College application essays tend to make everyone fearful and hesitant. What do you write about? What should you write about? Are there things schools want to hear? When these questions come to mind, embrace the fear and use it to write memorable essays that make you stand out. Stop worrying and get writing. Whether we like […]
3 Reasons to Take the SAT Your Junior Year
So, you’re approaching or in your junior year of high school. You’re tackling new classes, subjects, and challenges! One of the things you’re about to face (if you haven’t already,) is the PSAT. The PSAT is usually administered in October and juniors take it for two reasons. A sort of “dry run” for the SAT. […]
College, Tech School, and Grad School. What’re the Differences?
You’re on the last leg of your high school education. The world is your oyster and you’re about to head out on your own and take it on. Understandably, you feel powerful. You’re finally going to live life the way you want it! You’re going to start forging your own path. However, with great power […]
College Admissions: Computing your GPA
Applying to college? You’re likely hearing a lot of talk about your GPA and how much it matters in the college admissions process. Your GPA is your grade-point average. It indicates your overall performance in school, i.e., your grades. Your GPA is a calculation of your letter or percentage grades and is a number from […]
Top 10 SAT Mistakes
As a test prep teacher, and admittedly an SAT geek, I have worked with over a thousand students in my career. Ninety-nine percent of them come to me with misconceptions about the test which ultimately leads to errors in their execution. These errors make a test guru cringe because they are easily preventable! You just […]
How to Tell if Your GPA is Inflated
On ACT and SAT score release days, there’s a phone call that never fails. A distraught student or student’s parent is on the other line, distraught and confused. Why did they, with a 4.5 GPA, receive an 18 on the ACT? Teachers and administrators may be quick to jump on the test anxiety bandwagon. They […]
Are You Ready to Take the ACT or SAT?
So, you’ve been preparing to take the SAT and/or the ACT. You’ve answered the SAT Question of the day for months. There’s nothing left in The Official SAT Study Guide that you didn’t memorize. But, are you ready to take the test? How do you know? Practice Tests The ACT and SAT are standardized tests, so […]
Who vs. Whom: Fun with Pronouns
One of the concepts the ACT and SAT will test is your knowledge of sentence structure and grammatical rules. This includes everything from subject and verb agreement to prepositions and adverbs. Knowing your way around these sentence parts can mean the difference between getting a hard question correct in a few seconds and spending a […]
Too Busy for ACT and SAT Prep? Think Again.
If you are like many high school students, your hectic schedule leaves little time for ACT or SAT preparation. Between sports, extracurriculars, and course work, how will you succeed on the crucial next step in your academic career? These tests determine where the next several years of your life will go. Of course, dedicated practice and […]
How to Relieve the Pressure Surrounding the SAT and ACT
The pressure surrounding your performance on the SAT and ACT can feel colossal. It may seem like everything—admissions, scholarships, pride—is riding on a few hours spent huddled over a scantron form. For some students, pressure is motivation. They can harness the energy of the situation to focus and produce their best possible performance. For others, the […]