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 […]
New Official ACT Prep Guide 2018-2019: Should you Upgrade?
A new Official ACT Prep Guide 2018-2019 was released earlier this month, causing many students to worry that their 2018 editions or 2016-2017 editions are out-of-date. Unfortunately, test makers have found that frequent new editions of their official guides drive up sales, and the ACT is not alone in its practice of releasing updates every […]
A New Edition of The Official ACT Prep Guide: Should you Update?
ACT released a “revised and updated” version of their Official ACT Prep Guide last week, causing many students to worry that their 2016-2017 editions were lacking vital information. But rest easy, test takers. The two editions are nearly identical. The three tests in both books are exactly the same. This is a bit of a […]
ACT and SAT Tips: Ten Minute Test Prep
If you’re like most high school students, there isn’t a lot of downtime in your day, let alone time to study for something other than your normal homework. Yet the ACT and SAT loom in your future, and you keep hearing about how you need to start studying for them months—maybe even years—in advance. How […]
Sophomore Study Tips for the ACT and SAT
It’s never too early to start studying for the SAT and ACT! Just ask my 7 year old twins about their daily SAT routine. Just kidding. Sort of. There may or may not be a five question quiz about the author’s attitude and main idea after every bedtime story in my house. But anyway, sophomores […]
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 […]
What are SAT Subject Tests?
As you start the college application process, you may notice that some schools ask for “SAT Subject Tests.” Although many students are familiar with the SAT itself, many others are not at all familiar with the SAT’s little brother, the Subject Tests. What are SAT Subject Tests, why should you take them, and who should […]
How to Set a Realistic Target ACT or SAT Score
When we teach courses, we hand out a student profile which asks students about their testing experience and expectations. One of the questions prompts them to list their target score. So many of the responses are the same: 25 on the ACT and 1200 on the SAT. When we ask why they want these scores, […]
Foods That Help Feed Your Brain for the SAT and ACT
It’s not just an apple a day that will keep the doctor away—these days, modern medicine has found hundreds of other foods that can keep you healthy and improve your brain functions. If you’re wondering what to eat (or not to eat) before your test or you’re just desperate for anything that will help you […]