SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

For years, the Common Application (CA) was the only widely available application for use at multiple colleges. It was created in 1975, with 15 colleges in its first year. It still dominates the college application world, and today is used by more than 900 colleges and universities.

However, back in 2007, the Universal College Application (UCA) was created, and now serves two colleges and universities. So what exactly are the differences between the CA and the UCA? Why do colleges use one, both, or neither? And which one should you use? We will explore these questions in this post and help you decide how to apply.

Are you taking AP European History? If so, you know the big AP test occurs in May. Doing well on this exam is a great boost to your college applications, and it can even earn you college credit. So how can you ensure you get the score you want? That's where we come in! This AP European History study guide covers everything you need for your AP Euro review. Read on to learn what the AP Euro exam will be like (including looking at sample questions), what topics the exam will cover, how to create a personalized study plan, and the tips to follow to help you get your best score.

Are you taking the AP European History exam and want to make sure you're prepared? One of the best ways to measure your progress and learn which areas you need to focus on is to take practice exams. There are a lot of AP Euro History practice tests available; however, some are higher-quality than others. Taking a poorly written practice exam can cause you to study the wrong things and give you an inaccurate picture of what the real AP exam will be like.

In this guide, I'll go over every AP Euro practice test available, explain if and how you should use each one, and end with a schedule you can follow to help you incorporate practice tests into your study plans.

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 European History is offered at many schools, so you might have the chance to take it at some point in your high school career.

But is AP European History hard? What if you're naturally good at remembering historical facts or have a lot of experience with AP classes? In this guide, we'll go over the five factors to consider when judging the difficulty of an AP class and explain how you can use this information to predict how hard AP Euro will be for you.  

If you're hoping to attend a performing arts college in New York state or New York City, this article will get you one step closer to that goal. I have compiled a comprehensive list of the over 70 universities and conservatory programs in New York that offer performing arts degrees (Bachelor’s or higher). I have also chosen the top 3 performing arts schools in New York.

If you’re starting the process of studying for your AP Macroeconomics exam and want to make sure you’re as prepared as possible, there’s nothing better than taking practice tests. Studying with AP Macroeconomics practice tests will familiarize you with the types of questions you’ll see on the exam, expose you to the exam format and length, and give you insight into what material you might be struggling with.

But where can you find great AP Macro practice tests? We've compiled a list of the best AP Macroeconomics practice exams out there, and we’ll give you a few tips on how to use them to potentially boost your score. 

Ready? Let’s dive in! 

You might be interested in attending a big college, but just how big are you thinking? Some schools have over 40,000 undergraduates, making them the size of a small city. These schools can provide great opportunities to students, but they can also be a little overwhelming.

In this article, I'll give you a list of the 51 biggest colleges for undergraduates in the US along with student feedback about what it‘s really like to be part of such a large college community.

So you’ve been working hard in your AP Macroeconomics class, and it’s time to start studying for the exam. Even though this can seem like a daunting task, if you get an early start and follow a set plan, you’ll be on your way to getting the score you want!

Want to know how to study for AP Macroeconomics? In this complete AP Macroeconomics study guide, we’ll provide you with all the resources and strategies you need to create an awesome, effective study plan.

Ready to hit the books? Then let’s get started.

Taking AP courses is a big commitment. It’s a good idea to learn everything you can about an AP course before signing up—including how challenging the class is. 

If you’re considering taking AP Macroeconomics, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to answer the question, “Is AP Economics hard?” by covering the following info: 

• The five factors that determine the difficulty of an AP class
• What the statistics say about how hard AP Macroeconomics is
• How real students answer the question, “Is AP Macroeconomics hard?”
• Three tips for finding out if AP Macro will be hard for you

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

In the past, you may have been asked to take an SAT Subject Test in a particular subject as part of the college admissions process. These tests covered single subjects, like World History or Physics, consisted of 50 to 90 questions, and were graded on a scale of 200-800.

International students will still be able to take SAT Subject Tests through June 2021. We'll explain why, and we'll also provide scoring information for international students who'll be taking the exam. We'll wrap things up with some tips for deciding when and whether you should send your SAT Subject Test scores to colleges.

However, after June 2021, SAT Subject Tests will no longer be offered for students in the U.S. and international students. We'll go over what these changes mean for U.S. students and international students below.

There's a lot to cover, so let's get started!

As a high school student, I took both the SAT and the ACT. I’d been taking the SAT every couple of years since I was in middle school, so I planned to focus primarily on it. However, as a public school student in Colorado, I was required to take the ACT by my school. My scores on the two tests were relatively similar and I ended up submitting both.

Taking both tests, whether because of school requirements or personal preference, has become an increasingly common choice for students, especially those applying to top colleges. Though it isn’t necessary to take both the ACT and SAT, doing so might be the right plan for you. This guide will walk you through the pro and cons of taking both tests.

Have you taken the SAT more than once? Are you wondering how colleges will look at multiple test scores? Will they review all your scores? Only your highest score? Will they average your scores and use that number? Standardized test scores are an important part of applying to college, but it’s not always clear how schools will review your SAT scores if you send them more than one set of scores.

Will colleges average your SAT scores if you take the test multiple times? In short, no. Colleges don’t take the average of your scores. Instead, they will look at your “best” score, however; there are multiple ways a school can calculate that. In this article, I’ll go over the various methods schools use to look at multiple SAT scores, if they require you to send all your SAT scores, and how you can use this information to your advantage and help strengthen your college applications.

The SAT is a pretty high-stakes test - it’s an important part of your college applications, which could mean trouble if you get a low score. But can you fail the SAT altogether?

The good news is that officially, it’s impossible to fail the SAT - but that doesn’t mean that a low score doesn't mean bad news. Here, I’ll review everything you need to know about why you can’t really fail the SAT, but why poor marks may as well count as failing.

Worried about your score? At the end, I’ll go over the steps you should take to pull them up.  

Here at PrepScholar, we understand how important it is to pick the right ACT test date. Choose a date that's too early and you won't have enough time to study. However, choose a date that's too late and you may not be able to retake the exam, if needed, or get your scores to colleges by their deadlines. 

To help make choosing the best ACT test date easier, we constantly review data to keep you up-to-date on new ACT testing dates. When you know future ACT registration and exam dates, you can stay organized so you can focus on studying for the test with less stress.

In this article, we go over the confirmed ACT test dates for 2021-2022 and explain the steps to take to pick the best ACT test date for you.

SAT Essay writing requires a very specific set of skills. It's a little daunting to think that you only have 50 minutes to read a passage, analyze it, and then write an essay. But don't worry—getting a top SAT essay score is within everyone's reach! The most reliable way to score high is to follow our SAT essay template for every essay and to prepare well beforehand.

In this article, we'll show you how to write a great SAT essay. We'll take you through all the steps you need to follow when writing the SAT essay to show you how you can put together a killer essay yourself.