Every year, tens of thousands of students apply to Ivy League schools. Only a small fraction receive an offer of admission. The difference between those who are admitted and those who are denied often comes down to strategy. Few application processes are as intense as the Ivy League. You might be your high school valedictorian– but so is your competition. On average, Ivy League schools have an acceptance rate of…

As more colleges remain test optional, students often assume standardized test scores no longer matter for scholarships– but that’s a dangerous assumption to make. While fewer schools require the SAT for admission than in the past, many still use submitted scores to award merit aid. In 2026, a strong SAT score can continue to make a real difference in how much you pay for college. And that means a lot–…

If you’ve ever opened up your College Board account to retrieve your scores and not liked what you found… well, you’re not alone. About half of all SAT takers retake the exam, and there are a lot of benefits to doing so. In fact, taking the exam multiple times correlates with improved admission rates and higher test scores.  But, just like taking the test itself, you should approach taking and…

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…

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…

Since its introduction in 1959, millions of hopeful college students have taken the ACT. Today, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic kickstarting test-optional policies, many students question whether or not the test is still worth taking. But honestly? The answer to that isn’t just a resounding yes, it’s “Yes, and it’s actually more important now than ever before.” With the rise of grade inflation, the increasing difficulty of college…

Choosing between the importance of GPA and SAT scores can feel like a circus act; knowing how to juggle everyone’s expectations of you and the demands of your target colleges and your high school can be extremely challenging. Some students think that they can focus on one thing– just their GPA or just their test scores– and be ok if one of them is high enough for their colleges of…

Most people have heard about the Ivy League, at least in passing. These eight schools– Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University– are known for their highly selective admissions practices and excellent graduate outcomes.  But they aren’t the only selective schools with impeccable reputations in the US. In fact, the most selective top university in the US isn’t even…

If you’ve got your sights set on the Ivy League, you probably already know that expectations are beyond high. These schools are known for academic excellence, incredible opportunities outside of the classroom, a long list of successful alumni… and extremely selective acceptance rates. But one of the most common questions we hear is also one of the most important: what SAT score do you need to get in? The answer…

If you’ve got your sights set on the Ivy League, you probably already know that expectations are beyond high. These schools are known for academic excellence, incredible opportunities outside of the classroom, a long list of successful alumni… and extremely selective acceptance rates. But one of the most common questions we hear is also one of the most important: what SAT score do you need to get in? The answer…