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“Brian Leaf has hacked off the head of America's high school boogie man--the dreaded SAT. He clearly lays out how the test works, accessible preparation strategies and how to maximize one's score. Any college applicant can benefit from his thoughtful and well-researched advice.”

Joie Jager-Hyman, former Assistant Director of Admissions, Dartmouth College, author of Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize

“A long time ago, in an era far, far away, I took the SAT—and I can remember the pressure and anxiety of it like it was yesterday. Lucky for you modern-day seniors, Brian Leaf has written the SAT guide to end all SAT guides. He thoroughly demystifies the test and lays out the 50 skills you need to max out your score. Better yet, Mr. Leaf writes with such humor, wit and unpretentious expertise that you'll find yourself reading this book just for fun. I did. It almost—almost—even made me want to take the SAT again.”

Sora Song, Senior Editor, Time Magazine

“What’s more scary than facing SATs? Or more boring than prepping for them? For a student swinging wildly between angst and ennui, the solution is Brian Leaf’s “Top 50 Skills: SAT Critical Reading and Writing”. Leaf, a genius at connecting with teenagers, meets students at their level and spikes every drill with common sense and comedy. I especially loved the Superbad Vocabulary section – not your usual stuffy approach to language deficit disorder. Guaranteed to relax and engage the most reluctant (or panicked) student.”

Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, former Editor, The New York Times Book Review

McGraw-Hill's Top 50 Skills: SAT Critical Reading and Writing

It’s simple. The questions that will appear on your SAT are predictable, and in this book, I will teach you exactly what you need to know. I will introduce each topic and follow it with drills. After each set of drills, check your answers. Read and reread the solutions until they make sense. They are designed to simulate one-on-one tutoring, as if I’m sitting right there with you. Reread the solutions until you could teach them to a friend. In fact, do that! My students call it “learning to channel their inner Brian Leaf.” There is no better way to learn and master a concept than to teach it!

Any new concept or question type that you master will be worth 10 or more points toward your SAT score. That’s the plan; it is that simple.

This book is filled with SAT Reading/Writing Mantras. They tell you what to do and when to do it. This is the stuff that Paula, who got perfect 800s, does automatically. The Mantras teach you how to think like her.

“Sounds good, but the SAT is tricky,” you say. It is, but we know their tricks. Imagine a football team that has great plays, but only a few of them. We would watch films and study those plays. No matter how tricky they were, we would learn them, expect them, and beat them. SAT prep works the same way. You will learn the strategies, expect the SAT’s tricks, and raise your score. Now, go learn and rack up the points!