SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you’ve been wondering, “Is Precalc an AP class,” wonder no more! The College Board recently announced that starting in the 2023-24 school year, there will be a new AP Precalculus course that you can take in high school! 

Since the class is new, it can be tough to find information about AP Precalc. But don’t worry, our experts have done the legwork for you and collected everything you need to know about the new AP Precalc class in one place. We’ll cover: 

• The basics of the AP Precalc class
• The AP Precalculus curriculum, including major course topics  
• The final AP Precalculus test format 

Let’s get started!

It’s no secret that AP US History (also known as APUSH) is a challenging class for tons of students. If you’re one of the many high school students wondering how to get a 5 on APUSH, exam prep time can be stressful. But even though the test is notoriously difficult, it’s 100% possible to get a perfect score! 

To take some of the stress out of your studying, and to show you how to get a 5 on the APUSH exam, we’ve put together a list of tips and strategies that can help you succeed.

Math competitions are a fantastic extracurricular activity for high school students. Math competitions help students improve their math skills, earn scholarships, and stand out as college applicants. 

If you are interested in getting into high school math competitions but aren’t sure where to begin, this article is for you. We’ll give you all the details on 13 math competitions for high school students, including the eligibility requirements and cash prize opportunities for each competition. 

We’ll also briefly explain how to decide which math competition is right for you and how math competitions can help you shine as a college applicant. So let’s get started!

Yep, you read that correctly: in May 2020, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to stop requiring the ACT and SAT as part of admissions applications. In other words, if you're applying to a UC school, you won't have to submit your ACT or SAT scores.

Before you get super excited, there are some caveats you should know about. That's why we're breaking down the changes — and answering your FAQs! — below.

A totally normal (but totally frustrating!) part of getting ready for college is college application stress. Statistics show that 76% of students feel high levels of stress about the college application process…so if you’re feeling overwhelmed by college applications, you aren’t alone!

The good news is that there are steps you can take to prepare for the college application process, including having some stress management tactics at the ready. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know for effective college application stress management, including:

• Answering the question, “Why are college applications so stressful?”
• Explaining four reasons why college applications are so stressful
• Providing a college application schedule to help manage stress
• Listing five tips for managing stress during college application season

Let’s get started!

Did you know that there are a couple different paths to becoming a doctor in the United States? While the most traditional route involves earning a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree , you can also become a practicing doctor by earning a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Like an MD, a DO degree qualifies you to become a practicing physician in the U.S. 

One big perk to earning a DO degree is that lots of schools offer BS/DO programs. A BS/DO program allows you to earn your bachelor’s degree AND have a guaranteed seat in med school once you graduate. Plus, you might even be able to graduate one to two years faster than traditional undergrad students…which means you could start practicing medicine more quickly! If you’re planning to become a doctor, there’s a lot you should know about DO/BS programs and how they can benefit you, so below we’ll tell you:

• What a BS/DO program is
• How a BS/DO program differs from a BS/MD program 
• What the differences are between traditional, accelerated, and combined BS/DO programs
• Which universities offer the best BS/DO programs 

Ready? Let's dig in!

We know that homework can be a real drag. It’s time-consuming, and can be difficult to complete all on your own. So, what can you do if you’re struggling?

You might try looking online or in the app store! If you’ve already looked around you probably know that there are tons of homework sites for students and homework apps out there that all say they can help you improve your grades and pass your classes. But, can you trust them? And what are the best apps for homework help?

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help apps–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help apps
• The cost of homework help apps
• The five best apps for homework help
• The pros and cons of using apps that help you with homework 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using apps that help you with homework
• Tips for getting the most out of homework sites for students 

So let’s jump in!

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed. But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

After canceling their summer residential programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Duke has officially announced that they’ve permanently canceled the Duke TIP program. Instead, they’ve replaced it with the new Duke high school pre-college program for high school students!

With all the changes to the Duke TIP program, there’s a lot to know about how Duke’s Pre-College programs have (and haven’t!) changed. We’ll go over everything you need to know, including: 

• The differences between the new Duke Pre-College Programs and the Duke TIP
• Things to consider if you’re thinking about participating in Duke’s Pre-College Programs for high schoolers 
• The details of the Duke Pre-College Program for 2022, including how to apply 
• Tips for creating an awesome Pre-College Program application 

If you’re interested in taking part in one of Duke’s pre-college programs, read on to find out everything you need to know about the new system!

The ISEE, or Independent School Entrance Examination, is a test that many students have to take to gain admission into private middle and high schools in the United States. That means that if you want to attend a private school—or if you want your child to attend a private school—there's a good chance you'll have to register for the ISEE as part of your admissions application.

In this article, we're going to explain everything you need to know about ISEE registration, including:

• Which test level to register for
• How to choose ISEE test dates
• A step-by-step guide to ISEE test registration
• A quick look at what to expect from the ISEE exam

Keep in mind that ISEE test registration—which includes choosing ISEE test dates, locations, and paying for the exam—must be done by a legal adult.

Now, without further ado, let's talk about the ISEE exam!

The AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam is an excellent opportunity to show off your critical reading, writing, and analytical skills in another language while earning college credit in the process. 

But conquering the course material is only the beginning. You need to learn everything there is to know about the exam to boost your chances of earning a passing score (and college credit) to boot!

In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to start prepping for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam, including: 

• The structure and format of the AP Spanish Lit exam
• The core themes and skills you’ll be tested on
• The types of questions that appear on the exam and how to answer them (with real AP student sample responses!)
• How the AP Spanish Lit exam is scored, with official scoring rubrics
• Four crucial tips for prepping for the AP Spanish Lit exam

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

After canceling their summer residential programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Duke has officially announced that they’ve permanently canceled their TIP program. 

To take its place, Duke has created the middle school pre-college program! This program is brand new in 2022, and it’s designed to help middle school students get a jumpstart on their college prep. 

Since the Duke University middle school program is brand new, we’ll go through everything you  need to know about what it is, how to apply, and the benefits you’ll receive as a participant. We’ll cover: 

• How the Duke pre-college programs changed, and how the new Duke summer programs are different from the old Duke Tip program
• If Duke University middle school program is still used to identify and enrich talented students
• What you should consider before applying to the Duke pre-college program for middle schoolers 
• How to apply to the Duke middle school program 

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the new system!

The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam tests your knowledge of how the political systems in different countries are similar and different. The exam requires endurance, strong critical thinking, and top-notch writing skills…which means you’ll need to be extra prepared!

If you’re looking for an AP Comparative Government study guide to carry you through all of your AP prep, look no further than this article! We’ll walk you through: 

• The structure and format of the AP Government — Comparative exam
• The core themes and skills the exam tests you on
• The types of questions that show up on the exam and how to answer them (with sample responses from real AP students!)
• How the AP Comparative Government exam is scored, including official scoring rubrics
• Four essential tips for preparing for the AP Comparative Government exam

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

You’ve been working hard in your AP US History class, and now it’s time to start prepping for your APUSH exam. 

But there’s a lot you’ll need to know if you want to do well, especially on the APUSH DBQ section. For instance, you’ll need to understand the APUSH DBQ rubric so you know how you’ll be scored on your answers, and you’ll need to look at a few APUSH DBQ examples so you understand what it takes to 

Luckily for you, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about APUSH DBQs in one easy place. (That place is, uh, here.) We’ll go over: 

• An explanation of what APUSH DBQs are and why they’re important 
• A walkthrough covering how APUSH DBQs work on the exam and what to expect
• A six-step process for writing a great DBQ
• Four tips for studying for and answering the APUSH DBQs

We’ll also give you an APUSH DBQ rubric and APUSH DBQ examples That’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get going!

AP World History is a challenging class, and in order to get credit for it you’ll have to take an equally challenging exam. And one of the toughest parts of the test is the AP World History document-based question, or AP World DBQ. This question asks you to read and analyze documents on the fly, then write an argumentative essay…all in one hour. 

It can be hard to know what–and how–to study for the AP World History DBQ, especially when you don’t know which documents you’ll receive on test day. But don’t worry: we’ll break down everything you need to know about the AP World History DBQ so you can ace it on test day. (We’ll even give you AP World History DBQ example questions and an AP World History DBQ rubric example!) 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• An explanation of what the AP World History DBQ is 
• A look at how the DBQ works on the AP World History exam
• A step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ
• A guide to studying for and answering the AP World History DBQ

Let’s get going!