The bookstore is filled with books, that much is obvious. But which books are good and which books are bad, that’s not so obvious – especially when it comes to study guides. Here’s a list of books that are worth your buck:
CollegeBoard’s “Blue Book”: CollegeBoard puts out Official SAT Study Guides. These books contain actual SAT tests and actual SAT II tests. Practicing from the “real-deal” is invaluable.
ACT’s “Red Book”: Just as CollegeBoard does, ACT puts out an official study guide containing official tests. This book, The Real ACT contains three actual ACT tests.
Rock the SAT: This vocabulary study guide offers students who hate memorizing flash cards a new way of studying: listening to music. Alternative rock songs are easy to listen to and jam-packed with SAT vocab lyrics. The songs are catchy, easy to memorize and define the vocabulary used within.
Cliffs APs: Cliffs puts out some great AP study guides. The books are easy-to-understand and easy to get through. Let’s face it, reading about physics or biology isn’t the most exciting task, but Cliffs is very digestible. Plus, it minimizes content and highlights vocabulary and concepts necessary for AP success.
WilsonDailyPrep’s English in English: Provides all the rules of grammar you need for both the SAT and ACT – without all the grammar jargon. English in English contains in-depth explanations and analysis of all aspects of grammar.
WilsonDailyPrep’s Write the SAT Essay Right: This valuable resource guide is jam-packed with the secrets and strategies you need for writing a 25-minute SAT essay. Write the SAT Essay Right provides you with virtually prewritten responses – you’ll find out what to expect, how to respond, and how to really impress graders by drawing in specific examples and using template opening sentences. With this book, you’ll be able to write it right in 25 minutes.