Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Essay [Paperback]

Randall McCutcheon (Author), James Schaffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0071440429 | ISBN-13: 978-0071440424 | Edition: 1

This accessible guide gives you the tools you need to score high on the new SAT essay.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If Strunk and White did stand-up . . . a serious and funny book." -- Matt Barrett, student, Stanford University

From the Back Cover

"If you want to ace the SAT essay, this is the book to buy . . . a creative approach that actually works and doesn't bore you to death in the process."
--Darshan Patel, student, Albuquerque Academy

"If Strunk and White did stand-up . . . a serious and funny book."
--Matt Barrett, student, Stanford University

Master the SAT Essay--FAST!

If SAT savvy is what you seek, this book is the resource you need. Learn the secrets, shortcuts, and strategies to succeed--with only minutes of effort a day.

This lively, straight-to-the-point guide presents essential writing principles on English grammar, proven essay-writing strategies that are life-savers when you're under time restraints, and sample essays with revealing commentary on their strengths and weaknesses from a professional grader.

Consult this practical guide and in no time you'll learn how to:

• Use an examiner's eye to structure your writing and cut the clutter
• Put yourself into your essay--and have the examiner root for you
• Prepare a Plan B for when you can't think of anything to write

Whether you follow the eight-week plan or you need the last-minute approach, let this book lead you to SAT success.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071440429
• ISBN-13: 978-0071440424
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > SAT & PSAT
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Testing
  • #62 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > SAT & PSAT

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Increase Your Score in 3 DAYS!, May 28, 2007

By 

Tango (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Essay (Paperback)

I, being a normal adolescent, tend to procrastinate. As the SAT was looming over me and steadily approaching in a week's time, I quickly searched for a quick and easy lifesaver and chose this book. 3 days before the big day, I scoured the contents and followed the tips. The result? A perfect score on the essay (which is odd considering I'm a terrible writer--thus I attribute my good grade to this book.)

Now this isn't the "end all be all" to SAT essay books, but you do have to realize no book can really "teach" people how to write. Good writing comes from a combination of guidelines and tips (which this book provides), reading what the graders are looking for and "good" essays (which this book provides), and most importantly, practice (which only you can provide).

57 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Kaplan..., July 8, 2005

By 

J. Patel "Test Taker" (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Essay (Paperback)

I paid more than $800 to attend a Kaplan course to prepare for the SAT and PSAT and I came out of it feeling like I had wasted my money. For any sane student who has more to do than flip through thousands of pages of nonsense this is the book for you. At first I felt that preparing for the SAT would be more difficult, but if you follow what the authors tell you, you will see almost immediate progress. For a money conscious person like me, I especially enjoy the multiple applications of this book, which means that it won't be sitting on the shelf after I get into college. I will definately use this book to help me in my writing in the future. A reasonable study program that won't bore you to death, What more can anyone ask?

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No help at all, August 12, 2010

By 

Fatt Seong Wong "life enjoyer" (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Increase Your Score in 3 Minutes a Day: SAT Essay (Paperback)

I didn't read the reviews about this book and thought a 4 and 1/2 stars is a good enough for me to give it a try. To my surprise, when I finished the book, it didn't give me any strong idea how to write a good essay. Lots of quotes were taken from famous writers, but these are just rubbish, it won't help me to improve my writing and scores. If what other 1 star reviews said is true, they should be ashamed to put the same reviews in all online store to get higher review points.