Customer Reviews

Boot Camp for Your Brain: A No-Nonsense Guide to the SAT I

5 star:		(117)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have helped kids improve their SAT test scores for seven years. I buy lots of books just to get different perspectives, but I have never written a review. Mostly because I think lots of books offer good information. I am writing this one simply because I was so disappointed in this book. Based on the reviews this book received I was really looking forward to reading it (maybe my expectatations were too high??). However, when I started reading it I felt the format was hard to follow and think many kids would lose interest fast. It's not that the information isn't good-If a student is already well above the 1000 point mark perhaps he/she could follow the format and not lose interest. If a student is not well above the 1000 point level, I believe the format will be difficult to follow. I will say that I think the vocab lists are good, if a student has ample time to prepare-

As an international student from Dubai, it is not easy to study for a test that is actually made to evaluate American students. The only choice I had to go to a top school was to take the SAT. I have taken a course at Kaplan, and I realized that I was way behind. The material was too much for me. The vocabulary was too complicated and its sentences just didn't make any sense, because it seemed like it was not related to the definition. The math was also misleading. Even though the material was intense and confusing, I have blamed myself, because I thought that it was just the language barrier. Well, later on I decided to get a private tutor from Kaplan, and I paid a lot. When I finished taking all the private classes, I realized that I have wasted my money for nothing. In addition to that, I have taken the private session twice at Kaplan, and the results were the same, just a little improvement. Few months later, I have decided to go for Princeton Review, and I have taken the classes. I was pleased with book, but it was still difficult for me, and my scores did not improve a lot. At the end of the course I decided to have private sessions, and it wasn't very good, because we went over the same thing. Two weeks after my session ended, I went to one of my teachers, and told her my situation; she recommended me to buy the Boot Camp book. I searched the book online and I have the book with me now, and let's just say that my scores are sky rocketing!! Really..


I feel bad for not knowing about this book earlier, because the vocabulary is straight to the point, and the math is so simple to understand. Ms. Manning did a great job with this book.


I really recommend you to buy this book as soon as possible, so you can succeed with your SAT and get a perfect score or something close to 2400. In addition to success in the SAT, this book will help you with your placement tests before entering the college, and will be a great reference in the future.

So here's the thing - half the reviewers of this book actually went to the class.
Here's another thing - I think they're influenced more by the classes than the book itself.

I'm solely providing a review for this book.

Pros: Helpful Latin Section (If you have time to remember them)
Great tips on remembering Vocabulary
Interesting examples of essays to improve writing.
Special Note: Some of the reviews here actually state the fact that they barely used this book, complimenting the vocabulary section.

Cons: Very low-defined math section - good practice questions, but poor format.
OLD format of book - it states the NEW SAT after 2003 (seven years ago) would contain trigonometry.

I do not understand why no one stated this fact in the book. Maybe it was a technique to solve SAT questions, but I am certain that there are no problems that need to solved using Cosine, Sine, and Tangent.

That was just a problem I had with this book, making me rate it three stars.

My daughter took the SAT boot camp class and studied from this book and the Official SAT Study Guide from College Board and her overall PSAT scores went up by 310 points! We were very happy and hope to continue to improve for the SAT.

This book really improved my SAT scores. My SAT scores were not the best, but my grades were pretty good. I was worried about not being accepted to colleges because of my low SAT scores. I read this book, along with taking practice SATs, and my scores improved a lot. I tried to read the book at least ten minutes a night. Repetition is the key. Just do the practice worksheets more than once. That helped me a lot. Because of this book and the class, I got into all the colleges I applied to! I highly recomend getting this book...it is great!

I ordered the book Boot Camp for Your Brain for my son Douglas. It prepares you to STUDY for the Vocabulary and Math. We had flash cards all over our house. Doug learned all the math problems and then learned the formulas. He studied the vocabulary words backwards and forwards. This book gives you the boost needed to really focus on what you need to prepare for. I would recommend this book to all students wanting to really prepare for the SAT Testing.

Debra Nowak
Temecula, California

Having used the information in this book, I highly recommend that any student planning on taking the SAT I test buy this book immediately. The information in it has been gleaned from years of study of the SAT itself and covers every type of problem likely to be seen on the test. My scores jumped 210 points after using the book as a study guide. I got an 800 on the math section and a 730 on the verbal section for a combined total score of 1530. I strongly believe that these high scores were a key factor in my being admitted to my top choice colleges. I could not have done it without this book, which is the comprehensive authority on taking the SAT.

This book by far beats out any SAT prep book that I have seen. Other books will give you general suggestions on how to take the test, like the tried and true process of elimination or some elementary math concepts that will guarantee a handful of right answers on the math section. Boot Camp for Your Brain delineates (sat word!) each section of the test, breaking down exactly what you need to know. If it's on the test, it's in the book. Know the book from cover to cover and you should stand a real fighting chance against the SAT.

Any SAT book will pretty much give you the same thing. It just matters about the type of person you are.

My daughter's SAT score was stuck in the 1700s and this book, along with the Collegeboard's SAT book, she studied for a long time. The vocabulary will definitely get you ready for basically the entire CR section. The writing rules are also VERY helpful.

If you study this book and re-take the collegeboard practice tests several times, your score will rise.

Then, after her score got stuck in the 1800-1900s and would not budge, my daughter cracked down on the vocab words a little harder and used Princeton's math Subj. test book as well. This raised her score 250 points.

I would recommend this book for the vocabulary.

My son just finished working with this book in order to prepare for the SAT. He is the third of my children to use it. He earned a perfect score, increasing his total score by 310 points. He is now very ready to apply to college. The book is a no-nonsense, clear guide for the steps students need to take in order to do well on the test. I highly recommend it! Maria