by Aditya Singhal Mastering the college admission tests is one of the most challenging tasks for any high school student, but the SAT poses an additional challenge if English is not your first language. So let me start by saying that I congratulate you on your decision to take on the SAT. Being a non-native speaker myself, I can relate to your apprehensions. You might find the math section easier to deal with, but the reading and writing sections are slightly trickier if you have only been studying English for a few years. With the right guidance, you will be able to ace these sections as well. Here are a few tips to help you while you prep: Read. Read. Read. – I cannot stress this enough. Your critical reading skills will only improve when you’re familiar with reading journalistic articles. Studies show that the best performers on the SAT are voracious readers. Make sure you read quality publications like The Economist, The Atlantic and Newsweek. Build up your Vocabulary – While reading take down every single word you don’t know and look it up in a dictionary. Practice using it in a sentence, so you’re sure you understand the meaning and context in which it is used. Flashcards are an invaluable learning aid while adding new words to your vocabulary. Grammar Rules – It’s not enough to learn new words, you will also need to strengthen your grammar. Practice the essay section of the SAT and work with a tutor to correct your grammatical errors. Learning the rules that govern the language can help you avoid such errors on the test. Practice makes Perfect – Practice like your life depends on it. Keep taking online practice tests and tracking your progress. It’s important to reread your paper and identify patterns in your mistakes. Look up the essay format and practice a well structured essay as this can be the most intimidating section. Study in a Group – Create a study group of native and non native students online or offline and discuss your progress. This will not only motivate you but also help you learn about new resources from those who have advanced English skills. Americanize – Many non-native speakers are familiar with British English. It is important to understand the differences between American and British English. Learning the nuances of the language will help you get a better SAT score. Think Positive – Consider yourself at an advantage as a non-native speaker. While many native speakers get confused with slang and incorrect (but popular) usage of words, you can learn the exact same question types and apply them without error. Lastly, remember that the SAT is not the end all and be all of college application tests. Some colleges look into your TOEFL scores to determine your aptitude for English. So, I would suggest you take your SATs in your junior year, so you have time to work on your weaknesses and subsequently improve your score. All the best to you! Aditya Singhal is the co-founder of Transtutors.com, a leading online tutoring help for college students. Having graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), he worked briefly with American Consulting firm, Kurt Salmon Associates before taking the entrepreneurial route. Outside the work ambit, Aditya has a personal interest in helping students in their career aspiration and skill development. He is also actively involved in giving back to society by contributing a part of the revenue towards education of poor students in India. Comments comments