Michael’s revision of the book enabled a new generation of youngsters to
follow in his footsteps at Harvard, but age eventually caught up with him as
well. His references to Full House and Vanilla Ice (both of which were very
funny, trust us) now fell on deaf ears. So every two years, Up Your Score found
new students who had used the book to earn perfect scores. What emerged over
time is a condensed volume of pure, unadulterated test-taking wisdom from kids
who have aced the SAT. These student editors all went on to prestigious
universities and careers, including a few who became professional test-prep
gurus in their own right.
Then, in 2005, the SAT made a bunch of big changes. Instead of a perfect
1600, students now had to shoot for a 2400, thanks to the addition of a Writing
section, which included an essay and grammar questions. Accordingly, the book
was overhauled, and student editors who had scored all 2400 of those points
were quickly found.
“Phew,” said the Up Your Score editors. “That was a ton of work, but luckily
the College Board will never, ever completely change the SAT again.”
Then in 2016 the College Board completely changed the SAT again.
We are going to tell you all about those changes in the very next chapter. But
first, some good news: We’ve found a ridiculously talented guest editor who will
help guide us through the transition.
MEET SAMANTHA
Hey, readers! My name is Samantha, and I’ve been in your shoes. Many times.
Too many times . . . and that’s why I’m here as the new guest editor. Most of the