Reviews (7)

too vague
I was really disappointed by this book.It lacked in explanations and examples.Too short to be benefitual.

Great "Review" Book
This book is the 2nd Algebra book that I bought. I am the type of person who goes beyond what is given to me. This book is a great book for review purposes. I am over half way through the year in Algebra 1 and already know how to do everything that will be taught to me by the end of the year. I have really learned a lot from these books and I will say, that this is a great book for anyone that is studying Algebra.

It Really Helps!
I have only bought this book for learning and for studying before I am gonna go back to school, but I have learn a lot from it! I really explains clearly enough so you can understand what it is talking about or you can do it after its example. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebra - General    3. Book Notes    4. College Entrance    5. Study Aids    6. Study Guides    7. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (8)

Grrrrrrrrreaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt
Another princeton success. You may be worried that this book does not have enough information and is missing some things that you learned in class, however, it has everything that you need to know for the exam. I took the Sat II biology, using this book as my primary source. I saw a few things that i did not see in the princeton review book at all, however, even the most descriptive and in depth book did not contain the information. Don't you see all the amazing reviews on this book. Stop wasting your time and just buy this book already, it is great and self explanatory, and interesting as well, unike barrons. This book is maybe 15x better than barrons, and i garauntee that you will get a better grade on the sat II bio if you use this book to study rather than any other book

Good for Understanding
Princeton did a good job making sure everything makes sense in this book, especially if you have taken biology classes, it's easy to follow and organized very similar to a biology textbook. I am still not sure if it's the best book to ace the sat, but from my observations, I am sure it could help you on biology tests and finals.

Good Practice Tests, Poor Review Chapters
Princeton Review's SAT Biology was the only book I used to prepare for the exam (in addition to my high school biology book) and the score I got is 780. First of all, as all Princeton Review prep books, this one is written badly with frequent typos and other errors. Princeton Review claims that they are using the style that is easy to comprehend for an average student (hence, instead of saying that "acetylcoline is a major neurotransmitter responsible for motion", they would write "acetylcoline is like a tennis ball, you know, it's kind of like when you are playing tennis; that stuff also causes our muscles to move"), but in reality this language is truly confusing - I even had trouble drawing a parallel between what I've learned at school and what they were trying to say. Therefore, their review explanations are basically useless - use you bio book from school instead to review (just look up the bold words from the review sections and make sure you know them - look up those you don't know in your textbook, don't bother reading Princeton's definitions)
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Subjects:  1. Biology    2. College entrance achievement tests    3. Examinations    4. Life Sciences - Biology - General    5. SAT & PSAT    6. Study Aids    7. Study Guides    8. Test Prep    9. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Reviews (12)

good as a supplement to the class
This is a book that is best for final preparation for the exam.Last year, in BC Calculus, I was absent for the series and sequences lessons due to an illness and I came back for a test studying through the Barron's books and I had trouble understanding it.The tests are definitely a lot harder than the real thing.I studied my [...] off and got a 5 on the actual exam as well as a 5 on the AB subscore.

A Fair Book
This book is very comprehensive, too many details at times.The practice test is a little bit more difficult than the actual test.It is not very well organized or appealing to look.There aren't enough diagrams and pictures for visual learners.

Very helpful
I had several sources to help me do well in AP Calculus AB. One of them was this book.
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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. Calculus    4. College entrance achievement tests    5. Examinations    6. Study Aids    7. Study Guides    8. Test Prep    9. Calculus & mathematical analysis    10. Study Aids / Advanced Placement    11. Study guides, home study & revision notes   

Reviews (4)

Disgustingly terrible. Not surprised.
This is the WORST prep book for the SAT (along with the Princeton Review's Math workout). Do not buy this, it is extremely short and is filled with errors ranging from incorrect answers to faulty grammar. Having grammatical errors in a SAT Reading and writing prep book shows how seriously PR takes the SAT. I felt like I was editing the damn thing.
waytoo short
This book was useless as it was way too short...don't bother....

Very helpful
This book is perfect for anyone having trouble on the Writing and Critical Reading section. To me, it felt like this book went into much more detail than the basic book that the Princeton Review releases. Even reveils some unknown tactics. Really really good. Worth every penny. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition and exercises    2. English language    3. Examinations, questions, etc.    4. Reading comprehension    5. SAT & PSAT    6. Scholastic Assessment Test    7. Study Aids    8. Study Guides    9. Test Prep    10. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Reviews (9)

I liked using the book
Yes, there were typos here and there but overall the information the book provided was great. It helps you analyze information so itdoesn't review almost every event in US history, it gives you a nice overview of the most important events that will most likely be used when writing the DBQ or free-responses. The questions at the end of each chapter were good to use because they seemed as if they were extracted from a previous AP exam. I believe that this is a good review book for incoming AP students. I received my score the other day and I did get a 5 so I believe the book helped my score along with my hard efforts in class.

Typos abounded.
I didn't like this book at all. The typos kept throwing my mind off--they needed a proofreader DREADFULLY.
Good for review, not for learning...too many typos
This book is excellent for review.It brings up the major topics, and does a good job at putting them in context.The practice tests are excellent, and the questions at the end of the chapters are good too.It does a good job with its section at the end of each chapter that says "To get a 5, you should be able to discuss..."It doesn't go into enough detail if you don't already know the material, though.Also, the book is filled with typos.
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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. Examinations    4. Examinations, questions, etc    5. General    6. History    7. Study Aids    8. Study Guides    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. American history    12. North America    13. Study Aids / Advanced Placement   

Reviews (1)

Don't bother with other brands of PSAT guides
I orginally bought The Kaplan and Princeton Review guides together this summer. Until about three weeks before the test the only book i had gone through of the two was the Princeton Review, which i had completed while watching TV one night. It had some ideas, but truely it wasn't anything i couldn't have figured out myself. When i took a practice test at school one day, i did really poorly, had trouble with the Read Comphresnion questions, i couldn't finish that many math problems, and overall struggling. So i went home and found this book, the point of the wookbook is to help you get a better score. It taught me how to break down the two article read comphernsions. Everything in this book is useful, even the english section which i was already confident in. There is alot of coverage on all sections, so it's really up to you if you need more work some sections than others. Also another quality i like is there are practice problems in the lessons, so you don't have to pull out a pratice test and check the answers after each chapter. Seriously if your looking for a PSAT guide there isn't anything better than Kaplan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aptitude Testing    2. College Entrance    3. Educational Tests And Measurements (Higher Education)    4. National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test    5. PSAT (Educational test)    6. SAT & PSAT    7. Study Aids    8. Study Guides    9. Test Prep    10. Examinations & assessment    11. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Editorial Review

Plenty of college admission guides promise to help studentscrack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to backup their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimateinsider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she alsoworked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years.In Read more

Reviews (66)

Good IF your kid is a hyper-mega-achiever
This book is very useful if your kid has 800 SAt scores, an A avergae, and has discovered a cure for a fatal disease (well, practically!). if you have a bright, well-rounded normal kid who maybe hasn't hit their peak by age 17, though, pay attention to its real message -- the Ivys are NOT within the realm of reality. So be it. To find out what to do next, and to hold on to your sanity and humor while you do, see a great new book, GETTING IN WITHOUT FREAKING OUT

A is for Admissions
This is probably the most helpful book that I have read about college admissions, because it gives real information instead of just maintaining the party line. It shows just how important standardized test scores are in the process and gives you the equation to figure out how you stack up against other ivy league hopefuls. I found this to be extremely enlightening. I would recommend this to anyone who is seriously considering applying to an top 20 college.

Outstanding!
One of the finest books on competitive college admissions that I have ever read!As a public school guidance counselor, I have worked with many students who have gone through the process.I am constantly recommending this book to my most motivated students and their parents as I find it to be well organized and technical enough to help a reader understand the nuances of the Academic Index.The fact that the author was a Director of Admissions at an Ivy allows the reader to "peek behind the curtain."I highlighted the important points and went back after reading it and found that nearly every page has a significant point on it!If you are a motivated student or the parent of one who will be seeking out admissions at a competitive college - this book is a must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. College Entrance    3. College Guides    4. Colleges and universities    5. Counseling - General    6. Education    7. Entrance requirements    8. Higher    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Universities and colleges    12. Advice on education    13. Education / Higher   

Reviews (2)

Great Book, as expected
bought this book on Amazon, saved a bunch of money, got the book in 3 days. i don't think it gets much better than that. as for the book itself, well, i always trusted barrons for most of my tests, and this is no exception.

It's OK
This book is ok.Some of the explanations (like with electricity) are a bit confusing, and some of the information in the book is not even tested on the AP exam (like angular momentum).There are a few errors in the answer choices too, and those threw me off.When I studied it, I had no experience with physics whatsoever, and I crammed for the AP Physics B exam in a month and got a 3.But nonetheless I did learn quite a bit, and the introductory chapters that dealt with testing and learning strategies were nice to read. I also found that, as opposed to the Princeton Review's book, theres more verbal explanation of the concepts, rather than a set of problems, making it seem more like a textbook than just a problem workbook.
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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. Entrance examinations    4. Examinations    5. Physics    6. Study Guides    7. United States    8. Universities and colleges    9. Study Aids / Advanced Placement   

Reviews (4)

Very comprehensive overview
Overall this book really helped me study for the exam quickly.It was organized well and taught each subject in a short and simple way.There were plenty of examples and I loved the practice problems at the end of each chapter.It was missing a few topics however such as range, the symbols ( and [ in relation to a number line, and histograms.Also, it could use a fuller glossary and needs an index at the end.Overall it was a huge help and I would highly recommend it.It took my exam yesterday and passed and only used this book as my primary study aid.

SOOO HAPPY!! I passed!!!!
I have been out of Math classes for quite sometime.The only thing standing between me and my BS Degree was the Clep College Mathematics test.I bought this book and I was very thankful I did.Not only did it cover all the areas on my test, it gave me practice problems with answers and explanation of how they got to that answer.It was a very helpful book and I highly recommend it. Use this book combined with the Online Clep practice tests and you should have no problem passing the test.

CLEP Math Book Review
It was well written, easy to understand, and informative.It can be used over and over, for the CLEP, other tests and personal review. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)    2. Education    3. Study Aids   

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. College And University Guidance And Counseling    3. College Guides    4. Directories    5. Reference    6. Study Aids    7. Test Prep    8. United States    9. Universities and colleges   

Reviews (13)

Excellent guide!!!
As I was reading the other reviews of this book, I could already see the success this book's advice is giving to high school students, especially to seniors. My mom suggested this book to me, and I could have never imagined what a gift it would turn out to be. Applications are all about how you look on paper, and this book gives any student who follows its suggestions a leg up on the competition, especially in the crucial essay-writing phase. So many college prospects find themselves hampered by essays and struggle with them. Taking suggestions such as these into consideration can certainly make or break an application. I also applied to Princeton University early, and I was also accepted. I truthfully do not know what my life would be like now without this book. Thank you Dr. Hernandez for your insights and solid advice.

Highly Recommended
After being accepted early decision to Princeton University, I had to write a review of this book!I was fortunate enough to find it near the beginning of my junior year of high school, and it stayed with me right up through the agonizing process of completing applications and ultimately gaining admission from my top choice school.
Excellent with many valuable details on the topic
Michele Hernandez is one of the best private college counselors in the nation.She is also the author of the excellent college guide "A is for Admission."This book is one of the best among the 10 ones I have read."Acing the College Application" is not as rich in insights and information as "A is for Admission."This is because it is focused on a more mechanical and narrow topic (how to best fill the actual application so as to maximize your chances).
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Subjects:  1. Admission    2. College Entrance    3. College applications    4. Education    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Reference    7. Study Aids    8. Test Prep    9. United States    10. Universities and colleges    11. Study Aids / College Entrance   

Reviews (1)

Better Than Kaplan
I have tried both the Kaplan and Princeton review ACT 2006 with CD-ROM. In my opinion, the princeton book is way better than kaplan because it has much more time saving strategies; princeton made me go up 5 points higher. However, the CD that comes with this book is not that helpful and using it has been so cumbersome, i gave up. The kaplan CD, on the other hand, is way easier to use and is much better quality. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. ACT (American College Tests)    2. ACT Assessment    3. Study Aids    4. Study Guides    5. Test Prep    6. Study Aids / ACT (American College Tests)   

Reviews (2)

Good preparation, but some typos and problems.
This is a good preparation for the SAT Literature Subject Test, and is shorter than the other prep books while still contianing a lot of good practice. There are only 3 practice tests, which is fine, becuase you dont need eight (who is really going to practice eight times?). In fact, you will probably force yourself to practice once, so three is plenty. It is easy enough to work through the week before the test, in fact, it is possible to read the whole thing in two sittings, if you are familiar with the way SATs work and don't need to read the general intructions at the beginnging. The "meat" of the preparation (the test strategies section) is only 62 pages long, and easy enough to read. Although, there are probably too few drills to practice on, and you need to take a practice test to get a real sense of what the questions are like. I noticed quite a few typos thoughout the book, which seems ironic for a book focused on Engligh Literature. I took practice test #2, and scored a 580 (which isn't great), and looking over the answer explainations, it seemed to me like a lot of the questions had two or more very legitimate, equally arguable answers. In other words, the topics questioned were too subjective, and open to interpretation, more so than on the actual, official, SAT Subject Test, which I just took and found to be easier than the practice test in this book. But I have not recieved my score back yet- so we will see. Also, the book talks about and tests a lot of what it calls "Roman Numeral questions", a question format where you are given three choices and must choose a combination of roman numerals as an answer. It heavily stressed these as confusing and prevalent... don't worry, I only encountered one of these on the actual test. Overall, I was satisfied with the preparation this book provided, although I think it was a little too subjective in the questions it asked, which may frustrate you when taking the practice tests. Recommended for someone who is fairly good at interpreting literature anyway (an "Enlgish" person), who wants to know what they are going to be tested on, and especially for people who have not done any specific preparation and are panicking on the Wednesday before the test (me.) Not recommended for someone who is not an "Enlgish" person, or has no familiarity with literary terms/devices (in that case, you probably shouldn't be trying this Subject Test), or anyone who wants a lot of preparation becuase they feel really uneasy about taking the SAT Literature Subject Test.

Good, but slim
This was the only book I used to prepare for the December 3rd (2005) Literature SAT Subject test. Understand that, I am a Freshman in college and took AP Literature in high school, so most of the material in this book was fairly familiar to me, even though I hadn't had an English class for over 6 months when I took this test.
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Subjects:  1. SAT & PSAT    2. Study Aids    3. Study Guides    4. Test Prep    5. Writing Skills    6. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Reviews (2)

No tests, but probably the best strategy book
This is an abridged version of a review at CEEAE dot org:
Very good.
The guide was pretty good, it contained relaxing and reading techniques (to weave out trick questions). The only real way to score a perfect 2400 is either Geniality or constant testing. If anyone seeks a perfect 800 on the math portion, go to
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Subjects:  1. Educational Tests And Measurements    2. SAT & PSAT    3. SAT (Educational test)    4. Study Aids    5. Study Guides    6. Test Prep    7. Examinations & assessment    8. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Reviews (12)

YES, IT IS A BOOK OF LISTS
Since 1980, Rugg's college book has helped thousands of counselors, parents, and students narrow down the overwhelming number of college options for young people. The 100 plus lists are VERY substantive, and Rugg thins out the USA's undergraduate college departments to a top 12%. To state, as a reviewer from Northfield, Minnesota did recently (July 17, 2006) "that the book is basically about location, etc." misses 98% of the book. A five-minute read of the five-page introduction informs one of what is in the book: the "top" departments at America's top colleges. How sad to have missed all that.
Be aware: It's a book of lists
I'm sure this book fills a useful niche, but I did not realize before purchasing it that there would be no discussion of the programs listed at the various colleges. It is a book of lists, pure and simple. A good jumping-off place, I'm sure, but it tells one nothing substantive (besides the basic info about location, etc.) about the schools and programs listed other than that they "made the list." It's a reference book to consult at the library or school counselor's office, not a book to invest in as a college-bound student or parent.

Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges - 23rd Edition
No pictures of students sitting on the grassy area in front of the ivy covered brick building.Plain and simple, who has the best major programs, period. Every colleges claims they have a fantastic math, art, etc... department.Rugg's is the book that gives you some idea of how good a certain major program is at a particular college. So if you are looking for a top physics program with a strong art program, you can find it. Ruggs is the go to book, it rates the major not the school's glossy brochure. Undecided? you can use Ruggs to find the schools that have strong programs in the 4 areas you are interested in so if your first major choice doesn't work out, you can change majors without having to change school. This book got us to our top 10 choices for schools based on area of interest. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    2. College Guides    3. General    4. Juvenile Nonfiction    5. Reference    6. Reference - Almanacs   

Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    3. Computer Science    4. Computer Science (Young Adult)    5. Computers - General    6. Examinations, questions, etc    7. Juvenile Nonfiction    8. Study Aids - Test Preparation    9. Study Guides    10. Study Aids / Advanced Placement   

Reviews (46)

Excellent Tool for Parents of College Bound Children
Excellent read for parents of college bound children. Illuminates which attributes may differentiate a student from the crowd.
Compelling!
What a great book...The inside scoop on the hidden world of admissions. I've worked in an admissions office before (at a highly competitive school) and this was pretty much on target.
Excellent book!
As a former admission officer, I found the book to be quite honest and descript.Unveiling the process behind the ever-elusive curtain, it is a book for anyone who is truly interested in how a class is shaped on a College or University campus.I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and was captivated at the stories of the students. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administration - General    2. Admission    3. Case studies    4. College Entrance    5. College Guides    6. College applications    7. Colleges and universities    8. Education    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Universities and colleges    12. Education / Educational Reform   

Reviews (2)

So good I buy the Barron's SAT books all the way from Australia
I'm an after-school tutor, and teach general English to Aussie school students. I use all the Barron's SAT workbooks to help improve the students' vocabulary, writing, comprehension and reading. This "Critical Reading Workbook" is great, with plenty of practice in sentence completion, comprehension questions and vocabulary extension. The practice exams at the back of the book are excellent for mastering exam technique, and the explanation section for the answers is very helpful. English is never taught this way in Australia, but it should be. All my students feel they learn more from studying one Barron's workbook than they do from doing a whole year of English lessons at school.

It has everything it's supposed to: not too much nor too little
A very adequate Book!
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Subjects:  1. Educational Tests And Measurements    2. English language    3. Entrance examinations    4. Examinations    5. Reading And Reading Improvement    6. SAT & PSAT    7. SAT (Educational test)    8. Study Aids    9. Study Guides    10. Test Prep    11. United States    12. Universities and colleges    13. English    14. Reading skills    15. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)    16. Study guides, home study & revision notes   

Reviews (22)

Sanity-saving read!
In NOrthern Virginia, it's possible to start obsessing about colleges when your kids are still in kindergarten -- but this book provides a wonderful dose of reality.No, you won't "die" if your child doesn't get into Princeton or UVA and you might even find yourself shocked by the great education he or she can get elsewhere!(And apparently you don't have to torture them with SAT guidebooks in the intervening 10 or so years before they apply to make this dream a reality!)
Steer clear of this outdated guide
Read the first paragraph in the book and then run.Pope's argument can be stated in a single sentence:small, liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. can provide an excellent education.However, he ruins his credibility by using weak logic, meaningless examples, and very outdated personal research.It's like listening to your dad's retired guidance counselor thumping his fist on your desk, spitting, "The Ivy League stinks."Let's face it:the Ivies are great and small liberal arts schools can be great, too.It's all a matter of finding the right match, but Pope won't help you do that.Buy any other guide and you'll be better off.

Garbage
This book is a load of crap... and thats the nicest thing I can say about it.I couldn't even stand to finish it, though I got most of the way through it.
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Subjects:  1. College Guides    2. College choice    3. Colleges and universities    4. Evaluation    5. General    6. Higher    7. Reference    8. United States    9. Universities and colleges    10. Education / Organizations & Institutions   

Reviews (8)

An Awesome AP Physics review book
I took the AP Physics B and AP Physics C Mechanics exams in 2006, and, to say the least, this book was a great help. I'm the kind of student who doesn't take notes in class and usually waits 'till the last minute to study for an exam. Because of this, this review book came in handy when I wanted to review everything for the AP exam. However, this book is probably best for just AP Physics B, since I got a little help from Fundamentals of Physics and Schaum's Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics or more clarification on more intense topics such as moment of inertia, centroids, moments of forces and moment of momentum/angular momentum, which weren't treated in detail in this book.
Everything you need to know about physics B but were afraid to ask
This book is awesome -I'll admit like the authors I prefer a more conceptual way of doing physics.Since in my opinion if your students don't really understand the ideas behind the math, they aren't physicists but mathematicians. So if you love Paul Hewitt and want to make physics more 'phun' than this book is for you. And if you ever get the chance to take AP physics training from Greg do so. His AP workshop was the best PD I have ever attended.

AP Physics B- NOT physics C
I am going to take the first portion of the AP test for physics C on mechanics in May. I am extremely worried that I will do badly because this review book does not include enough physics C material (i.e. advanced rotational motion, dynamics, etc). I just got the book "AP Physics C" by Barron's and it is much better suited for preparing a student to take the physics C exam.
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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. College entrance achievement tests    4. Examinations    5. Physics    6. Study Aids    7. Study Guides    8. Test Prep    9. United States    10. Study Aids / Advanced Placement