The SAT was introduced 100 years ago, in 1926. By the 1960s, the G.I. Bill meant that more people were attending college than ever before, and the SAT was almost universally adopted by schools in the United States. But in 1969, we saw the first school to go test-optional, Bowdoin College, drop the test. Since then, test-optional admissions slowly gained ground– mostly at small liberal arts colleges. In 2019, there…

If you have a student preparing for the ACT, you have a lot of options for test prep. Some resources are genuinely useful, others are outdated, and many are designed for audiences very different from today’s ACT test takers. The most effective preparation comes from understanding what types of resources exist, how they are accessed, and what role each plays in building skills, confidence, and pacing. Strong ACT prep is…

The ACT is not a normal test. Let’s get that out of the way right now, because if you want to earn a high score, you need to keep the nature of the test at the front of your mind. In a normal, everyday academic subject test, you’re facing limited amounts of information about a specific subject. But the ACT is designed to assess how prepared students are for college…

Confidence is often talked about as a “nice-to-have” in test prep, but for many students, it becomes the dividing line between plateaued performance and real breakthroughs. Confidence isn’t just a feeling. It is a measurable shift in how students process questions, manage time, stay calm under pressure, and trust their training when the clock is ticking. In hundreds of Prep Expert® reviews, one theme consistently stands out: students do not…

The SAT is one of the most widely recognised college admissions exams in the United States and internationally. For students planning to apply to colleges and universities, understanding the SAT test dates and registration deadlines for 2026 is crucial. This guide provides a complete view of the official SAT dates and deadlines administered by the College Board for 2026, including deadlines for registration, late registration, and testing windows. The College…

Preparing for the SAT may feel like an extra stressor in an already packed high school schedule, but the exam offers meaningful advantages that can shape both your college path and your long-term goals. The fact is, there are a lot of benefits to taking this exam, beyond the ones you might expect! Even as many colleges maintain score-optional admissions policies, the SAT remains a powerful tool for students who…

Standardized tests are designed to feel tricky. They compress time, reward pattern recognition, and penalize hesitation. For many students, the SAT or ACT isn’t difficult because the material is beyond their ability, it’s difficult because they haven’t yet learned how to take the test. Across hundreds of Prep Expert® reviews, one theme appears again and again:Students finally understand the “game” behind the test… and once the strategies click, everything changes.…

If you’re planning on attending a college or university in the US, you’re probably going to have to take a standardized test– either the SAT or the ACT. Some students take both, but others prefer to just prepare for one. After all, the two tests are somewhat different in what they assess, and for many students, it’s just impractical to try to take them both. If you’re only going to…

You’ve probably heard classmates or teachers talk about what counts as a “good” SAT score. But the truth is, that number isn’t the same for everyone! It all depends on who you are and where you want to go to college. A score that’s competitive at one school might fall short at another. The real question isn’t what looks good on paper; it’s what score helps you achieve your goals.…

For thousands of students, the SAT or ACT isn’t just a test — it’s a turning point. A higher score can open doors to more selective colleges, bigger scholarships, and a new sense of confidence. Across Prep Expert®’s SAT and ACT prep programs, one pattern appears over and over again: significant, measurable score improvement, often in just a few weeks. This article takes a multi-student look at how Prep Expert®…