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Samantha Lindsay

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

Recent Posts

What Is PSAT 8/9? Should You Take It?

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | May 12, 2023 8:30:00 AM

PSAT Info and Strategies

The College Board now offers the PSAT 8/9 to eighth graders and high school freshmen as the first hurdle in the group of tests they call the "SAT Suite of Assessments." The PSAT 8/9 is a precursor to the PSAT 10, the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT.

But when is the PSAT 8/9 offered? And should you even bother taking it? In this article, we'll give you all the details!

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Is AP Psychology Hard? 5 Key Factors Discussed

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | May 8, 2023 10:00:00 AM

Advanced Placement (AP)

Before you sign up for any AP class, it's helpful to get an idea of whether you'll be able to handle the workload (and the exam!). AP Psychology is a popular AP class that's offered at many schools, so you might have the chance to take it at some point in your high school career.

But is AP psychology hard? Or is it a walk in the AP park? I'll tell you which factors go into judging the difficulty of an AP class and examine what they tell us about the AP Psychology class and exam specifically.

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Is AP Biology Hard? An Expert Discussion

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | May 6, 2023 8:00:00 AM

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP Biology is a popular AP class, and many students are curious about the challenges it presents. Is AP Biology hard? Will you spend hours upon hours studying for the class? Are you likely to fail the exam? Or are AP tests much easier than they seem?

In this article, we'll look at statistics, course material, and student perceptions to present you with a clear picture of the difficulty level of the AP Bio class and exam. We'll also give you some tips for figuring out how challenging AP Biology will likely be for you based on your academic strengths and weaknesses.

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Is AP US History Hard? Expert Discussion

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | May 4, 2023 10:00:00 PM

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP classes are typically more challenging than regular high school classes, but did you know that some APs are harder than others? Based on testing statistics and an examination of the curriculum, we can come up with accurate assessments of the true difficulty level of each AP class.

In this article, I'll analyze AP US History exam scores, student testimonials, and course content to give you a clear picture of how hard this popular AP class really is!

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The Most Selective Colleges, Why, and How to Get In

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Dec 4, 2022 5:00:00 PM

College Admissions

It's tempting to judge the quality of a school based on its admissions rate. Although this is a reasonable way to assess schools in most cases, there are some special circumstances that might result in extremely low acceptance rates at less academically demanding colleges.

In this article, I'll list the most selective colleges in the United States, tell you why they accept so few applicants, and provide you with some advice on how to apply successfully.

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Why You Shouldn't Trust US News College Rankings

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Dec 2, 2022 9:00:00 AM

College Admissions, College Info

US News is probably the most popular source out there for college rankings. While US News rankings of colleges purport to be highly accurate, they can be misleading in certain important respects. If you make decisions based purely on the US News college rankings, you might end up being miserable.

In this article, I'll go over why you shouldn't make judgments about colleges solely based on their rankings in US News.

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The Best SAT and ACT Test Dates for Senior Fall

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Dec 1, 2022 9:00:00 AM

ACT General Info, SAT General Info

Senior year is coming up, and you're ready to take a last shot at the SAT or ACT before applying to college. But when should you take the test? And how can you ensure that your scores make it to colleges on time?

Read on to see a list of the fall and winter test dates as well as a detailed guide on how to choose the best date for your situation.

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The Expert's Guide to the AP Psychology Exam

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Nov 13, 2022 7:00:00 PM

Advanced Placement (AP)

Taking AP Exams can be stressful, but if you know what to expect on test day, you can eliminate a lot of that anxiety. The AP Psychology exam is one of the more popular AP tests, and it has a pretty straightforward format and scoring system. In this article, I'll tell you what's on the AP Psychology test, how it's graded, and which prep methods you should use to get a great score.

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The Expert's Guide to the AP Human Geography Exam

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Nov 13, 2022 10:25:00 AM

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP Human Geography is an investigation of how the human species has populated the earth and developed different cultures, political systems, and means of production. This is a subject that can be a little hard to pin down because it represents an intersection of lots of different information.

How does the College Board test such a wide range of topics? Continue reading to gain a better understanding of the lay of the land (so to speak) on the AP Human Geography exam!

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The Ultimate Guide to the AP US History Exam

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Nov 13, 2022 8:00:00 AM

Advanced Placement (AP)

The AP US History exam involves critical reading, writing, and in-depth analysis. It's not just about memorizing names and dates, but rather interpreting historical evidence quickly and accurately, recalling outside information on a topic, and synthesizing your ideas into a coherent argument.

In this guide, we'll give you a rundown of the format and structure of the AP US History test along with a brief content outline, sample questions, and some tips for a great score.

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The Expert's Guide to the AP Chemistry Exam

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Nov 13, 2022 8:00:00 AM

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP Chemistry is a challenging subject, and many students feel nervous about taking on the exam at the end of the school year. But if you have a sense of what to expect on the AP Chemistry test well in advance, you'll be able to prepare appropriately for it.

In this guide, I'll lay out the structure and content of the AP Chemistry exam, give you examples of different types of questions you'll see on it, and tell you how to study effectively for it!

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Cheap Out-of-State Colleges: Top 17 Most Affordable

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Nov 11, 2022 6:00:00 PM

Financial Aid, College Info

If you're hoping to be far from home for college but are worried about the cost of an out-of-state school, you might run into some issues in the application process. How do you find out-of-state schools that still offer relatively cheap tuition?

In this article, I've compiled a list of schools that offer the lowest tuition rates and highest rates of institutional aid to out-of-state students. Keep reading to learn what these schools are!

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The Best Small Colleges in the United States

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Oct 24, 2022 6:30:00 PM

College Admissions

If you're interested in attending a small college, you may be wondering which schools offer the most rigorous academic experience combined with the best quality of life.

In this article, I'll give you a list of the best small colleges in the nation based on student reviews and academic ratings, as well as some more specific great small college options.

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What Are the Ivy League Schools? Should You Go to One?

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Oct 23, 2022 8:00:00 AM

College Info

When we hear the phrase "Ivy League," most of us probably think of rich people who tie sweaters around their necks. Believe it or not, there's a lot more to it than that. The Ivy League is a group of elite colleges that have a long history of impressive achievements and notable alumni. But how did this come about? And what are these schools really like?

Read on to learn more about the formation of the Ivy League, its member schools, and whether you should consider applying.

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What's the Average College GPA? By Major?

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Posted by Samantha Lindsay | Oct 15, 2022 5:00:00 PM

Coursework/GPA

If you're still in high school, you might be curious about how college GPAs work and what you can expect for grades given your major of choice. Just like high schools, colleges vary in how they calculate GPA. Grade inflation also significantly affects college GPA at most schools, causing many students to end up with higher GPAs in college than they had in high school.

In this article, I'll give you the facts about average GPAs at different types of colleges and within a variety of college majors.

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