The first SAT of the new school year is almost here: August 27. But you’ve still got enough time to make some serious gains in your SAT Reading section—if you start working on your strategy in a focused way right now, that is. This post is a comprehensive guide to ALL of the types of questions that show up on the SAT Reading, as well as my key tactics for answering each of them.
How to Avoid Summer Burnout
Summer burnout can sap your energy and break your college prep momentum. What is it? How do you avoid it? Let me help.
Common App Updates, 2022-2023
It’s almost that time of year again: the Common App opens August 1! And, as usual, a few things have changed about this very important tool, which allows you to apply to hundreds of colleges with the click of a button. This post gives you a rundown of how the App has changed since last admissions season.
How to Decide Which Colleges to Apply to
Before you start applying to colleges, you need to figure out which ones you’re applying TO. Sounds simple, right? But there are so many factors to consider that making a college list can seem a daunting task. Don’t worry! This week I’m giving you a straightforward five-step guide to drafting your list of dream schools….so you can start working on getting INTO them.
The QAS and TIR: Find Out Which Questions You Got Wrong on the SAT and ACT
If you’re planning to retake the SAT or ACT, the logical place to start studying is whatever question types you got wrong the first time you took the test. But your College Board report only shows you your score and your percentile ranking. How do you find out which questions you missed—so that you can nail them next time? Enter the SAT’s Question and Answer Service and the ACT’s Test Information Release.
How to Use Your Summer Vacation to Get into College
Worried about how to make the most of those crucial summers during the college process, sophomore through junior year? Worry no more—this post lays out a road map to what you need to keep your eye on.
When Should You Take a Break from Test Prep?
New SAT and ACT dates means that college applicants don’t have the enforced summer break that they used to. This makes testing-timeline decisions EVEN MORE COMPLICATED (hey, thanks!). I’m breaking down the factors you need to consider to keep your sanity (and maybe even plan that break in there after all).
Does the class of 2022 need the SAT or ACT?
The class of 2021 has had their college process upended by Covid-19—including schools going temporarily (or even permanently) test-optional. But what about the class of 2022? If you’re a current Junior, you probably have some questions about testing and college applications in the age of coronavirus—and lucky for you, I’ve got expert answers.
SAT and ACT Test Dates, 2022-2023
If you’re a high school sophomore or junior wondering when you should sign up for your first standardized test sitting, look no further: this post lists out all ACT and SAT test dates for the 2022-23 season. Whether you’re an international student or one based in America, whether you’re taking the SAT or the ACT, this post has got the dates you need, as well as info on how to register for each test.
Perfectionism Hurts Your ACT Score
Perfectionism will cost you points on every section of the ACT. Let me show you how, so I can show you how important it is to avoid this tricky mindset problem.
Top 5 Ways the SAT and ACT Math Sections Try to Trick You
Time and again, I see very smart students make the same types of missteps on the SAT and ACT Math. That’s because the test-makers ARE sometimes trying to trip you up. This post reveals the five most common, trickiest stumbling blocks that the ACT or SAT Math section might throw your way…as well as the strategies you’ll use to clear those obstacles from your path so you can reach that stellar score.
Answering SAT Evidence Questions
Evidence Questions can account for up to a THIRD of the questions on the SAT reading section. That’s a lot of points in the balance—not to mention that this question type can be quite tricky and time-consuming to answer if you don’t have a strategy. Fortunately, once you read this blog post, you will have one!
What to Know about the New, Digital SAT
BIG changes are underfoot for the SAT: the College Board just announced that the test will have gone completely digital by 2024. But what exactly does this mean for the composition of the test, its difficulty, and for YOU as a future SAT taker? This post explains it all in simple English.
When Should I Schedule My First ACT? 2022 Edition
Timing is KEY when it comes to the ACT: take it too soon and you might not have completed all the high school coursework you need for the test—but take it too late and you might be risking a low score with no chance to re-take it. Plus, the way the ACT is administered has changed recently, so the scheduling calculus is different in 2022 from previous years. Don’t worry, though: I’ve got your back with this step-by-step guide to figuring out what test dates are right for YOU.
When to Take Your First SAT in 2022
Figuring out when exactly you need to take your first SAT (and the second, and….) can be a real headache. The timing question is made even thornier by the fact that the SAT has changed quite a bit over the past few years—and many of those changes impact testing timelines. This post gets you up to date on all of those factors that impact SAT scheduling, and then helps you figure out what that means for YOUR SAT schedule in 2022.
Should I Take the ACT or the SAT in 2022?
When it comes to choosing between taking the SAT and the ACT, you obviously want to pick the one that’s going to help you shine the most on your college applications. But how do you figure THAT out?! This post clarifies the ways that this question has changed in recent years, AND the three key steps you should take to decide which test is right for you.
How to Cram for the ACT
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.
