The College Panda's SAT Writing: Advanced Guide and Workbook

college panda books made me feel more prepared than the other SAT prep books I bought (Princeton review, etc.). This writing book was no exception. I recommend it for anyone planning to take the SAT

One of the best things about Nielson's books is that they tell you exactly what is needed for a certain section. Other books on a particular section of the SAT tend to be very wordy in explaining certain topics and quite long. Thus, it becomes an arduous task to even finish reading the entire book. But Nielson's books are very clear and "up to the point".For this particular book, the style of explanation and the way the book is structured are some of the best things to mention. When he explains a certain "topic" tested on the SAT, he provides a simple explanation of the topic along with the certain "aspect" of the topic that is going to be tested. Thus, once you read this book thoroughly and do the exercises, you will not only know which topics are being tested on the SAT but also which aspects within those topic are being tested.In my opinion, the preciseness of this book when it comes to explaining the topics along with the exercises it provides to hone the skills of the reader makes it arguably the best book to drastically increase someone's score on the SAT and also the most efficient way to do so.

My daughter is starting high school next year and we were struggling to find a summer learning workbook with the right level of challenge. This fit the bill perfectly. I teach middle school language arts now, but previously taught at the high school level. A couple chapters into this book, she called me over to say, "Mom, you should make more of your lessons like this. They make boring stuff fun." Then she continued to point out how the examples were funny and relatable.As a teacher, I appreciated how each chapter builds on the last and does not require that the reader have any prior knowledge of the topic. It is a wonderful tool to teach my daughter to transition from learning by direct instruction alone to learn independently by reading and taking notes. All of the practice exercises have a key in the back, so she has learned to check her progress as she goes.

The book is packed with clear explanations of grammar rules and writing strategies, and it provides numerous practice questions that mirror the style and difficulty of the actual test. What I found particularly useful were the detailed answer explanations, which help reinforce key concepts and avoid common mistakes.Although the book is highly informative, it’s geared more toward students who already have a solid foundation in grammar, so beginners might find some sections challenging. Overall, it’s an excellent guide for students aiming for a top score on the SAT writing section!

It's a little intimidating writing a review for a writing/grammar book, but here goes.(note: this review is largely repeated for the companion book, The College Panda's SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook for the New SAT, but the words/review is every bit as applicable. We have been using both).Some people get perfect scores and really know how to take these tests. Others know how to explain concepts and materials. Very few can do both. Phu is the rare individual who can, did, and does.Having already had 2 students enter college, I have looked at a lot of PSAT/SAT prep materials over the years. It's hard to find any that are geared toward the more competitive students who already are performing decently but want to have confidence that they've fully cataloged ALL the types of questions, and want insight into the real 'gotchas' of the test. This book does exactly that, is straightforward to read, and doesn't waste your time with any nonessentials.While Nielson's book is indeed geared toward those aiming for seriously competitive scores, I'm sure it would also be helpful to those who just wanted to understand the "what" and "how" of SAT. Don't bother with the super-thick, fluff-filled guides churned out by the 'bigger' publishers -- too much bloatware in this books! They seem to think the page count justifies their cost, I guess. Further, I have found their 'explanations' of what makes a correct vs. incorrect answer often arbitrary or even misleading. In contrast, this book lays out the scope of the problem types in a no-nonsense manner. If you need a general introduction to 'what is the SAT', how long does it take, etc. then perhaps skim through the beginning chapters of one of those 'fluff' books. But then come use Nielson's for actual study/prep.One small criticism (not even worth a point/star off on review) is that, like ANY and EVERY prep book not directly published under CollegeBoard (i.e., CollegeBoard or Khan Academy) the problems are unofficial. Why is that important? Because the test authors have a *very particular* manner of authoring the problems (and answers) so they fit their standardized mold. (Which, by the way, is why all those practice tests in the 'big fluff' books are nearly worthless and even misleading. It's just more heft to justify the price.) So just be sure that if you use the CollegePanda then (as Nielson also tells you) do the REAL PRACTICE on OFFICIAL (new) SAT tests & practice questions. Don't waste your time on the big publishers. Did their authors repeatedly get perfect scores?

Great explanations and examples, excellent topic coverage, excellent tests.