SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you’ve heard the news that the SAT is transitioning to a totally digital format by 2024, you might be wondering how that will affect other exams, like the PSAT. Is the PSAT on paper or computer these days? Will the PSAT format change this year? 

In 2023, the PSAT format will change over from a paper exam to a fully digital test. To help you get a handle on what those changes mean for you, we’ll cover the following in this article: 

• How the PSAT format will change from paper to digital
• Five ways that the digital PSAT will be different from the paper exam
• Three tips for preparing for the new digital PSAT
  
  

Let’s get started!

Some states in the U.S. require students to take and pass a standardized test in order to graduate from high school with a diploma. If you live in the state of New York, you'll have to take and pass a standardized test called the Regents Exam in order to earn your high school diploma.

There are several individual Regents Exams, each covering a different subject area. If you want to get a high school diploma in the state of New York (called a Regents Diploma), you'll have to take and pass at least one science Regents exam.

The Living Environment Regents Exam is one of four science exams offered, and we're here to help you learn everything you need to know to help you decide if taking the Living Environment Regents exam is the best choice for you.

In our full guide to this exam, we'll cover the following:

• What the Living Environment Regents Exam is
• Who should take the Living Environment Regents Exam
• Important information about the exam for quick reference
• The format of the exam
• Sample questions from the exam
• The topics and subtopics covered by the exam sections

There's a lot to cover here, so let's get going!

Every student who takes the SAT will access the exam using a digital app called Bluebook starting in 2024. But what is the Bluebook app? How do you set it up and how does it work? 

We’ll answer all of these questions and more to help you learn the ins and outs of using Bluebook before exam day. As a bonus, we’ll also walk you through what’s included in the Bluebook app, the SAT prep materials provided through Bluebook, and give you three tips for practicing for the digital SAT. 

So, let’s get started!

The College Board has released a new, digital SAT. The College Board has said that one of the reasons it developed the digital SAT was to introduce adaptive testing. Adaptive testing allows exams to change in real time based on how well, or how poorly, a student is performing.

If adaptive testing is unfamiliar to you, don’t panic! We’re here to walk you through the ins and outs of adaptive testing so you’ll be fully prepared for the digital SAT. In this guide, we’ll cover: 

• What the SAT adaptive test is
• How adaptive testing works
• How to create a test prep strategy for SAT adaptive testing
• Three tips for preparing for adaptive testing
  
  

Let’s dive in!

With the digital SAT, students will take the exam in a totally new format. The days of the pencil-and-paper SAT booklet are gone…which means you probably have some questions!

You know, like…how does the digital SAT work?

Spoiler alert: one of the biggest changes about the digital SAT is that you’ll have to take in on some kind of digital device. But what are the digital SAT approved devices? And how can you access them if you don’t already have one?

In this guide, we’ll explain how taking the digital SAT works to help you get ready for the new format. We’ll cover:

• How the digital SAT works
• How you’ll take the digital SAT, including answering the question, “What devices can I use on the SAT?”
• What to do if you don’t have an approved device
• What happens if you have technical issues during the exam

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwestern University gave its supplemental learning program for children and teens, known as NUMATs, a makeover. Now renamed the Northwestern CTD, this unique and challenging learning experience for gifted learners is back and waiting for you to apply!

The Northwestern Center for Talent Development (CTD) provides advanced tests to students to find their academic strengths and weaknesses and offers courses to help students prepare for their academic futures.

In this guide, we’ll answer all of your questions about the Northwestern CTD, including:

• What is Northwestern CTD? What do you do in the program?
• Why should you or your child participate?
• How do you apply?
• How much does it cost?

We'll also give you tips for getting in. That way, you’ll have everything you need to get your eligibility materials ready in time for Northwestern CTD Summer 2023. So, let’s get started!

In case you haven’t heard, there are some big changes happening to the SAT in 2024. As the SAT goes digital, you’ll need to adapt to the new format and structure.

But in order to adapt to the new and improved SAT, you need to know more about how the exam is changing. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all of the major SAT changes (2023-2024), including: 

• When the SAT is changing
• Why the SAT is changing
• The main changes to the SAT
  
  

Let’s begin!

Beginning in Spring 2024, every student who takes the SAT will take the College Board’s new, digital SAT. With the SAT format changing, you probably have lots of questions! Like, is the digital SAT harder? Or is the digital SAT easier? 

We’ll answer all of your questions about the new, digital SAT in this complete guide, including: 

• How will the SAT change when it goes digital? How will it be different from the pencil-and-paper SAT?
• Which changes to the exam are likely to be easier? Harder? 
• How will the digital SAT affect your study plans? 

One of the best ways to prep for the digital SAT is to learn as much about it as possible. So, let’s get started!

You may have heard that the College Board is getting ready to make the SAT a fully digital exam. But when will the SAT go digital? How will it affect your SAT testing plans? 

In this article, we’ll answer the question, “When is the SAT going digital?” and walk you through all the changes to the exam. We’ll explain when the digital SAT will be available, who can take the digital SAT, and upcoming SAT exam dates to help you plan your testing schedule. 

If you aren’t sure whether to take the SAT before or after it goes digital, we’ve got you covered with three factors to consider before registering for the SAT.  

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

While there’s nothing wrong with being undeclared, it does mean you have to ask yourself slightly different questions when you’re choosing a university. For instance, which schools are the best for an undecided student? What makes a good college for undecided majors? And should I go to a college with a lot of majors, or apply more broadly to different types of schools?

In this article, we’ll give you the lowdown on the best colleges for undecided majors. We’ll cover: 

• What it means to be undecided
• What characterizes good schools for undecided majors
• The six colleges that are excellent options for students who start college undecided

The only thing you don’t have to be undecided about is reading this article! (You know you love a Dad joke.) So let’s get started.

If you’re gearing up to take the SAT, you’re probably wondering about how your scores compare to other college applicants. Are your scores high enough to get into your dream school? And what should you do if your scores need an extra boost? 

In this guide to SAT scores 2023, we’ll give you all the info you need to evaluate your SAT scores and determine if they’re good enough for you! We’ll answer the question, “What is a good SAT score 2023?” by breaking down this year’s overall average SAT scores. Then we’ll show you how to figure out the SAT score you need to meet your goals. 

Let’s get started!

If you’re gearing up to take the ACT or have taken it recently, you might be wondering how your scores compare to other college applicants. What’s a good ACT score 2023? And how do you know what ACT score you should be aiming for to get into your dream schools? 

In this article, we’ll explain how to figure out if your ACT scores qualify as “good.” Most importantly, we’ll tell you how to set a target ACT score so you can earn an ACT score that’s good for you and your college admissions goals. We’ll also take a look at how the definition of a good ACT score has changed over the years. 

Ready? Let’s go. 

If you're a high school student who lives near Columbia University and wants to participate in an extracurricular honors program, you can't do much better than the Columbia University Science Honors Program (Columbia SHP).

This honors program experience can give students a big leg-up on college and scholarship applications...but unfortunately, it's really hard to get accepted to the Columbia SHP.

But don't worry: we're here to help. In this article, we'll walk you through the Columbia SHP application process, including:

• Introducing you to the Columbia University Science Honors Program
• Explaining what the honors program is like
• Describing the application process for the program
• Providing information about the honors program's entrance examination
• Giving you three tips for succeeding on the entrance exam

Now, let's get started!

When universities go through admissions applications, they take many factors into consideration, like your grades, your extracurriculars, and even your personality!

But many college applicants don't realize that some universities also consider you—and your family's—ability to pay tuition as well. The hard truth is that some universities use an applicant's ability to pay tuition without financial aid as a factor in the admissions process. Many universities consider how students can contribute to their institution financially when they make admissions decisions.

This sounds like scary news. But don't worry! Many schools are addressing the issue by transitioning to need-blind admissions policies, which remove economic status as an admissions criteria.

In this guide, we'll give you a complete list of need-blind colleges in the United States and answer all of your burning questions, including:

• What is need-blind admission?
• How do need-blind policies affect tuition costs?
• What should you look for in a need-blind school?

So let's get started!

So you have your heart set on going to the University of Southern California. That's great—it's one of the best schools in the country! Unfortunately, that makes it tough to get into: only 10% of applicants are admitted each year.

But don't worry. This guide will teach you everything you need to know to write an outstanding USC Writing Supplement.

We'll answer all of your questions, including the following:

• What is the USC supplement?
• What are the questions, and how do I answer them?
• Are there tips and tricks for knocking your USC essays out of the park?
• What steps do I take to finish my USC application?

Let's get started!