SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Few things in life are free – especially when it comes to college admissions. You have to shell out for prep books, test fees, application fees, and more. It adds up quickly! So doesn’t it make sense to save money where you can, like on those four free score reports that come with your SAT registration?

Maybe – or maybe not. We will examine the issue in depth and help you learn how to save your money and also maximize your college admission chances.

Want to prep for the ACT on you own? Chances are you’ve ordered a prep book to help you study.

One of the most popular prep books around is The Real ACT Prep Guide. But how can you make sure you get your money’s worth out of the book – and make sure you actually study well enough to improve your ACT composite? Read our guide to using The Real ACT Prep Guide to find out.

Are you studying for the SAT? Chances are you've heard of, or maybe even already purchased, The Official SAT Study Guide. It's the #1 best-selling test prep and study guide book on Amazon.com, and used by thousands of students around the country to prepare for the SAT.

But before you dive into The Official SAT Study Guide, you need to make sure you're using it correctly. Read our guide to getting the most out of the nation's most popular SAT study guide.

Did you know it’s possible to totally delete a set of ACT scores you don’t like? Poof - just like that. A bad set of ACT scores can vanish.

This isn't a well known fact, and in fact we were surprised to discover it ourselves. But it has big implications for how you test, especially if you're afraid of taking the test too many times because it'll look bad to colleges.

We will explain how to delete ACT scores and discuss in which circumstances it might make sense. Read on for an exclusive guide to getting rid of bad ACT scores.

Do you need to study vocabulary for the ACT but aren’t sure where to start? We have links to free lists of ACT vocab from around the web.

We also have found other vocab study resources – from videos to apps to browser plug-ins – to help you study ACT-specific vocabulary.

Need to study vocabulary for the SAT but aren’t sure where to start? We have links to the best free lists of SAT vocab from around the web.

We also have found other vocab study resources – from videos to apps to browser plug-ins – to help you study in the way that works best for you. Read on and conquer SAT vocabulary!

You don't want to walk in the morning of the ACT only to find you have to take the test on a super-tiny desk.

If you're preparing for the ACT, you've probably spent a lot of time studying and getting ready for the test. But you probably haven't given that much thought to the physical location of your test (especially if you're taking it as a part of your state’s mandatory testing).

However, the place you take the ACT could definitely affect your performance. Read our guide to choosing the best possible ACT test location so you can knock it out of the park.

While you're doing a lot to prepare for the SAT, you probably haven't given that much thought to the physical location of your test. However, that location could definitely affect your performance.

Think about it – have you ever had to take a test in a cramped classroom or in room without air conditioning? It probably didn’t exactly help your performance. So why would you take the SAT in sub-optimal conditions?

Read our guide to choosing the best possible test location so you can do as well as possible.

Image via College Board.

The SAT was revamped in March 2016 in an effort to make it more modern and accessible. If you’re a current high school student, you’ve probably heard about this change.

If you’re a current senior (Class of 2017) or junior (Class of 2018) this raises some questions. What if you took the SAT before it changed last spring? Will colleges still accept scores from the "old" SAT? Or will they require you to take the new SAT? This has big implications for how you prep, when you take the tests, and possibly even whether you should switch to the ACT.

In this exclusive, first of its kind breakdown, we personally spoke to admissions counselors from dozens of colleges to get some real answers on how they will handle the transition. 

Are you planning to take the ACT soon? Curious about what the English section is like? It's more than just correcting grammar and recognizing proper punctuation. In this post we will break down exactly what the ACT English section tests. 

If you’re applying to college soon, you might have heard about the Universal College Application, a service that allows you to apply to multiple colleges with one application.

So which colleges are on the Universal College Application? And is it worth using? We will give the complete list and also weigh the pros and cons of the UCA.

Have you taken the ACT recently? Do you think you did badly? Or maybe you’re just wondering what the minimum score you need to get into college is.

We will explain what a bad ACT score is, both in terms of the national averages and colleges you want to go to.

Don't get lost in the crowd.

Do you want to stay close to home for college, but don’t want to get lost in the crowd of a large state school? Or do you want to know how to make the most of your experience at large university?

It’s possible to get a selective, small college experience at a large university, through programs like honors colleges and merit scholarships.

But how can you find these programs, and how can you ensure you'll be considered for merit scholarships and honors colleges? We will give you the info you need to make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities near you.

Did you recently get your SAT scores back and do, well, amazing? If you got above a 2200, you should proud – you’re in the top 2% of test scorers. In fact, you’re in the top 1% with a score of 2220 and up. (For the New SAT, any score higher than 1480 is likely to put you in the top 1%, but we will have to wait a few months for percentile data.)

But if you’re a perfectionist, you might be wondering, "Since I did so well, shouldn't I try to retake the SAT for a perfect 1600?" We will help you decide if an SAT retake is right for you.

In 2014, the makers of the ACT rolled out a new pre-ACT test: the ACT Aspire. Unlike the ACT Plan, which was given just to tenth graders, the ACT Aspire is meant to be given to 3^rd through 11^th graders, with the goal of testing Common Core standards as well as ACT readiness.

The ACT Aspire has its own scoring scale, content, and goals compared to the ACT. But it provides a predicted ACT score based on your performance. So is that predicted score accurate? We’ll give you the answer.