SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Last Thursday, the College Board announced via the Wall Street Journal that it has been testing out a project where, along with students' SAT scores, colleges see each student's "Overall Disadvantage Level," or their "adversity score."

In this article, we'll go over what we know so far about the adversity score and how it might affect college admissions. We'll also give some tips on how to limit what information about you the College Board can use to calculate your adversity score.

We'll keep this article updated as new information comes out on the adversity score, so be sure to check back periodically.

If you took the SAT from 2011-2015, you may be wondering what your percentile score is on the SAT. Is a 1500 on the SAT in 2011 the same percentile score as a 1500 in 2015? Do percentile scores change over time?

In this article, I will explain SAT percentile scores, how they change, and I'll provide the percentile scores for SAT combined scores and section scores for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.

If you love our strategy guides, we have great news: PrepScholar is launching a college admissions podcast! It's hosted by PrepScholar co-founder and Harvard grad Allen Cheng and writer Melissa Brinks.

Download our podcast now at iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Libsyn (or wherever you get your podcasts).

What is a perfect square? How do you know if a number is a perfect square?

In this article, we’ll define perfect squares, provide a list of the first 25 perfect squares (and the integers that make them up), and teach you how to tell if a number is a perfect square. 

Knowing when where and how to best use a calculator on the ACT can be tricky. You are allowed to bring a calculator on test day (none will be provided for you), and it can mean the difference of several points on the ACT to have a calculator versus having none.

But what kind of calculator should you bring and how should you make best use of it during the test? In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about calculators on the ACT, from when you're allowed to use them, to what kinds are allowed, to how to avoid the most common ACT calculator mistakes.

Practice tests are the best way to get acclimated to the timing and question formats that you'll encounter on the AP Human Geography exam. They'll also help you figure out where you need to put in additional study time to improve your scores.

In this article, I'll link to all the practice tests available for AP Human Geography, including full official tests, full unofficial tests, and mini unofficial quizzes that test specific parts of the curriculum.

Paying for school is daunting enough when you have the financial support of your family. But for students whose parents can’t or won’t contribute to expenses, figuring out how to pay for college on your own becomes a whole different challenge.

In this guide, I'll lay out everything you need to consider about how to pay for college without parents and all the steps you need to take. 

There are lots of SAT Subject Tests to choose from—in fact, there are 21 options that cover 13 different subjects and languages. It can be overwhelming!

To keep things simple, you want to take the Subject Tests that will strengthen your college applications with excellent scores. So, which Subject Tests are easier than others?

While there isn't a cut and dry answer to this question,  we can approach an answer from a few different angles. First, let's take a look at how students score on average on each Subject Test.

If you are preparing for your IB Geography SL/HL papers, studying your notes is likely not enough to get a 7. Taking practice tests using IB Geography SL/HL past papers is the only way to ensure you know what to expect the day of your exam. You'll be better prepared because you'll know the test length and format...and you'll be more confident because you're more familiar with the question formats!

In this article, I'll let you know where to find IB Geography SL/HL past papers—both free and paid—to help you excel on your own IB Geography exam.

Note-taking can get disorganized even for the most conscientious among us. It's hard to sort through a whole year's worth of material, especially in an AP class that covers a wide range of topics and theories. This article is intended to serve as a one-stop-shop for comprehensive notes on all the topics covered in AP Psychology. Whether you lost your class notes on cognition or just want an easier way to see everything in one place, the links in this article will help make your study process more focused and less stressful!

Pell Grants are awarded by the federal US government to help students pay for college or vocational school. Figuring out whether you're eligible can be confusing, but this post will guide you through all the eligibility requirements you should know about if you want to apply for a federal Pell Grant. 

For years, the Common Application (CA) was the only widely available application for use at multiple colleges. It was created in 1975, with 15 colleges in its first year. It still dominates the college application world, and today is used by more than 800 colleges and universities.

However, back in 2007, the Universal College Application (UCA) was created, and now serves 18 colleges and universities. So what exactly are the differences between the CA and the UCA? Why do colleges use one, both, or neither? And which one should you use? We will explore these questions in this post and help you decide how to apply.

Planning to take the SAT? Before you sign up, you need to decide whether you’re going to take the test with or without the optional Essay. How should you pick? Well, some colleges require that you apply with the SAT with Essay; others don’t care whether you submit an SAT score with or without the Essay.

In this article, I’ll provide you with a complete list of colleges that require or recommend taking the SAT with the Essay.

¿Estudias español? ¿Hablas español en casa? Are you wondering if you should take the SAT Subject Test in Spanish?

Let's review what it covers and how students usually score so you can decide if the SAT Subject Test in Spanish is right for you. First, you have to know what's on the test.

 McDonald's charities offer many different scholarships for college-bound seniors all over the country, all with different awards and eligibility requirements. Because there's so much variability among awards, applying for a McDonald's scholarship can seem daunting. Ultimately, though, it's worth it to apply - since 1985, Ronald McDonald House Charities have given out over $65 million in scholarships. Wouldn't it be great to get a small piece of that? 

I'll walk you through the different types of scholarship awards that McDonald's offers, in addition to offering tips and strategies to optimize your chances of winning your own award.