SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Laura Staffaroni

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

Recent Posts

What's a Good SAT Score for 2018?

Another year, another chance to take the SAT! If you're taking the SAT this year, you might be wondering: just what is a good SAT score for 2018? Is there a particular score I should be aiming for to make sure I get into the colleges I want to go to?

To answer the question of what good SAT scores for 2018 are, this article looks at a few different definitions of what makes a good SAT score, and how this has changed over time. We also explain why SAT score goals should be specific to each student and give you step-by-step instructions for choosing your target SAT score.

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What's a Good SAT Math or Reading/Writing (EBRW) Score?

In this article, we’ll go over how to calculate target SAT Math, Reading, and Writing scores, as well as why you might want to do this.

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Can Green Card Holders Get Financial Aid?

If you’re a high school student and a green card holder, you might be wondering if you’re eligible for any financial assistance for college.

The short answer to the question, “Can green card holders get financial aid?” is yes, but what’s the process for getting it? We’ll discuss the forms you have to fill out and how to determine your eligibility for financial aid as a green card holder in this article.

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What's a Good PSAT Score for 2017? Expert Analysis

If you plan on taking the PSAT in October 2017, then you won’t have to wait too long for the results. You’ll get your scores back mid-December, just before winter break.

Your PSAT score report gives you a few different score types, including your total scores, section scores, and Selection Index. With all this data, how can you sort through the numbers to figure out what's a good PSAT score?

This guide goes over the full scoring system of the PSAT so you'll know exactly what makes a good score. We'll start with a quick glossary explaining the various types of PSAT scores you’ll find on your score report in December.

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What Is Subrogation? Should You Waive It?

Signing up for car insurance and not sure if it's worth it to pay a premium to waive subrogation? Or maybe you've been in an accident and the other person has offered to settle with you if you sign a waiver of subrogation—should you do it? What is subrogation, really?

Before you decide, you'll need to understand what subrogation is and why you would (or wouldn't) want to waive it. In this guide, we define subrogation and explain when and why it occurs to help you make an informed decision.

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How to Study for the Summer SAT: 4 Helpful Tips

As of August 2017, there's now an SAT test date at the end of the summer. What are the advantages of taking the SAT in the summer and what’s the best way to prep for the summer SAT?

Read on to find out the summer SAT dates for 2018 and 2019 and what the best way to prep for them are.

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4 Expert PSAT Calculator Tips + Approved Calculators

PSAT math can be intimidating, so it would be nice to be able to have some computerized help. But can you use a calculator on the PSAT? Yes, you can, though only on the second of the two Math sections on the PSAT. But what kind of calculator can you use, and when does it make sense to use a calculator on the PSAT?

Read on for the complete list of approved calculators for PSAT test day and our top tips for using your calculator effectively.

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What Is a Good SSAT Score? Understanding Your Scores

If you’re looking at applying to a private elementary, middle, or high school, there’s a good chance you’ll need to take the SSAT first. But what is a good SSAT score? How can you get the score you need to get into the school of your dreams?

Unfortunately, there's usually not a clear cutoff for what SSAT scores are acceptable. In this article, we'll try to remove some of that uncertainty by going over how scoring on the SSAT works and what counts as a good SSAT score.

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7th Grade SAT Prep: How to Ace the Exam

Why take the SAT in 7th grade, when there are plenty of other standardized tests like the PSAT and ACT Aspire that are aimed at middle schoolers? There are a couple of answers to that question. Certain summer programs for talented 7th graders require participants to take a college entry exam, which is why most students end up taking the SAT so early. The rare middle schooler may also choose to take the SAT as a 7th grader as part of her early college preparation.

In an effort to do well on a college entrance exam like the SAT as a 7th grader, it may be tempting to do everything that's recommended for regular SAT prep and then turn it all the way up to 11. But just as good 7th grade SAT scores may be different from good college application SAT scores, so, too, does your test prep need to be different. Learn about the best strategies and practices for 7th grade SAT prep so you can be preared to ace the exam on test day.

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7th Grade ACT Prep: How to Ace the Exam

Even though there are plenty of other standardized tests for younger students like ACT Aspire or the PSAT, there are still many middle schoolers every year who take the ACT. 7th grade is definitely a bit earlier than most people take a college entrance exam, but it's possible you might have to take it as part of an academic talent search or want to take it to see what it's like.

Just as good 7th grade ACT scores are different from what good scores would be for juniors or seniors, though, 7th grade ACT prep is very different from high school ACT prep. Find out the best way to A-C-E the ACT in 7th grade in this article.

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Taking the ACT in 7th Grade: Should You Do It?

It’s just a short while before school ends for the day. You settle in to enjoy a discussion about sea monkeys in your 7th grade Science class when all of a sudden, one of your classmates starts complaining about having to take the ACT. What is she talking about? Who would want to take the ACT in middle school, and who even cares about 7th grade ACT scores?

If you’re a parent, you may have heard or read about programs designed for early-achieving students. But it can be hard to figure out if those programs are for students who do well on the ACT, or if the students get to take the ACT if they do well in school.

Fear not—I’ll clear up the confusion in this article as I go over the pros and cons of taking the ACT in 7th grade and the programs you can get into with high 7th grade ACT scores.

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New SAT Scoring Advantage

While the new SAT is out of 1600 and the old SAT is out of 2400, the two aren't directly proportional; you can't just multiply your old SAT score by 2/3 and expect the result to be how you'd do on the new SAT.

The only way to know for sure how you'd do on the new test (besides taking the new SAT exam) is to use the College Board's data to convert your score from old to new SAT. To find out if you’d score higher on the new SAT and why that might be the case, read on!

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ACT Practice Tests: What They Can and Can't Do

ACT practice tests are invaluable for any level of ACT preparation, from those just beginning their study to those who have studied for months already. There are limits, however, to what ACT practice tests can do.

Read on to find out what things ACT practice tests are good for and what they just can’t accomplish.

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ACT Subscores vs. SAT Subscores: How to Compare

Both the ACT and SAT subscores provide students with detailed information about their weaknesses and strengths in categories more specific than English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing (ACT) or Reading, Writing, Math, and Essay-writing (SAT). Understanding the implications of that detailed information, however, can be difficult, due to the sheer number of scores.

In this article, we'll discuss how subscores can be useful to students and whether or not subscores on one test can indicate how a student would do on the other.

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How to Take Both the SAT and ACT...and Who Should Take Both

The SAT and ACT may both be college entrance exams, but the way they test students on their college readiness is subtly different. Most students will do better on one test than the other, so why would you want to go through the hassle of taking both exams? And is it even feasible to do so? We’ll answer those questions in this article.

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