Taking the SAT is a rite of passage for high school students– and it’s a rite you get to prepare for. However, the timing of that preparation can be really important. Start too early, and it’s a long, drawn out, painful process that ultimately isn’t that helpful. Start too late, and you don’t have time to develop strategies or learn how to take the test. Whether you’re a student just…

When I first took the SAT around 20 years ago, I had no idea where that test would take me. And I’ll be honest, my first attempt was not spectacular! I had to put in a lot of effort to raise that score from average to perfect, which opened doors beyond anything I imagined. My SAT score was the key to competitive college admissions, nearly a quarter of a million…

If you’re planning on taking the SAT this year, it’s time to start studying. For many students, that means buying the official SAT prep book, working through it, and hoping for the best. For some of them, this works… but for many, it’s actually quite ineffective. And that’s not for you. You aren’t going to settle for an ineffective study plan! If you’re here, that shows you’re already being proactive…

It’s been an odd few years for standardized testing. Between the challenges of the pandemic and universities dropping and then rapidly reinstating testing requirements, many students and families are wondering whether the SAT still holds weight. While some colleges have moved to test-optional admissions, the SAT continues to play a role in various parts of the college application process and beyond. So, how important is it to take the SAT…

If your SAT score isn’t what you’re hoping for, you don’t have to settle for a low score. In fact, you shouldn’t settle. There’s too much at stake here; your SAT score can make a huge difference on your college applications and scholarship money. But making those big jumps in performance might be easier said than done. The good news is that meaningful improvement is possible if you approach your…

One of the most important things to understand about the SAT is that it doesn’t just give schools an additional opportunity to see your academic performance; it also gives them a way to compare you to other students. What makes you a better choice over another student? Colleges have to ask themselves this question every time they choose someone to admit, and an SAT score in the top percentiles provides…

If you’re preparing for the SAT, part of setting yourself up for success is understanding why you’re taking the test, and what you need the test to do for you. It’s not like you’re taking the SAT for fun, after all– you need a high score to help highlight how competitive of a student you are. If you put in the work to merit a place at a competitive institution,…

When you take a test at school, the scoring is typically pretty straightforward. Usually it’s just expressed as a simple percentage of the questions you got right. But SAT scoring is a little more complicated. After all, nobody ever says “I got an A on the SAT!” or “I got a 95% on my SAT!”  Most students know that the maximum score you can get on the SAT is a…

Are you considering a career in healthcare? If so, did you know there are ways to kickstart your career path and start building the skills you need while you’re still in high school? It’s true! We’ve put together a list of 4 extracurricular activities that high school students can use to learn what it’s like to work in healthcare, gain hands-on experience, and lay the groundwork for crafting competitive applications…

It really seems like everything is important for today’s students, doesn’t it? From extracurriculars to the ever-increasing challenge of schoolwork, you’re told from the first day of your first year that everything you do counts. And that includes your test scores! Not just your academic exams, but your standardized test scores. While it is true that many schools dropped SAT and ACT requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also…