1600 Perfect Score: The 7 Secrets of Acing the SAT

Drawing on the first study of 1600 scorers conducted with the full cooperation of the College Board, here are the 7 secrets to success on the SAT -- and in life.

Every year roughly 2.3 million high school students take the SAT; of those, however, only 650 students on average achieve a perfect score of 1600. Such a statistic raises obvious questions: Who are these kids? What are they like? And how do they do it?

In a new landmark study, educator and executive recruiter Tom Fischgrund became the first researcher ever granted comprehensive access to these high academic achievers by the College Board, the body that administers the SAT. Weaving together in-depth interviews with perfect-score students, insights from their parents, and exclusive College Board data, in 1600 Perfect Score he reveals the 7 secrets that separate the cream from the crop.

Among the Revelations

• Attending small private schools (or any school with classes) doesn't always make a big difference ... but having strong family support does
  
  
• Paying for expensive classes or tutors doesn'talways make a big difference ... but takinglots of practice tests at home does
  
  
• Having a strongly motivating teacher doesn't always make a big difference ... but having an independent passion for learning definitely does

Packed with intriguing case studies and practical advice -- and tips from the 1600 scorers themselves -- this essential book brings hard data and a new, more human perspective to one of the greatest challenges parents everywhere face: how to make sure their children have the best chance to thrive in high school, college, and beyond.

Tom Fischgrund is the author of The Insider's Guide to the Top Ten Business Schools and Barron's Top 50: An Inside Look at America's Best Colleges. A Ph.D. in political science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, he has directed the public administration program at Clark University and is currently the president of Management Recruiters of Atlanta Perimeter Center. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.