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Are you getting those questions wrong because you don't have enough time when you get to them? Or are they silly mistakes?

It's not as much timing as it is silly mistakes, such as misreading a rule. I know from the fact that I freeze up for a moment between diagramming and going to the questions that I'm not confident in my diagrams. Hopefully drilling and re-drilling will make me more comfortable before Saturday. I was so focused on perfecting this new LR that my LG suffered.

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I am taking the test next week, and I want to go from --2-5 to --0. I plan to drill straight for a couple days and watch JY's videos after, and redo any ones that I bombed. But should I strictly time myself or no? I really just need to get better at diagramming effectively, and when I time myself I spend less time thinking about that. I'm wondering if I think about strategy carefully during drills, I can pick up strategies to use during timed PTs? Idk...

Here's what I recommend: Time yourself; at least when you do the game initially. Timing is a much bigger part to LG than it is for LR/RC, in my opinion. With unlimited time you can always solve every game and draw out every scenario. You can't necessarily do that for LR/RC. Being timed also adds an element of pressure that is very important.

That said, after you do each game timed, BR it, and practice diagraming out out each possible frame/world/game board you can. This will help you make practice your diagraming and inference making skills.

I think this way is best because you're getting the best of both worlds, so to speak.

a -2.5 is a great place to be. So keep working hard & good luck

Alrighty, I'm timing myself. I like the idea of going back after to re-diagram and check for missed opportunities/inferences. Thanks for the advice!

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I was in the exact same place with RC as you were a few weeks ago. What really helped me get down to -0/-2 was slowing down my RC process entirely. It may sound counterintuitive, but I spent a few weeks doing the RC from PT 1-35 untimed. I focused on just reading through the passage and writing down separately the main point and any key notations (i.e. "big words," shifts in scope/topic, author's opinion, etc.). I then answered the questions just from my notes without looking back at the passage. This helped me ID what I was consistently missing and I got a better sense of reading for structure and the bigger ideas of the passage. Once I went back to timing myself, I found that I got more questions correct and that I had a better sense the overall structure of passages and could predict a good number of the questions ahead of time.

This is really great advice, and I only wish I had asked sooner. I'll do some reading like this with a couple recent tests, and hope that it strengthens my reading process enough before next week. I think this could save me at least a point or two, and every point counts...Thank you!!!

It's not so much question type. I checked the tool 7sage offers, and it really is a mix-up. I almost always suck at the science passages because I get so caught up in trying to understand the concepts being explained. I'm not a science person. When I'm scoring -6 or -7, it is usually b/c I've bombed nearly the entire science section.

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How are you doing on time? Do you frequently miss a certain type of question?

I don't know many people that skim the questions first (for RC).

I often am a bit tight towards the end, but I usually can still finish the questions without randomly guessing. I'll usually have about 7-8 minutes to do the last passage, unless the first couple were especially easy. I spend a lot of time on each question though. I read somewhere else that you should spend 4 minutes reading the passage and 4 minutes doing questions. Thoughts?

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Totally agreed. I'm breaking up test 80, and using each section as the "experimental" in the next 4 PTs before next week's test. Let's not forget to practice with a fifth section so that next week, we're mentally prepared for that extra un-scored section! I noticed it makes a real difference in leftover brain power, but if you practice even just a couple times with 5 sections, you can get well acclimated to it.

Really looking forward to next week. It's my first time taking it, and I'm kinda throwing all my eggs into this basket...

If you're only after the endurance, why use such a high numbered test to achieve that? Throw in an earlier test (even if you've seen it before).

I figured the actual test would give a section that was similar in difficulty to recent tests, no? I figured the older LR and RC were easier so I wouldn't be exposing myself to the mental strain I would realistically be getting if I used older ones.

Totally agreed. I'm breaking up test 80, and using each section as the "experimental" in the next 4 PTs before next week's test. Let's not forget to practice with a fifth section so that next week, we're mentally prepared for that extra un-scored section! I noticed it makes a real difference in leftover brain power, but if you practice even just a couple times with 5 sections, you can get well acclimated to it.

Really looking forward to next week. It's my first time taking it, and I'm kinda throwing all my eggs into this basket...

YASSSSS!! I also applied, but missed the wave. Do you mind PMing me your stats???

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I did my top 10 ways to spend a Saturday. It was pretty lighthearted, but also a chance to show my non-academic interests! Easily my favorite optional essay (honorable mention goes to Stanford-music to play while reviewing app)

That's a great list, it really lets the school see another side to you. I loved the Stanford optional essays too - but I wouldn't have made it in so I didn't bother spending the $$ applying :(

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i didn't apply to georgetown but I'm really curious about the words you chose. When I was a kid, I actually enjoyed learning new and strange words. Studying SAT vocab was strangely satisfying. Unfortunately, I don't remember many of those words that I memorized in ages past.

I'll > @ said:

i didn't apply to georgetown but I'm really curious about the words you chose. When I was a kid, I actually enjoyed learning new and strange words. Studying SAT vocab was strangely satisfying. Unfortunately, I don't remember many of those words that I memorized in ages past.

PMing you!

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RC/LR/LG/LG/LR here.

RC felt pretty straightforward. I'm guessing 1/2 wrong.

No clue on the first LR. I typically range between 0-2 wrong on LR, but I guessed on a minimum of two on that section and didn't feel very confident in my other answers.

Both LG were tight on time and resulted in a couple guesses at the end.

Second LR felt normal and I finished with plenty of time.

All things considered, I definitely underperformed today. The first LR (Caligula) could be anywhere between - 2 and - 8/9. Pretty dissaponted, as LR had always been my strongest section.

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Does anyone know if the poem paraphrase question/section was real?

That section was real, and I HATED that question!

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The real question is, HOW DO WE COPE WITH WAITING FOR SCORES

I would like to know, too!!!!

(Assuming I don't cancel)

So far I sat in a Cook Out* parking lot and cried. Not off to a good start

*Fast food chain in the southeast lol

I can't tell if it was terrible or good. This really rips

Same. I don't know your situation but LR is always a hit or miss for me, so getting 3 sections of it killed me. Studying and working full time has been really stressful and I think I probably should've waited...I did absolutely terrible in September but probably improved today...not as much as I would've wanted.

I suggest taking a couple days to decide. That's what I'm going to do!

I definitely won't cancel just in case I did well. But sorry to hear about 3 LRs, I got so lucky to have an LG experimental. At least you can do unlimited retakes now, if you liked

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The real question is, HOW DO WE COPE WITH WAITING FOR SCORES

I would like to know, too!!!!

(Assuming I don't cancel)

So far I sat in a Cook Out* parking lot and cried. Not off to a good start

*Fast food chain in the southeast lol

I can't tell if it was terrible or good. This really rips

The real question is, HOW DO WE COPE WITH WAITING FOR SCORES

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Was the LR section with the whistleblower question real or experimental? The one about punishing those who reveal politicians

Don't remember seeing that one. So it was prob experimental