SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Dora Seigel

As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

Recent Posts

How to Transfer Colleges Successfully: Complete Guide

Transferring colleges can be a very difficult decision to make, but you need to find the college that is the right fit for you even if it means transferring. Whether you're trying to transfer from a 2-year school to a 4-year school or from one 4-year university to another, this article is to help you on your journey to transfer!

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Historical ACT Percentiles for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011

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Posted by Dora Seigel

ACT

For those currently taking the ACT or who took it in 2011-2015, you might wonder: how does your percentile compare with students who got the same score in other years? In this guide, I'll explain what percentiles are, how they work for the ACT, and why they matter. I'll also give you ACT percentile charts for 2011-2015 so you can see how your scores stack up against historical ones.

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The 44 Colleges With the Lowest SAT Scores, Ranked

Applying to college is a nerve-wracking process, but have no fear: if you want to go to college even with a low SAT score, there is most likely a school for you!

In this article, I'll list the colleges with the lowest 25th percentile SAT scores for their admitted students. The 25th percentile SAT score means that 25% of admitted students to that university scored at or below that number; the 75th percentile SAT score means that 75% of admitted students scored at or below that score (25% scored higher). I'll also explain why their low SAT criterion doesn’t necessarily mean the university is bad.

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Colleges With the Lowest ACT Scores, Ranked

The college application process can be stressful, but don't worry, if you hope to attend a four-year university and have a low ACT score, there is quite possibly a college for you!

In this article, I list the universities with the lowest 25th percentile ACT scores for their admitted students. The 25th percentile ACT score signifies that 25% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that number. The 75th percentile ACT score signifies that 75% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that score (25% scored higher). I will also explain why you shouldn't always judge the colleges by their low 25th/75th percentile ACT.

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The Best ACT Score Predictor

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Posted by Dora Seigel

ACT

Taking the ACT is stressful—some test you've never seen before will affect where you go to college. As a high school student, I felt anxious taking the ACT because I hadn't done any practice and had no idea whether I'd reach my target score.

One way to mitigate nerves surrounding the ACT is to try to predict your ACT score. If you find out your estimate is close to your target score, you'll feel relieved. If it's low, at least you'll know you need to do more preparation before taking the test.

What is the best ACT score predictor? What should you do with your estimated ACT score? In this guide, I'll walk you through the different ways to predict your ACT score and explain the pros and cons of each. I'll also let you know how to use your estimated score to your advantage.

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What Is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program?

You've probably heard of this thing called IB, or International Baccalaureate. You might have heard that it's kind of like the Advanced Placement, or AP, program.

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma from Suncoast Community High School in Riviera Beach, Florida. I know the program from the inside out. In this article, I'll give you a factual overview of IB as well as my opinions.

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The Best IB Biology Textbooks, Reviewed

To achieve success in your IB Biology SL/HL class and on the exam, you need to find the best textbook for your learning style. In this article, I have collected and reviewed a list of the most recent IB Biology Textbooks (2013 or newer), as I don't recommend you studying with any older books, as they may be out of date.

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The Best IB Biology Books: Full Expert Reviews

In IB Biology SL/HL, there are so many topics and so little time. Maximize your study time by using the best study materials and best IB Biology textbooks. In this article, we have collected a list of the best IB Biology books and textbooks for you to use as you prepare for the exam.

 

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SAT Trigonometry: SOHCAHTOA and Radians

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Posted by Dora Seigel

SAT Math

Trigonometry and radians are important parts of the digital SAT Math section! Do you love SOHCAHTOA and ${π}$ angle measurements? Do you hate trigonometry and radians and don't know what SOHCAHTOA or ${π}/{2}$ means?

No matter how you feel about SAT trigonometry, there is no need to stress. In this guide, I'll let you know everything you need to know about trigonometry and radians for the SAT Math test and guide you through some practice problems.

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How Do You Calculate ACT Score? Raw and Scaled

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Posted by Dora Seigel

ACT

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36. But how exactly do you end up with a composite score on this scale when you answer a lot more than 36 total questions? In this article, we'll walk through the steps needed to calculate your ACT composite score, including how to calculate your raw scores and convert these into scaled scores.

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Hospital Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students: A Guide

Interested in pursuing a career in medicine? If you are, being a hospital volunteer in high school is a fantastic way to test out the profession. If you're not interested in pursuing a career in medicine but still want to volunteer, that's great too!

Being a hospital volunteer is very rewarding, but it's also a lot of hard work. How can you become a hospital volunteer? Why should you volunteer at a hospital? What are the main duties of a hospital volunteer? I'll answer these questions and more in this guide.

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The 39 Best Clubs to Start in High School

Thinking about starting a club? It's a great way to meet people with similar interests, do an activity you enjoy, learn more about an activity you're interested in, and gain leadership experience for your college application! But what are good clubs to start in high school? In this article, I'll give you a list of dozens of clubs you can start!

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Best ACT Math Practice Tests: How to Find and Use Them

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Posted by Dora Seigel

ACT Math

Whatever your ACT Math prep plan, whether you're doing self-study, a class, or working with a tutor, you need to be working with real ACT Math practice materials. The ACT Math test will be unlike any other Math test you've taken. You need to work with the real material to get used to the pacing and style of this unique test. In this guide, I'll let you know where to find free and paid official ACT Math practice tests.

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Does Messy Handwriting Hurt Your ACT Writing Score?

Do you have messy handwriting? If so, trust me, you're not alone. Given only 40 minutes to plan and write an essay, most students end up with at least slightly sloppy handwriting. How does bad handwriting affect your ACT Writing score? Can you end up with a lower score? Can you end up with a score of zero? I've got the answers to these questions along with more ACT Writing advice.

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How Do You Calculate Digital SAT Score? Raw and Scaled

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Posted by Dora Seigel

SAT

You know your SAT score is important for college admissions and even things like scholarships, but how does your SAT score get calculated? I'll show the steps to calculating your final SAT score so you can get an accurate idea of how well you're doing on the exam. This article is fully updated for the new, digital SAT!

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