Up Your Score 2013-2014: The Underground Guide to the SAT

Written for students by students, Up Your Score is the book kids will actually want to use to help them ace the test. Its four authors and guest editor—who each achieved perfect or close-to-perfect scores and got into the college of their choice—offer expert advice and proven strategies, laced with an edgy wit.

Kept sharply up-to-date by the guest editor, Up Your Score is a complement—and a reality check—to the institutional reviews by Princeton and Kaplan. It’s the book that injects attitude into the dry business of test prep, fending off the anxiety of the SAT with peer humor. A rich and lively vocabulary section is filled with examples that kids will relate to. The math section delves into the eight core ways the test covers the subject, plus offers problem-solving techniques. The writing section addresses the 13 most important grammar rules to know. And Up Your Score shows how to “psych out” the test: How to think like the SAT. How to prepare the essay in advance. The best ways to fill in answer circles and other strategies to save precious minutes. Plus, tips for maintaining concentration, why it’s always better to guess than to leave a question unanswered, what to wear on test day, and a recipe for energy-boosting Sweet & Tasty 800 Bars.

Larry Berger is a Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar and the CEO of Amplify Learning.

Michael Colton, a Harvard graduate, writes for film and television.

JaJa Liao is a member of Yale’s class of 2016.

Manek Mistry received his undergraduate and law degrees from Cornell.

Paul Rossi is a Cornell graduate and teaches high school math and philosophy.