If you’re sweating bullets before your rapidly-approaching ACT, never fear! This last-minute study plan is here to save you time, sanity, and points by telling you EXACTLY what to study. The five question types I’ve highlighted here get you a lot of bang for your studying buck on the ACT…and so are exactly what you should focus on in the week or so left before your exam, whether you’ve already been studying hard or hardly studying.
Your Last-Minute SAT Study Plan
Let's say you've only got a week or two to go before your SAT. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do in the next few days to raise your score—in fact, you can still boost your score by as much as 300 points. How? By studying the five high-point-yield topics I’ve listed out in this blog post.
What Grammar Do You Need to Know for the SAT?
For a high score on the SAT Writing and Language test, you’ll need to learn more about grammar and rhetoric than what you’re being taught in your high school classroom. This week’s post brings you the 19 key elements of the English language that the SAT Writing and Language section will test you on.
ACT English Grammar Guide
Which grammar rules, exactly, do you need to master in order to grab that perfect score on the ACT English section? This week’s post brings you just the wheat and none of the chaff: the 19 essential parts of grammar that the ACT English will test you on.
Your Step-by-Step Common App Guide, 2021-2022
The Common App is a crucial but complex part of the college application process for many students. Luckily for you, I’ve written a LOT of articles breaking down each and every element of the Common App, from how to find a killer essay topic to how to ace the Activities List! This meta-post collects all of my relevant Common App articles so that you can have them in one place as you begin your application for the 2021-22 application season.
How to Improve Your College Application by Showing "Demonstrated Interest"
If a low-effort task might just push your college application over the edge from “rejected” to “admitted,” you want to be on it YESTERDAY, right? Well, “Demonstrated Interest” is exactly that task! This post gives you the scoop on what Demonstrated Interest is in college admissions—AND lists out the nine ways (big and small) that you can go about showing that interest to the schools on your list.
New Changes to the Common App for 2021-2022!
The Common App is changing in some important ways for the 2021-2022 college application season. In this post, I break down every one of those changes for you. If you're a class of '22 high schooler (or beyond), this is your one-stop guide to the coming year's Common App.
Does the Class of 2023 Need to Take the SAT or ACT?
Lots of things looked different for the 2020-21 college application cycle—including the fact that many more colleges than usual went Test Blind (didn't accept SAT/ACT scores) or Test Optional (allowed applicants to opt out of submitting scores). But will these COVID-specific policies still be in effect next year? If you’re in the class of 2023, read on for answers to this question, and my specific advice to rising Juniors on this front.
2021-2022 SAT and ACT Test Dates
Summer’s (almost/already) here! If you’re a high school junior or senior, you’re probably thinking ahead (or actively prepping for) your ACT and/or SAT. But when should you actually TAKE the thing? In this post, I’ve collected the 2021-22 test dates for you all in one convenient place: ACT, SAT, international, and U.S.-based.
How Does the New ACT Superscore Report Affect You?
In April, the ACT introduced a new report that students can use to send their ACT Superscores to colleges. What is Superscoring, anyways—and what does the new reporting method mean for YOUR college application?
How to Choose Which College to Attend After You're Accepted
College Decision Day is just around the corner. If you’re a high school senior who got into more than one of your dream schools, committing to just one of them in early May might be a stressful prospect! But I’m here to take the pressure off. In this post, I spell out exactly what your next steps are for making this crucial choice.
Class of 2022: How Do the Cancelled SAT II Subject Tests Affect You?
If you’re in the class of 2022 or after, you’re probably wondering how the College Board’s decision to discontinue the SAT II Subject Tests affects your test prep. I’m breaking it down for you with expert analysis of several different situations you might find yourself in.
Are APs the New SAT IIs?
So now that the SAT II Subject Tests have been permanently discontinued by the College Board…what takes their place? How does this change your college application and your test-prep planning? Concerned parents asked me these questions over and over again at a recent speaking gig, and I’m sharing my answers with you.
College Process News: SAT II and SAT Essay Discontinued
As of January 2021, the College Board has discontinued the optional SAT essay section and the SAT II Subject Tests for US students. How will these major changes affect test prep and the competitive college process for YOU? I’m breaking it down.
How to go from deferred to accepted in five easy steps: COVID Edition
If you’ve been deferred from your early decision dream school, it can feel like you’re just waiting. But actually, there’s a LOT you can do to go from deferred to accepted…yes, even with most travel and face-to-face contact ruled out by Covid-19! Here’s what you need to know NOW to go from deferred to accepted in five easy steps.
Avoid These Three Common Mistakes For a Winning Testing Timeline—And Winning Test Scores
Avoid these top three mistakes I see all the time in my work as an elite test-prep expert and your road to the doors of that dream school will run a LOT more smoothly.
What's New on the Common App, 2020-2021
The 2020-2021 Common App has some important changes, and being aware of them will help you put your best foot forward in your college applications! This post is your COMPLETE resource guide to acing the Common App and opening the door to that dream school.
The Testing Timeline: The SUREST Path to the ACT and SAT Scores That Open Doors
So you want the best possible SAT or ACT scores you can get, huh? AND you’d like to stay sane while achieving them, so you can enjoy that dream school when you get there? Your road map to navigating the overwhelming, stressful testing and college processes needs the SUREST tool to success: a Testing Timeline.
SAT and ACT Test Dates 2020-2021
To plan a successful 2020-2021 college application cycle (read: to get into that dream school in 2021), you need to start making a testing plan now. So here’s your complete ACT and SAT testing calendar for 2020-2021—every test date with information about which tests (ACT, SAT, and SAT II Subject Tests) are available, registration deadlines, and score availability dates. Get planning!
"Test-optional" applications: can YOU skip the SAT or ACT entirely?
So…we’ve taken a look at what “test optional” REALLY means, and how it affects the way your application is evaluated. Now that you have a little more information about what makes this decision complicated, let’s cut to the chase: how do you decide if YOU can skip the SAT or ACT? I’ll walk you through it.
