someone looking at Physics PhD programs, is spot-on. Focusing on grades now and getting into research ASAP are basically the two things you should do in the short term.

/u/luxuryy__yachtt is completely right, chronologically speaking, to leave the Physics GRE (or pGRE, as it is unaffectionately known) to the end. However, I want to emphasize just how important that test can be to your graduate hopes. It alone will not open any doors to you, but a poor performance on the pGRE can definitely close doors in a hurry. More leeway here is given to students from top undergraduate programs (think Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT), while students from lesser-known programs have more to prove with their pGRE score, but do not take it lightly either way. I have friends from [insert elite, private university] who didn't take the test seriously, ended up doing poorly, and ended up being effectively locked out of the top 10 or top 20 for PhD programs.

Some (very top) programs seem to use pGRE scores as a hard cutoff and – at the very least – will look very critically at the rest of your application if your score is subpar, which is really unfortunate. The test is pretty dumb and effectively tests your ability to answer a bunch of questions about freshman-level physics really, really quickly, but scoring well (e.g. above 80th percentile, which is an 860) can be the difference in your application. For that reason, it is worth taking the time to ensure that you do well on it.

Now that I have hopefully scared you into caring about this exam, let me give you a quick DO's and DON'Ts in bullet format:

• DO take the Physics GRE seriously – the GRE General is a joke, but the pGRE is not to be trifled with
  
  
• DO study for the Physics GRE – how much study time you need will depend on your target score and how far away you are, but be prepared to dedicate a significant fraction of a summer to this
  
  
• DO NOT look at released exams yet – there's a limited number (5) of released exams currently available, so you should not be looking at them or solving problems from them yet, that way you can ensure to have a few exams with which to practice in a few years
  
  
• DO NOT worry about studying for it YET – you'll have ~3 years of physics classes under your belt by the time you take this exam, don't stress over the pGRE, or studying for it, just yet; that time will come eventually
  
  
• (when it is time to study, i.e. during/after your junior year) DO use Kahn and Anderson's book (Amazon link) – this is a great book that will walk you through the material you need, and comes with three (additional) practice exams
  
  TL;DR Follow /u/luxuryy__yachtt's advice. Just remember that the Physics GRE is a test that exists, will be very important to your grad school admissions, and will be something that you need to prepare for if you want to get into a top tier program. The details of the exam can get ironed out later; for now, just do your best to master the material in your classes and get involved in research.

> Well, I just saw this post and want to clear up a few things

Here is the original thread she is referring to. The suspicions/concerns raised there definitely have merit.


>not only did I teach the Binary Solution course at Columbia Law School (and subsequently at the College)

True, based on this article from Columbia's student paper in 1997: [LSAT Course Proves Helpful]
(http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19970528-01.2.18#)

> I was invited by the then-Dean of Minority Admissions (Dean V Amory) to provide the course at the law school after she saw the videos of my games algorithm

True, based on this flyer from CUNY:


> (a section I cracked long before most of today's companies existed).

??? Just makes you sound arrogant ??? A lot of companies have been around just as long as yours...

> Furthermore, BinSol is, and remains the ONLY complete and general solution for the LSAT, and has the only Casebook that completely explains the LSAT in one volume because it is a true Casebook (not just a collection of past LSAT questions). A Casebook contains a collection of typical and boundary cases organized along the lines of a theory of classification.

This sounds like gibberish. And Mike Kim would like to have a word with you about your book being the only book/course available that covers the entire LSAT in one volume (and his book is sitting at 4.5/5 stars on Amazon with over 160 reviews).

> I could go on in detail, but it's best to just see the best course at one of our free previews at NYU (next one is in Feb 13-14, RSVP here www.binarysolution.com) as for this thread it's clearly the product of competitors, and predictably culminates in a link to another prep course.

You market your course here and in the same sentence attack other people for doing the same?

> Our small, smart course has dealt with attacks since it's inception-- and for good reason -- it's still the simplest, most powerful solution to the LSAT, and reduces each question on the LSAT to a single, bright line, either-or adjudication. And we don't require that you identify the question either - because the method is based on a semantic deconstruction - so you learn to solve as you read. Which makes the approach more natural and Rapid than any other.

More gibberish. With no evidence. WTF is "bright line"? Why is it more natural? How is it more rapid?

> So get the facts first- hand of you are reading this, and when you read something about us make sure to cross-check (eg, read the filtered reviews on Yelp), cause test prep is big business, and companies are known to post in the blogosphere . Good luck !

You know sometimes people write bad reviews...a method won't work for everyone.

---

After reading this post and reviewing Binary Solutions' website, everything about you and your company just feels off. Your writing would make me extremely wary of taking your course and of any claims you make.

My recommendations:

• Perhaps do some editing/self-reflection before making public posts like this
  
  
• Your LSAT scores, a lucid explanation of your method, and more evidence backing up your claims would make many more amenable to taking your classes. Rants about competitors attacking you, jargon-laden/highfalutin descriptions of your methods, and bitching about poor reviews just make you sound...scammy and paranoid.
  
  ---
  All in all, this post/situation is just strange.

1. LOL, I've been in 2 different states and 4 different towns in the past 4 years. Licenses are very easy to transfer, don't worry about it. You are likely at a time in your life where picking up and moving about is still very easy. Later in life, kids happen and parents may require extra care and the flexibility you have now can become much less of a possibility.
   
   
2. I wanted to walk to school, so I made sure to find an apartment close to campus. Larger schools will likely offer some sort of resident assistant program which could potentially get you in campus housing for much less/free.
   
   
3. Practice makes perfect. Go to the library and check-out study guides from years previous. Take a couple, score them, and address any weak spots.
   
   
4. I love learning. As crazy hectic as grad school is, this is the last time you get to sit down and have some incredible minds tell you incredibly interesting things day after day.
   
   
5. It sucks, and I should have gone to a cheaper school. Luckily, I'm not a complete financial moron and have paid over half my debt in 4 years post-graduation. /r/personalfinance is a wonderful resource.
   
   
6. I did take a year and a half off between a very grueling undergrad and grad school. Many things happened - I had more financial stability, I gained geriatric experience, and I grew up. Instead of worrying so much about school, I was able to look at it with more of a "job" mentality which made it MUCH less stressful. Also, I didn't lose my grasp on the material and found that I was able to review anything I was less familiar with very quickly.
   
   
7. HA. No seriously, it hasn't come up on ANY of the interviews I've done. Once you have your CCC's it's mostly a non-issue. The only instance I can see being relevant would be a PhD/research-based condition. The caveat would be I imagine that some places are more regionally familiar with a certain school, but your skills as a clinician are infinitely more important at the end of the day.
   
   
8. It's way better than I thought. I've taken risks with jobs and it's paid-off. Challenge forces you to adapt and improve much faster than complacency.
   
   
9. It's this question that made me post. It sounds scarily like me around the same time. Generally speaking, center yourself around a major metro/suburban area and you won't hurt for work. It may not be The Career, but it will be A Job, and those are just as important. But most importantly, whatever you do, do it for yourself. In rather eerily similar circumstances, I had a boyfriend (now ex, lol) during grad school who was a geologist going to school and planning to work in Colorado. There was pressure (both direct and indirect) from him and from a relationship standpoint for me to make career choices that would be more complementary to the lifestyle we thought we wanted. I was tempted to compromise, thinking it for the best of the relationship, but ultimately stuck to my guns and prioritized my education and career instead. To make a long story short, he didn't work out, but everything else did. And among the many reasons I found myself increasingly non-compatible with someone I dated for the better part of a decade ultimately had little to do with my job choices and a lot to do with him being a massive douchebag. Regardless of what you decide to do, make sure you do it for yourself!
   
   
10. n/a
    
    
11. My typical work week is 40 hours with frequent opportunities for overtime. I really enjoy the wide variety of patients with whom I work and being able to learn as much from them as I hope they learn from me. My setting sees adults exclusively (youngest patients around 16 or so) with geriatric adults being seen most frequently.

Yeah, I'm SO happy with the result! No lie I cried a little at the end when it spat out my score and I'm sure it was embarrassing for the lady who helped me check out afterward.

I can't recommend Official Guide to the GRE enough. It's really good at teaching you all the math you need, but I think this ETS math review pdf is the same as in the book? Anyways the good thing about the book is it has two full length, official practice tests that are a similar difficulty as the real test and loads of practice questions. I did every question in here and read the math review like three times.

ETS has two more free official practice tests, same thing as the ones that come with the CD in the book. I did both of these too and half of the Manhattan Prep free practice test to practice quant.

For more practice questions I used the Manhattan GRE and Ready4GRE phone apps. They give you some free and you can pay if you want more. The Ready4 questions felt like good practice to me and the Manhattan ones were a little harder than the ones in the ETS book.

All my friends recommended signing up for Magoosh. I didn't because it is pricey, but sometimes people sell their accounts if they still have time on their subscriptions so check GRE facebook groups or /r/GRE. They have some free things: some video lessons and practice problems, and explanations of problems from the ETS practice tests/practice books. I heard the Princeton Review and Kaplan practice tests and questions are too easy compared to the real thing, but the Manhattan Prep 5lb Book of Practice Problems, official ETS extra quant book and extra verbal book, and Manhattan Prep study guide set are all supposed to be good.

This is my second time taking it. I def did not prep enough for the first one! This time I did a full practice test first for a baseline, wrote down topics I was bad at, read the math review, did the exercises from the book, and did all the practice problems from the book. Then I took another practice test, started doing questions from 3rd parties, and spaced out the rest of the practice tests.

For the writing I read a lot of sample essays that scored a 6 or 5 and made outlines for different essay prompts. I was too lazy to write even one full practice essay though so I might have bombed that part, ahaha. I spent about a month studying and $20 on the ETS official guide.

TBH I might be taking the GMAT now so maybe I'll join you guys. Good luck studying! :)

Much of the logic required for the test is shared among sections, so studying for one helps the others. Also, each section tends to require a slow progression because you are basically changing how you think, so a lot of people recommend intertwining the three to some extent.

Logic games are usually the quickest to improve on, so a lot of people start with more of a focus there. This allows you to shape your mind to LSAT faster and can help with the other sections. It also gives you a sense of progress and accomplishment.

Reading comprehension and logical reasoning are basically how well you pay attention to what you read and how you logically connect the provided information, so how fast and to what extent you pick those sections up depends on how well you build those skills. Sometimes that takes days to see drastic improvement (I had a student go from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties on RC in a day because he changed to a more effective approach), but often it takes months (usually because one is just practicing instead of changing what he or she is doing wrong).

First, I recommend that you take a practice test. You can access June 2007 for free. This will help you to determine what needs the most work. You will eventually want to buy at least some of the official preptests (all are good, but newer is more relevant and therefore more important):

• PrepTest 77
  
• PrepTest 76
  
• PrepTest 75
  
• PrepTest 74
  
• PrepTest 73
  
• PrepTest 72
  
• PrepTests 62-71
  
• PrepTests 52-61
  
• PrepTests 29-38
  
• PrepTests 19-28
  
• PrepTests 7, 9-16, 18
  
• 10 Real LSATs Grouped by Question Type: Manhattan LSAT Practice Book
  
  Then, I suggest working with a set of prep books or online lessons. A lot of people like 7Sage, the LSAT Trainer, and PowerScore, but there are other options as well.
  
  Three pieces of advice:
  
  1.) Don't blow through all of your practice tests - even though there are 77 of them - a lot of people who start early tend to run out. That leads to:
  
  2.) Don't take a lot of practice tests early. Your job is not to practice your current (bad) habits; instead, it is to identify what aspects of your approach you are doing wrong and make a conscious effort to fix them. You will get much more out of slow, untimed, exhaustive, reflective study than out of plowing through lots of practice tests expecting something to change. If you are not improving yourself, do not just continue to take practice tests - instead:
  
  3.) Don't be afraid to look into a tutor. An experienced one can usually diagnose issues and sometimes that is more efficient and effective than working through it on your own, especially when you are stuck and struggling to improve. That can be expensive sometimes, but it can also be the reason why you get into your target school and/or the reason why you get a scholarship (my prep, many years ago, paid for itself many times over).
  
  Good luck!

Your son is at the right age to prepare for the SAT. The sidebar contains recommended resources, based on a survey of r/SAT users, and I would recommend that you consider each of them. Some of the best resources are free, and some of the best are paid. Some students do better with interactive online resources, while others like working from a book. The two of you should decide, but here are our recommendations:

"The resources provided in these lists are ones that are highly and regularly recommended by the community. Refer to the survey link below for more information on resources"

Free

>Large-scale data analysis of the community including average test and practice test scores, recommended resources, hours studied and improvement, etc.
10 official practice tests + 10 additional real tests from QAS dates. This link contains every SAT practice test that can be found on this subreddit
Khan Academy's SAT page
Dr. Roger's Math Neighborhood has video explanations to each question on the official practice tests, some QAS tests, as well as math 1 and 2
Official SAT discord
CollegeBoard's Daily Practice for the New SAT available on the App Store or Google Play

Paid

>UWorld question bank with 2400+ questions and explanations
1600.io has video explanations to each question on 20 official practice tests and QAS tests. The first 4 practice tests and a strategy course are free
Reading and Writing books from Erica Meltzer (author)
Math, writing, and essay books from College Panda (author Nielson Phu)


Textbook companies with a large number of prep products (such as Princeton Review and Kaplan) are not highly recommended

​

Note: I am a full-time math teacher and part-time tutor. I am a fan of high-quality tutoring, but I am also well aware of just how variable the quality of tutoring can be. Make sure you screen any potential tutors and check references if you are considering that route.

> This particular departmental person likes to micromanage (or appear to be doing so)

This is basically the exact opposite of how good teaching happens. You can't micro-manage it because everyone teaches differently. You have to let people be themselves in the classroom or they won't be at all - except for being insincere and unmotivating. Students (at all levels) learn more from teachers who are passionate about what and how they're doing things. Taking that away is a great way to ensure that your students hate the class and become disinterested.

>It seems (we've only had one meeting thus far) to be a "share experiences" type of meeting

This is actually useful. Many of my best learning experiences in terms of growing as a teacher have come from sharing what I'm doing with colleagues and reflecting on it. If managed correctly, it can be a hugely beneficial process. If managed incorrectly (as it sounds like here) it can become a great process for saying "No, you didn't do it the way I told you. You're wrong. Do it again my way."

>I mean, the only thing that really qualifies me to teach these kids is that I know some shit, I've read some shit, and I was enthusiastic enough to get her support for it.

I mean, that's basically what qualifies most of us to teach most of the time. Even the "traditional" teachers are in this boat - it's all theory until you step inside a classroom and try to make the pieces fit together in a way that works for you. No worries. You'll get it down eventually. Good teaching is really hard to do. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't a good teacher.

>mostly because our numbers are a bit sad. I think the department had more Greek 101s this semester than Latin 101s.

This sounds like the department needs to look at who is in charge of teaching the Latin sections (both prof. and TAs) and how that's happening. This is an absurd statistic that I've never heard of anywhere before and must in some way reflect how the course is being managed on an admin. level.

>It's a bit patronizing, really. Especially at the university level. These are full grown adults. But we still need to use stickers and read "The Night Before Christmas" to them in Latin in order for them to stay with it? I think not.


The sad thing is that these attempts to "make it relevant" ARE patronizing and DO drive students away. No one wants to be treated like a child (as an adult). I bet that's part of the enrollment issue.

>every TA gets a 2 day training session before they're considered "ready" to teach. Two days.

This is absurd. Anyone who think that's enough time to train someone to teach is out of their skull. I spend more time training my volunteers to teach in a leadership program I help manage. There's no way that should be an acceptable program for a University.

>TA quality can be really abysmal. If you have a person droning on, reading off a PowerPoint for 50 minutes four days a week, you will have complaints regardless of the topic. And hence, shit TAs lead to massive over-corrected oversight. That's just what I surmise through deduction, however.

This is so true. And the sad thing is that many of those TAs go on to be professors that teach that way. As a policy I used to skip classes like that in Uni. because I could accomplish twice as much in half the time at home and still get the "A". That anyone could "teach" that way and call it anything close to "effective" is a farce.

A friendly suggestion to you: here are the four most useful texts I've encountered in terms of teaching. I know that not all of them are written for the university level, but they all provide unique insight into parts of the process. If you can get your hands on them, I really suggest you spend some time reading them. Not because I think you're one of those shit TAs, but because it really seems like you don't want to be one and I doubt that your Uni. is going to offer much support in the way of helping you not do that.

1. The First Days of School by Harry Wong. This is hands-down the best down-and-dirty guide I've encountered to basic teaching. Honestly, I don't think it will make anyone a great teacher, but it most definitely will make anyone that goes into the classroom and understands this book a competent teacher. I recommend it here especially for the thoughts about procedure and classroom management - two things that most Uni. people don't think they need to worry about, but two of the biggest areas that impact what you can accomplish in a given time period.
   
   
2. Why Don't Students Like School by Daniel Willingham. This is basically a high-level summary of what we know about brain science and learning written by one of the world's experts on Cog. Sci. and Ed. Totally useful for understanding the mechanical process that is "learning" and how to manage it more effectively based on what we know about it thus far.
   
   
3. Teacher's Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction by Shrum and Glisan. This is the ACTFL-recommended basic text for foreign language pedagogy. It'll bring you up-to-date in terms of research and best-practices on a variety of different L2 teaching levels. You'll also come to realize how fucked our current pedagogy model is for Latin & Greek.
   
   
4. Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe. UbD is technically a curricular framework for thinking about how we plan our courses, but it also applies to the micro-level in terms of how we plan our lessons. The big idea: start with a list of mastery concepts that students need to demonstrate competency in and work backwards. The book is totally worth it as a thinking-tool for how you go about planning and executing your lessons.
   
   Bonus Teach the Latin, I Pray You by Paul Distler. Distler offers an alternative to the current Latin L2 pedagogy we use. I'm not 100% on board with D.'s methods, but in terms of how we go about things currently vs. what you'll find in Shrum & Glisan, he's WAY closer.

For Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Reader-3rd-Complete-Reading/dp/0997517875

For Writing: https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Writing-Advanced/dp/098949649X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+panda+sat+writing&qid=1563901164&s=gateway&sprefix=college+panda&sr=8-3 or https://www.amazon.com/4th-Ultimate-Guide-SAT-Grammar/dp/0997517867/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/133-6279214-8476330?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0997517867&pd_rd_r=b1b3ba1b-4d03-4aef-8534-fb724df88793&pd_rd_w=tVeGd&pd_rd_wg=AG0DL&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=S0E4J8G00TRD6F0ZY1ZK&psc=1&refRID=S0E4J8G00TRD6F0ZY1ZK

For Math: https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Math-Advanced/dp/0989496422/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/133-6279214-8476330?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0989496422&pd_rd_r=6bc275dd-8dee-497b-aa49-17576266463e&pd_rd_w=YjIig&pd_rd_wg=Pc71l&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=P3X7H8SAQZT59M5F6FNV&psc=1&refRID=P3X7H8SAQZT59M5F6FNV or https://www.amazon.com/PWN-SAT-Guide-Mike-McClenathan/dp/1523963573/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=pwn+sat+math&qid=1563901232&s=gateway&sprefix=pwn+sa&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For Essay (if you’re taking it): https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Essay-Battle-tested/dp/0989496465/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+panda+essay&qid=1563901277&s=gateway&sr=8-3

For General Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=sat+black+book&qid=1563901330&s=gateway&sprefix=sat+bla&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For Practice Tests: https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2020/dp/1457312190/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+board+sat+2020&qid=1563901505&s=gateway&sprefix=college+board+&sr=8-3 (NOTE: These practice tests are available online but I prefer having them on paper, which is why I bought this book.) and https://amp.reddit.com/r/Sat/comments/9544rw/all_qas_tests_and_scoring_in_pdf_form/

Good online resources include Khan Academy, UWorld, and 1600.io. Also, I recommend taking a timed practice test often to follow along with your progress and see what you need to work on. Make sure to do the practice test all at once (don’t break it up into section) and try to do it in the morning like you would in the real SAT. Then, go over your mistakes very carefully (this is VERY IMPORTANT) until you truly understand the mistake so that you won’t make it again in the future. This is the most important step. If you skip this, it’s unlikely that you see any meaningful score improvement. Also, It’s up to you which resources you buy/use based on what sections you need help with. Good luck!

Make sure first that the resources you are working with are top-notch. According to the sub, the best online resource to learn concepts (across all the sections) is Khan Academy. In terms of Reading, this means doing the practice with the various passage types (fiction, social studies, and science). In terms of Writing, this means learning the various conventions of the English language. Feel free to also download the free official SAT Question of the Day App for daily questions (every other day will have an English question).

If you are a book person and willing to spend some money ...

The best Reading resource, according to the sub, is Erica Meltzer. My personal recommendation is that you stick with official practice sections for this one because, quite simply, no one makes questions like the CollegeBoard. Mark off select practice tests for use as full-length exams ... the other tests' sections can be used individually. In the case of Reading, use those for practice. If you're afraid of running out of official material, maybe start with PSATs, which are also easier and can ease you in. Make sure you do deep analyses of your errors (know HOW you picked the wrong answer, HOW to avoid doing that again, WHY the correct answer is right, and WHY the incorrect answers are wrong ... you must do all of those things to really obtain value from your practice) and also examine the questions you were not super confident in. Even take a second look at questions you got right to see if you could find a faster way of arriving at the answer. Note down any vocabulary that might have impeded your ability to understand the passages/questions/answers. Make sure to keep a log of all your analyses.

For Writing, the best resources are Erica Meltzer (if you prefer a very dense writing style) or College Panda (if you prefer something more to the point). Meltzer also has a separate workbook of practice tests. Work through either of these by chapter. After every couple of chapters, do a practice section for a mixed review to see if you can handle dealing with the concepts when you no longer have the benefit of being told what to look for. Keep in mind that Writing isn't all just grammar ... there is a reading component to it in which you must think about adding a relevant detail, shifting a sentence, or replacing a word in context ... this is where your Reading skills should blend in as well.

For explanations to the official tests, use 1600.io. Only the first four tests are free, but the site is quite highly regarded. Give that free trial a go, and see if you think it's worth the money.

Be aware that you'll likely see quick gains with Writing, but I promise that once you get the hang of Reading, that score will also see similar improvement. It just takes some time for most people to grasp it. The main thing is accepting that the correct answer is always supported by something in the passage ... you cannot rely on outside assumptions.

Good luck!

Definitely take practice tests!! Also don't be afraid to take the ACT multiple times, I took it 3 times before I got the score I wanted and I am glad I did! There are also a lot of practice books out there, I recommend Barrons.

• For the reading section it helps to underline and annotate. If you have time, read the questions before you read the story so you know what you are looking for.
  
  
• Science seems to be hard for a lot of people, don't overthink it! The answers are always right in front of you, you just have to find them!
  
  
• Math can be rough sometimes, if you don't know a question skip it and come back to it later, you want to get as many questions right as possible, don't get stuck on a problem and run out of time!
  
  
• English was always hardest for me but all my friends thought it was the easiest, just make sure you brush up on your grammar before the test, the practice books will help you with that.
  
  
• The day of the test eat breakfast and bring a sweatshirt to the testing room, one of the times I took it I was freezing cold and it was hard to even focus! And make sure you get a good night of sleep, somebody in my room actually fell asleep during one section!!
  
  Good Luck and if you have any more questions be sure to ask!!

OP has 9,733 karma and has been on Reddit for almost 4 years, so I am going to go ahead and assume that he/she is a real person, despite the sometimes suspicious praise of Magoosh, and complete omission of references to other materials, such as:

1. GRE PowerPrep Questions and GRE Official Guides
   
2. GRE Error Log / Improvement and Homework Tracking Chart
   
3. GRE Action Plan and Free E-Book
   
4. GRE PowerPrep Explanations
   
5. GRE Scoring Algorithm
   
6. Guide to the GRE PowerPrep Online Software (formerly the GRE PowerPrep II desktop software)
   
7. GRE Percentiles
   
8. PowerPrep Online Registration Page
   
9. GRE Vocab Capacity
   
10. My GRE AMA on Reddit
    
11. GRE Test-Day Tips
    
12. GRE Big Book - 27 Old GRE Exams.
    
    I don't disagree that Magoosh is generally about 30% harder than the real GRE, but I do disagree as to whether that's a good thing. For most students, the GRE is difficult enough already, and practice questions beyond the scope/difficulty range of the actual test will only increase student anxiety, but for a high scorer like yourself I can see why you would benefit from the extra challenge. Congrats!
    
    Your particular success with Magoosh, though anecdotal, is worth acknowledging despite our tendency to mistrust big test prep. For what it's worth I was one of the original 4-star reviewers of the Magoosh GRE book on Amazon, and I think that Magoosh's stuff is generally way better than Kraplan and (we stole our name from) Princeton Review.

Hi -- your LSAT score is good for five years, and most schools now consider only your highest score. So, if you'd like to take it this Oct to have a score under your belt for whenever you decide to go to law school, you can definitely do so. I suggest you take the exam whenever you have a good chunk of time and motivation to prepare, and that you take it with enough time after so that if you need to take it again to get the score you want, you can do so.

BTW, I am the co-creator of Manhattan LSAT, and I've developed a new book that you may be interested in. Here is the amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_22?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373646806&sr=1-22&keywords=lsat

and here is the top-law-schools discussion of my book --
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=209573

and here is the website for the book -- http://www.thelsattrainer.com/

on my site, you can download the first chapter of the book for free, and I think that chapter will have a lot of the basic information about the LSAT that you are looking for.

I hope that helps! Best of luck with your prep. -- Mike

Is your class for the SAT subject tests? You can use the CollegeBoard book (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0874477727), but there are only two practice tests in it and not very many extra questions. If you have a lot of your own notes and/or practice problems, this could be a great book because it's actually written by the CollegeBoard and uses previous tests.

If it's for the general SAT math sections, I'd definitely recommend the CollegeBoard book (http://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2nd/dp/0874478529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376237363&sr=1-1&keywords=official+sat+study+guide). I'm an SAT tutor and love using this - I can teach my own strategies and assign practice problems from previous SAT tests. There's 10 full-length previously administered practice tests, so there's plenty of material. I have a syllabus with 8 general lessons and homework, and there are still enough sections to have up to a month's worth of practice before the test.

I've been tutoring for six years now (and I used to teach classes for a large test prep company) so if you need any help I'd be glad to give you some pointers. Good luck on your class!

I used 7Sage and this book: http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426031750&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lsat+trainer

That book is amazing and really breaks down the deconstruction of arguments in a way that just clicked for me. Not particularly helpful in the LG department, but thats where 7Sage came in.

So I would say that book is great for boosting LR and 7Sage is great for boosting AR (LG). The book also had some decent methods of breaking down RC.

Good luck. Glad I'm done with all that.

From a 147 to a 165 is a pretty large jump, but likely achievable if you have the time. So by next June or October? Perhaps. But probably not by February if that's the test you're going for. If you have the discipline, self-preparation is the way to go.

I would suggest starting out with the Powerscore LSAT Bibles (one for each of the sections), as internet collective wisdom has separated these out as the "best" books with which to begin. Link on Amazon. They are not cheap, but are much cheaper than a prep course.

Next, get some actual tests (ACTUAL past ones, not ones produced by testing companies to save on licensing costs) and go through them untimed, analyzing as you go. The key part is the analysis. It doesn't matter how many tests you practice with if you're not analyzing, for every question you got wrong, or even wondered about but guessed correctly, EXACTLY why the right answer was the right answer and why EVERY other answer was incorrect. Link on Amazon.

If you need more resources once you start breaking into the 160's or feel stuck, I would recommend The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim. It's remarkably cheap given that it goes over each section, but I wouldn't recommend starting off with it necessarily unless you already have a good general understanding of the test.

Another online resource (beyond r/LSAT) which may be helpful is the TLS LSAT Prep forum.

Best of luck!

If it vouches for this process at all, I moved from a 164 to a 176 using essentially the steps above. So a 10+ point jump is not unreasonable, but it does take time.

I'd say don't take a class. You'll be paying a lot of money for a generalized approach intended to strengthen a bunch of peoples' GRE scores, instead of focusing on what you need help with. Suck at verbal and good at quant? A class isn't going to spend more time on verbal just because you suck at it.

I'd recommend hiring a good private tutor and/or joining Magoosh. Magoosh is $80 for six months and it's by far the best prep material I've found. It's all online and has videos teaching you different types of material. Those are like a Khan Academy for GRE prep. They also have questions and a quiz mode, so they throw questions at you and also give you an estimated score range based on how many you get right. The questions are much harder than the real GRE so they prep you really, really well.

I'd say also get the Manhattan Prep 5-lb Book of GRE Problems. They're really good, reasonably challenging, and harder than the real test. They don't teach you "tricks" as much as teach you the actual material you need. Avoid Kaplan and Princeton Review like the plague, since their questions often have a lot of typos and aren't good prep. Also for sure get the Official Guide to the GRE, since it's the only place to get official ETS questions. They resemble the ones on the actual test the most. If you're having trouble with a particular topic, Manhattan Prep also sells guides for individual subjects like word problems and geometry that are really good. ETS also sells books of Quantitative and Verbal questions for extra practice.

Good luck!

Hey,

Glad to hear you took your first two PTs under timed conditions. As for Prep Books, you might find that something other than Manhattan works well for you. Manhattan was my personal favorite, but don't hesitate to pick up The LSAT Trainer which is one book for all 3 sections or the Powerscore Bibles. The keys to LSAT Guides are their use of authentic LSAT Questions and reliable methods used in approaching these questions. You want to avoid companies like Kaplan, Barron's and Princeton Review because they don't meet this criteria.

Deciding when to take the LSAT is tough. When I said at least 3-months in my original post, I meant that 3 months has to be the absolute minimum amount of time. You might find that it takes you longer and that's okay. When I was prepping for the LSAT I read a lot of first hand accounts from 180 scorers. There was a lot of variation in their prep time. If I recall correctly some 180 scorers put in about ~3-4 months while others put in more than 12. What you don't want to do though is put yourself in an unrealistic timetable. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know if you should push back your test or not. If you have already registered for the September LSAT see when the last day you can change it to December is. If you haven't registered, see when the final registration deadline is (though if you live in an area where a large number of people are taking the LSAT, waiting this long could present other problems). Your own prep will determine how long it takes and which test date is best for you. I will recommend that, if you get either the Powerscore Series or Manhattan Series, start with the Logic Games book. I have given other people some advice about prep material as well in the first and third posts here

lol its ok u will improve. here are some of my resources:

​

if u haven't already, i suggest this book for practice tests: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-2018-19-Online-Content/dp/1119508061?ref=ast_p_ep

once i was done with that, i looked up tests online (there are plenty of them!)

if u struggle with science, i suggest this book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-ACT-Science-innovative-standardized/dp/0996832203/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537486319&sr=1-2&keywords=act+science

it's a bit pricey, so i suggest getting a used one

if u wanna learn some great tips on how to improve ur score in every section, this book has some amazing info: https://www.amazon.com/ACT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies-ebook/dp/B07BGDM282/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537486409&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=act+black+book&psc=1

​

i found these books to be sufficient, but also look for tutors in your area for help

​

good luck, i hope to see ur thicc 36 post soon! send me a message when it happens :D

> The oarsman-regatta controversy was less than a decade ago

Wrong.

This question, if it ever existed, was used in the 70s or earlier. Here's a book from 1994 discussing it as an already "famous" question - they don't give the original source, but they cite the claim as far back as 1980. The SAT had long stopped using questions like this by the 90s.

The reason this one particular question has stayed so famous is because it's atypical - if bias were common, more examples would be given. In contrast, in the past few decades the SAT has shown a decided tendency towards including material that repeats multicultural pieties. Looking through the 10 tests in the official study guide, all of them have multiple reading passages about topics like black women's identities, Chicano labor organizers and Navajo sand-painters. Upper-class-whites only show up if those upper class whites are Victorian women heroically defying gender roles. For the record, I don't think this is a bad thing - talented students from all backgrounds are more than able to handle unfamiliar material, so the content of that material doesn't much matter. But claiming that the SAT is currently biased towards white culture (or has been at any point in the past 30 years) is patently prosperous.

And more to the point, minorities have historically done better on 'cultural knowledge' questions than they have on more purely intellectual questions.

> how can we be confident that any tool we use to measure merit is not corrupted by racial bias?

If a metric designed to predict an outcome (e.g., the SAT, which is meant to predict college GPA) is biased against a group, then members of that group will do better on that outcome than we'd expect from that metric. In this case, we'd expect black students to outperform what their SAT scores would indicate. But this is not the case - holding SAT scores constant, all races have comparable performance in college. Similar checking for bias has been done on just about every standardized test out there - and has confirmed a lack of bias in all of them.

Just going to play devil's advocate here. I've never bought any tutoring from Brian. The only experience I have with Brian is reading his comments/posts on the GRE subreddit, reading his GRE tutorial, and his GRE Vocab Book. Although his vocabulary book is hot garbage, his GRE comments are generally insightful and his free GRE tutorial is actually spot on. I've been following this community for about a year and his recommendations are usually pretty good. Not as good as gregmat but no one can really live up to the enigma that is GregMat.

Looking through your purported "evidence" I don't see any foul play here. It is at minimum true that Brian has tutored for 15 years, I don't think that anyone was under the preconceived notion that Brian has been tutoring the LSAT specifically for that amount of time.

Further, I've done practice material from the LSAT, the GRE, and the GMAT and I've got to say that there is a lot of transfer between tests. I'm reasonably certain with minimal effort that I could score decently high on the GMAT or LSAT as I have on the GRE. Even if Brian has less experience with the LSAT, his knowledge is still very valuable for the LSAT because many of these strategies/techniques are transferable between tests.

If you wanted to bash the way Brian incessantly avers his Harvard degree and his absurd tutoring prices, then I think the whole community would get behind that (Why most GRE prep material suck). But I cannot stand by and see a man's clear talent for standardized tests be the object of reproach in this way.

A common mistake and misperception about teaching is the focus that new teachers (and sometimes whole districts) place on daily planning. What I mean to say is that rather than focusing your energy on what's on for the next sixty minutes, your plan should have a larger goal and direction. When I taught in NYC, district rules required that I was able to produce a plan for what I was doing at that very moment, but never that I had a detailed idea of where the class was heading. The most effective teachers have a unit plan, and often design those plans backwards from the goals they wish the class to achieve.

Check out Understanding by Design, a really powerful system of resources and thinking about curriculum design that's also something that keeps coming up in the ed community.

Lots of this material will be discussed during your education coursework, but if you try examining some of this now, you'll be miles ahead of others in your classes.

edit: another resource I find amazingly useful is Bridging English, a textbook I bought for a methods class during my masters degree. I'm still constantly turning back to it and its incredible appendices. I now work in New Zealand, and nobody on this side of the world seems to have heard of it, but my colleagues have all had a look and love it.

Looking for unis myself. As for GRE, I picked up the Barrons for Maths basics first despite what my friends said because I liked it. Then did some math from Kaplan. After that spent most of my practice time on questions from the Manhattan 5 pound book. As for words I used quizlet to mug words on pc. Felt it was much more effective than any other app. Especially the test generation and space race feature. Finally for the writing section I used tips from Kaplan and Barrons on the general grammar to be used while making points. I wrote about 5-10 essays for practice I guess. Asked a friend good with English to help review my essays and suggest where improvement could be done.

Anyway, ended up getting 327(V:160,Q:167) and 4 on the AWA.

Edit : Forgot to add one test series which I had used. The Kaplan book came with a free online account which I used extensively. While the maths seemed to be easier than the actual questions I encountered at GRE, I'd still call it a good source for practicing. There are several Kaplan books available so rem. to get one with an online account if you do. http://www.amazon.in/Kaplan-Premier-2014-Practice-Tests/dp/1609789369/ref=pd_cp_b_3 < This one.

Smart move taking the diagnostic first. Here's what I recommend you do in a step-by-step fashion:

• Go through the ETS Math Review Guide. Make sure you know ALL of the concepts in here and complete all of the exercises, even if they seem easy. The only thing you can probably skip is the "box plot" section.
  
  
• Go through your diagnostic test with a fine-tooth comb and try to determine precisely what your weaknesses are. You can break down math questions in four general categories: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data. Try to determine which of the four your strong at and which of the four you're not so good at.
  
  
• Obtain all of the official practice material, most of which you can find in the Super Power Pack. I would also recommend that you obtain the Old GREs because, although the math is a little bit easier, it has a ton of practice material (27 tests) that you can draw from.
  
  
• Purchase the 5-lb Manhattan book for supplemental math practice. Just make sure you don't do the verbal in this book.
  
  
• Start familiarizing yourself with some of the more common math strategies like Choosing Numbers and Periodically Stopping.
  
  
• Create a practice test schedule. When will you take your next practice test? When will you take the one after that? We use practice tests to gauge progress, so make sure you have a firm plan in place and that you take the practice test sessions carefully.
  
  
• Use this subreddit as a resource. If you ever feel overwhelmed, just give us a holler.

Definitely take an official practice test first.

It may be the case that you're already scoring above your target scores, in which case you may not need to prepare at all :-)

Resources-wise, be sure to get ETS's Official Guide for GRE. For extra practice questions, ETS (the test maker) has a quant-only book and a verbal-only book, each with 200 questions.

As far as instructional resources go, the one that's best for you will be the one that best suits your learning style. We have a GRE video course you might want to try.

Finally, it's a good idea to have some kind of Study Plan. We have a one here if you're interested.

Cheers,
Brent

Get the main book done directly by ETS. Imo, it's the best one and has the most realistic questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462402098&sr=8-2&keywords=ets+gre+prep+2016

I took my test in 2014, so you might want to double check that there isn't a newer edition (any edition should be fine, though, really).

Also, if you are just starting to study, I would recommend paying for full access on Magoosh. I think they are very good for the money and would be better than taking a class. It's all online, so you can study comfortably on your own time. Good luck!

I have personally only used Meltzer's english book, CP's english book, and CP's math book and can vouch that all of these are amazing, but others on this sub also recommend other books. Here is a list of many of them. I hope they serve you well :] (Edit: I apologize for how huge this post is, lol)


English

• The Ulimate Guide to SAT Grammar by Erica Meltzer
  https://www.amazon.com/4th-Ultimate-Guide-SAT-Grammar/dp/0997517867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519610454&sr=1-1&keywords=erica+meltzer+sat+writing
  
  
• SAT Writing: Advanced Guide and Workbook by College Panda
  https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Writing-Advanced/dp/0989496430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519610514&sr=1-1&keywords=college+panda+writing&dpID=41iRh%252BJb19L&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
  
  
  
  Reading
  
  
• The Critical Reader by Erica Meltzer
  https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Reader-3rd-Complete-Reading/dp/0997517875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519610443&sr=8-1&keywords=erica+meltzer+sat+reading&dpID=51cR4Uh0YBL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
  
  
  
  Math
  
  
• SAT Math Advanced Guide and Workbook by College Panda
  https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Math-Advanced/dp/0989496422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519610506&sr=1-1&keywords=college+panda+math
  
  
• Dr. John Chung's SAT Math
  https://www.amazon.com/Dr-John-Chungs-Math-Fourth/dp/197452602X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519610536&sr=1-1&keywords=dr+chungs+sat+math&dpID=51gqq9mu0XL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
  

I'm gonna forego all the other threads about good books and best books because, on reddit, the list always seems to be the same. Not knocking it, as I've contributed to it, and because I agree with most of the choices I find each time. But I'm going to list a few books I read in the past ten years of so that don't fit the reddit norm, and because they struck a chord with me.

1. Trout Fishing in America -- Richard Brautigan.
   
   A great drunk writer.
   
   
2. At Home with Jamie -- Jamie Oliver.
   
   I've been working to cook from scratch, and this book has helped me understand the beauty and satisfaction to be had in working all day to create one meal.
   
   
3. Understanding by Design -- Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
   
   As a teacher, this has been instrumental to my work. Learning how we learn and learning how to teach others to learn is succinctly broken down into necessary parts.
   
   
4. World War Z -- Max Brooks
   
   By far the best book I've read in ten years.
   
   
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time -- Mark Haddon
   
   Just plain, good storytelling, and with a narrator who'll question your capacity to understand other narrators.

I agree that authentic materials are essential. The blue book is the way to go for that.

In the interest of using everything available...there are some really good "guides" on collegeconfidential. It's obvious that a lot of the kids (adults? whatevers?) on that site have put a LOT of time and thought into their preparation and are altruistically choosing to share it with others. No reason others shouldn't benefit from it.

Students who are scoring below 700 can greatly benefit from these sorts of courses. After suffering a lot of anxiety about how to organize such a course myself a few years ago, I ended up finding, using, and really liking this book: The New Math SAT Game Plan

I'd love to hear what sort of thoughts you have on running the prep course. Do you have a good location? Administration is the main thing that has prevented me from getting something like this up and running on a consistent basis...

I'm gonna direct you to this response I just made and also recommend picking up this practice book. My SAT score put me in the approximate 30 range already so I knew I was not in most cases the target audience for the average practice book. The book in my opinion is loaded with valuable information (advanced information that the average book or equivalent might not include or go into such detail, hence the specific 36 publishment) to help familiarize you with the types of questions the test will ask and the things you will have to know to answer them and the questions included are subjectively harder than the real ACT questions so that was a relief when it came to taking the actual test and it also made me feel more confident in myself, and confidence is key (in all aspects of life!!)

The first time I took the GRE practice test, I got a 148V/152Q. I am a math major, and honestly, I was not well equipped for the type of questions given on the test. I studied (for only two-three weeks) and ended up getting a 153V/166Q. I used this book to practice/prepare for the quantitative section (it is the one written by the test takers).

You still have time to take the exam and schools will likely only look at the best overall score you sent them. Sign up to take it exactly 21 days from when you originally took it, and have the scores prepared to be sent to all of the schools you are applying to. Buy the book I linked and take a full quantitative practice test. Figure out what type of questions you missed and where were you overconfident, and study that content and do more practice questions.

Finally, don't say stuff like this:

>This all makes me feel like I shouldn’t have even bothered majoring in engineering and giving my life to my department, because ETS has decided that my buck stops here.

I promise you that thinking like this will keep you from being successful and achieving your goals. You will have much worse failures in the future (as does everyone in academia) and it is important to learn from things like this. Don't question your worth just because of one occurrence where you didn't meet your own expectations.

Good luck!

5lb Manhattan book helped me immensely for the quantitative section. The ETS quantitative reasoning book is also a great resource.

Lastly, use Magoosh if you enjoy studying on the computer. The software Magoosh provides is well worth the money. The ETS website also has a bunch of mock-tests you can take too, so make sure you take those as well.

Good luck!

No, I don't think it's short. It covers all the topics necessary on the new SAT.

On the last page of the book you're ordering, it even says "If it's not in this book, it's not on the test."

Make sure you thoroughly complete each exercise on each page. It is especially important you go through the pages slowly. Do not go through many chapters a day -- unless you are absolutely confident you know them well.

If you still insist it may not be enough, College Panda can reassure you with their assisted "10 Practice Tests for the new SAT Math". You may not find this book necessary but the practice tests look very accurate to the actual test.

Good luck! Enjoy the book.

By one sitting do you mean one test or one practice test? because my goal is to get a 1300 overall on the actual SAT when I take it, not on my next practice test.

Thanks for the resources! This is what I gathered from your response.

-College Panda Math Books for a higher math score. Complete parts I'm weak on for 650+ and whole book for 700+

-Uworld for more Math prep.

-QAS' for more practice and study mainly tests 5-8 in the Blue Book.

-1600.io for Reading.

Would you recommend any reading strategies? I've used RUNNERS in the past when attempting to dissect passages but I'm starting to feel like it takes too long.

I've also heard that the practice tests are easier than the actual tests. Is this true or is it just a myth used to ease test anxiety?

EDIT: By The College Panda do you mean books like this?, If so is there a certain website where I can find the latest editions?

Have you used any of the official ETS material? I'd recommend reading through their math review, hitting the paper-based practice test and the 2nd or 3rd edition guide, followed by the ETS quant practice book. You can't beat several hundred questions straight from the test-makers.

Manhattan 5lb would be a good source of practice once you've completed the other stuff. The 2nd edition guide + quant/verbal practice books all come in a pack on Amazon called "Super Power Pack." If you don't have any of them, I'd overnight it if possible.

Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989496422/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_4Vw-BbXM6XWWV

Unfortunately right now it’s $28 but this is a really good review book that covers every math topic that could be on the test. If you are going to buy review books this is a good one to get but it’s also possible to improve at math for free using khan academy so don’t feel like you have to spend that money

English - Erica Meltzer

Math - College Panda

Reading - Erica Meltzer

Science - For The Love of ACT Science (FTLOAS) By Michael Cerro

Essay - College Panda

I also recommend buying the ACT red book for practice tests

Another option is the ACT black book, has very good strategies

​

I bought all these and I started with math, going well so far! These have really good reviews and is recommended by this subreddit!

Yes, I took it on July 5th. I used this book for practice tests mostly the week before the GRE. Every day I used this 5 lb. book of practice problems to go over math concepts I needed extra work on and these flashcards for vocab. It seems a little overkill in retrospect, but I was damn determined not to take it twice. All of these helped me enormously, probably about equally. By combining them I was able to raise my scores about 25 percentile points each between my diagnostic test to actual test day.

Best of luck! Just study hard and keep your cool and you'll do just fine.

YOU ARE CRAZY GENEROUS. Hi, and thanks for the contest!

I've got a crazy weekend. Tomorrow I have class 10-12, then my first flight leaves at 2. I get into my hometown at 6:45 and will rush to my dad's 50th birthday celebration which begins promptly at 7! I'm really excited to see my family. Monday morning I fly home in time for my 1:00 class!

I would really appreciate this. First off, it's $25, so you could maybe still gift someone else! Second, it's something I really need to study for the GRE. Practice tests REALLY help me.

What are YOU doing this weekend? Watching BTTF? 1.21 Gigawatts!

Where can I find the (up-to-date) tests? Or is there a book that I can buy that has a bunch of different ones? I'm planning on buying this so I'll have the 4 tests included with that but would like to take more as well.

They changed the GRE a few years ago didn't they? So, I'm sure this is a given but just in case, I'm looking for practice tests that are up-to-date with the new test. Thanks!

What's up dude. Took the LSAT in June. Went from a cold diagnostic of 154 to a 167. (Retaking in Sept for a 170+). Books I used/recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539064&sr=8-1&keywords=lsat+trainer

https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-Logic-Games-Powerscore-Preparation/dp/0988758660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539126&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+logic+game+bible

https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Bible/dp/0991299221/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539163&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+logic+reasoning+bible


Books I used but don't recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Reading-Comprehension-Bible/dp/099129923X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539188&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+reading+comprehension

Get your practice tests here (seriously, do 20+ under timed conditions while filling out LSAT bubble sheets):

https://www.amazon.com/10-Actual-Official-LSAT-PrepTests/dp/0986045519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539233&sr=8-1&keywords=10+lsat+preptests

https://www.amazon.com/Actual-Official-PrepTests-Comparative-Reading/dp/0984636005/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539233&sr=8-3&keywords=10+lsat+preptests

Also, use https://7sage.com/

Sign up for a free account, and use their logic game explanations. They also have analytics that will track your progress and spit out analysis concerning where your weak areas are.

Good luck!

My advice would be the sidebar + the blue book. Try taking one of the practice tests in the sidebar. If you score above a 1300 , you should be fine studying with whatever you can find on the internet. Otherwise, I'd recommend taking extra practice tests.

Also as someone from Turkey, I know that not all colleges require a 1200. I believe Kocaeli University only requires a 1000 with a 550 in math. Ankara only asks for a 1100 with 650 in math. The best state university in Turkey (boğaziçi) requires a 1250 with 680 in math. If you need help finding the requirements of specific colleges, feel free to PM me.

The LSAT Trainer. Great Instructional book for those motivated to study on their own. Website : http://www.thelsattrainer.com/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/The-LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-driven/dp/0989081508

Good Luck!

Great advice with everything besides the part concerning the SAT. I wouldn't take a prep course. If you are not motivated, it will not help. If you are motivated, then you wouldn't need it and it would be a wasted expense. Instead, most commonly recommended are this book for introductory material as well as practice tests and this one for vocabulary. They are very cheap! (You could probably even borrow them for free from the library)

I'm not a good example since I was somewhat obsessed, but through many (many!) practice and vocabulary books like those I improved my score by over 600 points relative to my PSAT results without spending more than $50 out of pocket.

Just in case there's anyone still interested in this thread, I asked this question on Quora and got these answers.

Of those answers, the one from Zoë Martin ended up helping me the most, and I did end up buying the Ivy Global New SAT Guide, alongside PWNtheSAT's Math Guide (the latter of which really is the answer to my prayers).

Thanks, everyone, and good luck!

I used the LSAT Trainer my first go-round, and while I liked its style (and it gets great reviews here and at TLS), I felt like it was just a little too light in terms of instruction. Granted, I wasn't nearly rigorous enough with actually doing the (outside the book) drills prescribed, but I would have preferred to have more questions, exercises etc within the book, and have outside exercises supplement that. My second take I used the Manhattan series which I greatly preferred - a lot more material within the book, and I found its instruction style very helpful especially for LG. I also studied a lot harder for my second take so I'm sure that played into my opinions about the books, but even if my score hadn't increased I still think I'd prefer the Manhattan books.

Edit: I went from 160 to 168 with a year between sittings, but only about two months of consistent studying before the second exam