SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Interested in learning more about Research Science Institute? Maybe you've heard that the RSI Summer Program is the most competitive science research program for high school students in the US, and attending it is one of the best ways to get the attention of top-tier colleges. But what is the Research Science Institute, and what do participants do there? And how can you be one of the lucky few who get accepted? This guide will answer all those questions and give you tips on how to create a standout RSI application.

Yep, you read that correctly: in May 2020, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to stop requiring the ACT and SAT as part of admissions applications. In other words, if you're applying to a UC school, you won't have to submit your ACT or SAT scores.

Before you get super excited, there are some caveats you should know about. That's why we're breaking down the changes — and answering your FAQs! — below.

Thinking about entering the fashion industry? You're in for a fun, challenging career path. If you want to be well-prepared to enter any area of fashion—either it's the design side or the business side—an education at a well-reputed school will definitely be helpful.

Before getting into the list of best fashion schools, I'll talk a bit about why you might want to attend a fashion school and how I compiled these rankings.

Are you a gamer who dreams of one day getting paid to create video games? Have you ever played a video game and thought that you could do a better job coming up with the characters, dialogue, or rules? Maybe you should consider studying game design and entering a growing and lucrative field.

In this article, I'll explain game design, provide a list of the best video game design schools, and let you know how to use the list to help you find the right college for you.

Love science and want to show off your skills? High school science competitions are a great way to do that! But which competitions will impress colleges the most? We've gathered information on 11 of the best science competitions for high school students. Look over the descriptions that seem most interesting to you, then keep reading to learn everything you need to do to make them stand out on your college applications.

May is a busy month for students with end of year exams, sports, and activities, but there is one more thing you might want to consider: taking the May SAT in your junior year. Taking the May SAT can help you boost your score and be competitive for early action or early decision at your top schools.

In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about the May 2025 SAT, including registration deadlines, how to register, and when your scores can be expected to come out. We'll also go over some pros and cons to help you decide if this is the right test date for you.

While people associate the SAT with high school students, there are several reasons someone may need or want to take the SAT after high school. But can you take the SAT after high school? Absolutely! I took the SAT this past year as an adult and will be taking it again this May.

In this guide, I’ll cover the reasons you may want to take the SAT as an adult, how to register, how testing is different as an adult, and more advice.

Many competitive college programs require high school students to submit SAT Subject Test scores to be eligible for admission. This usually means spending a little more money on test registration, but fee waivers are available if you're eligible. In this article, I'll go through how much each SAT Subject Test costs and how fee waivers work for these tests.

For many students, the SAT is one of the biggest stressors to come up during high school. Few anticipate, though, that it may still be a concern during college. Occasionally, however, you might find that you need new SAT scores after high school. 

So can you take the SAT in college? Yes, you absolutely can. There is no regulation that forbids it. In fact, the College Board's website specifically discusses non-high school testers.

This article will discuss why you might need to take the test as a college student and cover some solid information about that process—and what makes it both unique and challenging.

Looking for official ACT practice? The Official ACT Prep Guide is a great resource.

In this article, I'll provide a review of the current Official ACT Prep Guide, including positives and negatives of the new guide and whether or not you should buy it to help you through the study process.

If you're deciding between taking the SAT and the ACT and you have a tight budget, this guide will help. We'll cover the registration costs, reporting costs, and how you can save money no matter what test you choose.

Applying early action to colleges can have a lot of benefits: you'll get your applications out of the way faster, you'll get your decisions faster, and you may have a slightly better chance of getting admitted. 

But can you apply early action to multiple schools? The answer gets a bit complicated! However, in this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about early action and walk you through how to take advantage of early action and its benefits.

A totally normal (but totally frustrating!) part of getting ready for college is college application stress. Statistics show that 76% of students feel high levels of stress about the college application process…so if you’re feeling overwhelmed by college applications, you aren’t alone!

The good news is that there are steps you can take to prepare for the college application process, including having some stress management tactics at the ready. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know for effective college application stress management, including:

• Answering the question, “Why are college applications so stressful?”
• Explaining four reasons why college applications are so stressful
• Providing a college application schedule to help manage stress
• Listing five tips for managing stress during college application season

Let’s get started!

Do you have colleges you're interested in but don't have the time or money to visit the campuses in person? Look into virtual college tours! More and more colleges are now offering them (we have the whole list!), and they're a great way to get a feel for what a particular school is like without leaving home. But how do virtual college visits work? What questions should you ask? And how do you know if they're the right choice for you? Keep reading to find out.

Did you get a provisional offer of admission from your dream college? What does provisional admission mean, and what do you need to do next? And have you been accepted or not? Provisional admission can be confusing for students and parents to navigate, but we're here to explain the process as well as the steps you need to take to get that official admissions letter.