SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Have you ever come across an object or an image in a book that was really over-described? That the author seemed way too over-invested in? Most of the time, that feeling is a hint that what you've encountered is a symbol! The Great Gatsby features many objects and images that pop up exactly like this.

But how do you interpret Great Gatsby symbols once you've found them? And how can you find symbols that don't have as much signposting around them? In this article, I'll take you through an explanation of what symbols are, how to locate them, and how to write about them. I'll also point you to in-depth articles about each of the most important symbols in The Great Gatsby.

In Great Gatsby Chapter 8, things go from very bad to much, much worse. There’s an elegiac tone to half of the story in Chapter 8, as Nick tells us about Gatsby giving up on his dreams of Daisy and reminiscing about his time with her five years before. The other half of the chapter is all police thriller, as we hear Michaelis describe Wilson coming unglued and deciding to take bloody revenge for Myrtle’s death.

Get ready for bittersweetness and gory shock, in this The Great Gatsby Chapter 8 summary.

 Sure, you might know the theory behind what a college essay is supposed to sound and look like. But just like reading a description of the Golden Gate Bridge pales in comparison to seeing it in person, there’s no replacement for seeing actual college essays written by students just like you. Well, almost like you – they’ve since gotten into college.

But where do you find good sources for reading sample college essays? How can you make sure that these resources will actually strengthen and improve your writing? And what is the best way to use the college essay examples that you do find? In this article, I’ll go over the best books and websites for finding essays, I’ll point out a few to avoid, and I’ll explain how to make the most out of other people’s essays while avoiding common pitfalls.

To completely prepare for the ACT, you must spend time taking official ACT tests in the same conditions that you’ll face on the day of the real thing.

But what if you’re stuck on a concept that you just can’t seem to quite wrap your head around? Or what if you gone through many of the available practice tests already, but still would like to keep working on your skills? The great news is that there are many other ways to effectively study the concepts being tested on the ACT!

In this article, I’ll talk about what alternative practice ACT resources are good for, and how to use them best when preparing for the test. Then, I’ll also go through the ACT section by section and lay out all the available alternative resources. By the end of this post, you'll have a huge stock of extra practice material to help you prep for the ACT.

Being in 10th grade is a little like walking over a bridge. You're crossing from the less consequential testing of early high school to the world of high-stakes tests, like the SAT and the ACT – tests that can affect your future. One of the ways you get from one side of this metaphorical divide to the other is by getting the chance to practice. For example, some students take the PSAT, which is meant to be a precursor to the SAT that they will take in their junior or senior year.

Others take the ACT Aspire, a national achievement test that assesses how well students from 3rd to 10th grade are measuring up to Common Core standards. The format, structure, and scoring of the ACT Aspire are all very different from the ACT. But, because it is designed by the same organization that creates the ACT, it can feel like a precursor to the real thing.

So what’s a good score on the ACT Aspire for a sophomore? In this article, I’ll talk about different ways to think about what makes a good score, and how to tell where you rank based on the score you got. I’ll also discuss whether your 10th grade ACT Aspire score means for your future ACT score.

It’s tempting to compare the ACT Aspire test to the PSAT, but in reality they are quite different in their goals and purpose. The PSAT is meant to be practice for the real SAT, and doing well on it can qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship.

On the other hand, the ACT Aspire is a test for 3rd to 10th graders that is meant to determine whether students are measuring up to Common Core standards. Just like the real ACT, the ACT Aspire covers English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing. But the format of this test, the structure of the questions, and the way the test is scored are all very different from the ACT.

So how do you know what ACT Aspire score you should aim for in your freshman year of high school? Or if you already got your results, how can you tell where you stand compared to your peers? In this article, I’ll talk about how the ACT Aspire is scored, give you some different ways to think about what a good ACT Aspire score is for a 9th grader, and demonstrate several tools to use when thinking about your specific score.

You probably already know that the gold standard for studying for the SAT is to use the official practice tests released by the College Board. Unfortunately, the SAT is getting completely redesigned after January 2016 – and there aren’t that many official questions for the new test yet. But the great news is that there are many ways to use other resources to study effectively!

Questions from other standardized tests, materials from your high school education, magazines and other publications—there is no shortage of ways to practice the knowledge and skills you’ll need for the new SAT!

In this article, I’ll go through each section of the new SAT and talk about all the possible alternatives to regular practice questions. When it comes to the SAT redesign, the world really is your oyster.

I don’t know what the number one most stressful college application drama is, but a list of the top three has got to include missing SAT scores. You’ve invested time, energy, and maybe even a little of your sanity into reaching your SAT goal, so it’s totally reasonable to be rattled by this kind of curveball.

But before you panic, read this article to troubleshoot some of the most common reasons that SAT scores go missing. I will talk about what to do if you yourself can't find your scores, as well as what to do if the college you're applying to says your scores are missing.

Either way, most likely, you’re looking at a pretty simple problem with a pretty painless solution.

There’s nothing quite like the white-knuckle feeling you get when you realize your ACT scores might be missing. You studied, you stressed, you planned, so it makes perfect sense to be feeling a little crazed with frustration.

But before you lose yourself in missing-score panic, let me reassure you that in the vast majority of cases the problem is small and easily solved. In this article, I'll explain what to do whether you are having trouble finding your scores yourself, or whether it's your target college that seems to have lost the score report from your application.

I'll go through some probable – and improbable – reasons for your missing score, and describe how to fix each one.