Cutting Edge First-Year Revises SAT Guidebook

The SAT is enough to strike fear in the heart of any high school student. But into the nightmare has come Up Your Score, an SAT-prep book recently rewritten by Michael R. Colton '97.

The book was originally authored in 1987 by three teenagers from Ithaca, New York. But executives at Workman Publishing Company decided last winter to update the guide for the new version of the SAT.

The new Up Your Score will be better attuned to "the more current slang, lingo or cultural references appropriate for today's high school junior and senior," said editor Margot H. Herrera '84.

Unfortunately, Herrera said, the original authors were "sort of over-the-hill."

Colton stood out from other applicants for the job because of his "self-confidence, with and intelligence."

"He was the best among a good group of funny writers," Herrera said.

In fact, Colton's only drawback as a candidate for the job was his SAT score--1490. The book's publishers wanted someone with a score of greater than 1500, so Colton took the test again and got a perfect 1600--and the job.

"Just because I got a good score doesn't mean I got a 1600 just like that," he said. In fact, he studied the original book before taking the test again.

"It's a good selling point," Colton said of his score.

However, Colton noted, he used the original edition to study for the old SAT, not the new one.

His first task was to rework the book's test-taking tips for the revised SAT and Achievement Tests, which will first be given in March.

For example, the new English Achievement, now called SAT II English, will require an essay, so Colton wrote an entirely new section on constructing an essay.

"We give exactly what they [The College Board] are looking for, in terms of a date," he said. The introduction is the "pick-up line," the body is the "meal" and the conclusion is the "goodnight."

Colton then had "to update the cultural references, like changing Rambo to the Terminator," he said. "We try to be on the cutting edge."

He also "got rid of some of the horrible puns."

"We're very pleased," Herrera said. "It offers you the smarts without putting you to sleep."

Colton said that the most fun part of working on the book was writing it humorously.

"Maybe I impressed them with pop culture references," he said. "I consider myself pretty knowledgeable in bad TV, movies and music."

The book "has put writing up on my list of careers," said Colton, who will "probably" concentrate in English.

The new edition of the book will be in storesin late December or early January, Colton said.

He will make his first book tour overintersession, visiting New York, Baltimore,Philadelphia, Washington and Boston. He said hemight make another tour over spring break

The new edition of the book will be in storesin late December or early January, Colton said.

He will make his first book tour overintersession, visiting New York, Baltimore,Philadelphia, Washington and Boston. He said hemight make another tour over spring break