Keeping up with current fashion trends isn’t the only type of style you must maintain–you also have to make sure that an author preserves his or her style in the ACT English and SAT Writing sections. Style on the ACT and SAT? We’re not talking Louis Vuitton shoes for guys and Louboutin purses for girls, […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Polygons and Their Interior Angles
Geometry has been relegated to only 10% of the SAT but it still composes 15% to 20% of the ACT. You may need to know the sum of the interior angle measurements of regular polygons on both tests, but no formulas are provided on either. So how should you prepare for these types of questions? […]
ACT and SAT Reading Tips: Paired Passages with Opposing Viewpoints
Each ACT and SAT Reading section includes a set of paired passages, which discuss a related topic, with 10 or 11 accompanying questions. Most of these paired sets have passages with opposing viewpoints. One author may support animal cloning while the other opposes it. Or one passage cites obesity as the reason for apathy, while the […]
College Admission Tips: Educational Options After High School
You’re on the last leg of your high school education, about to head out on your own and take on the world. Understandably, you feel powerful. You’re finally going to live life the way you want it, and start forging your own path. Wwith great power, however, also comes great responsibility: You must now choose […]
How to Create an ACT or SAT Study Bible
Countless studies have been dedicated to the practice of note-taking, and experts agree: taking notes and reviewing them frequently helps students transfer new information from their short-term memories to their long-term memories. And while students instinctively take notes in biology class and during their history lectures, they often show up to our ACT classes without […]
ACT and SAT Reading Tips: U-Turn Words
In ACT and SAT reading passages, pivotal words are those that guide a reader through an author’s ideas. They are “direction” words, telling you you which way to go in your thought process. Spotting these words throughout a passage can help you determine the author’s attitude and opinion concerning the main idea, which will ultimately […]
Letter Grades, Percentages, and GPAs
If you’re applying to college, you’ll hear a lot of talk about your GPA, and how much it matters in the college admissions process. Many students find the topic confusing: How come it’s a number from 0.0 to 4.0? What if my school gives out grades as percentages from 0 to 100? What if my school […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Triangle Tricks
Triangles tend to be the most popular geometric figure on the ACT and SAT simply because they have so many “secret” properties. Get ready for the test with our guide to five of the more commonly tested concepts.
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: Adjectives and Adverbs
I was sitting in the car line at my kids’ school yesterday when an old song from middle school came on the radio. “Waiting for a Star to Fall” by Boy Meets Girl. I know you’ve never heard it. It’s OLD. I get it. But I’m going to tell you about it anyway because it […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Squares and Circles
If you see a square inscribed in a circle on the ACT or SAT, the test makers are assessing your knowledge of 45:45:90 triangles. What? Huh? The question is about squares and circles, not triangles! Listen closely, my ACT and SAT cohorts: Hidden triangles are often the key to solving the most difficult geometry questions. […]