Introduction As the Founder & CEO of Prep Expert®, an organization dedicated to helping students excel in standardized tests and gain admissions to top universities, I have witnessed firsthand the power of merit-based evaluation in transforming lives. However, recent trends in American higher education, including the removal of standardized tests and the implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, threaten to undermine the very foundation of meritocracy. This shift…

Prep Expert® has helped over 100,000 students improve their SAT and ACT scores, get into top colleges, and win more than $100 million in scholarships. Now, I want to take a moment to highlight one of those amazing students and uplift his experience using Prep Expert®’s SAT prep courses to build a more successful future. Meet Alejandro! Q & A with Alejandro Q: What strategies or techniques you learned during…

When college admission officers evaluate applicants, they look for students who are the total package. Sure, they want to admit students with high cumulative GPAs and great standardized test scores, but they also pay close attention to recommendation letters, volunteer experiences, and extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, students often hurt their chances of admission because they don’t pay enough attention to their participation in extracurricular activities.  While almost every student knows that…

Idioms are one of the most puzzling parts of the SAT because they don’t necessarily follow any specific grammar rules. It’s almost impossible to logic your way through a question about idioms without any prior knowledge about the phrase in question. It sounds scary, but with the right practice and preparation, even the trickiest idioms will become easier and easier to remember! In this guide, we’ll strip away the mystery…

With the Supreme Court’s recent decision to ban affirmative action, the spotlight has turned to another contentious issue in college admissions: legacy admissions. This practice, which favors applicants related to alumni, contradicts the meritocratic principles that our educational institutions should uphold. Legacy admissions have historically skewed college demographics towards wealthier and predominantly white students, undermining efforts to diversify campuses. For example, legacy students are more likely to be accepted than…

As the Founder & CEO of Prep Expert®, I have dedicated my career to helping students maximize their potential on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. The recent decisions by institutions such as Harvard and Yale to reinstate these exams as requirements for admission signal a pivotal shift towards restoring a more meritocratic system in college admissions. Here’s why this move is not only a positive one, but also…

If you’ve ever been stumped by an idiom on the ACT, you’re not the only one. Preparing for questions about idioms on the ACT can be difficult because it’s not as straightforward as other aspects of your study routine. After all, you can’t memorize every idiom in the world. You’d end up missing your exam! In this guide, we will explain what idioms look like on the ACT and offer…

In addition, no two AP classes are alike. For example, AP Biology is typically a difficult course at most high schools. However, when I was in high school, I had an AP Biology teacher that handed out A’s like candy. It was one of the easiest classes to get an A in. Is this fair to students who had an AP Biology course that is actually rigorous? Top colleges such…

View SAT Courses View SAT Book Digital SAT Prep Welcome to your ultimate guide to preparing for the digital SAT! Whether you’re a student gearing up for the exam or a concerned parent hoping to help your child succeed, Prep Expert® has the tips and strategies you need to prepare the right way and achieve that dream score. In this guide, you will learn: Why the SAT is important. What’s…

Harvard College has just joined the ranks of Ivy League schools that have recently made the decision to reinstate standardized testing requirements as part of the admissions process. The announcement came on the heels of similar decisions from Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown. So far, each institution has provided a similar rationale for the choice: opening their doors to students from more diverse backgrounds. So, what do these changes mean for…