SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you've already taken the SAT, you know it will likely be an important component of your college applications. Maybe you've set a goal score for yourself based on the types of colleges you're interested in. Even if you haven't taken the SAT yet or are still considering whether to take it, you probably want to know more about what the most competitive colleges and universities expect when it comes to applicants' standardized test scores.

I've compiled a list of colleges with the highest average SAT scores for admitted students. You'll be able to compare your own SAT scores (or goal scores) with those of top colleges and universities. I'll also talk about what these rankings actually mean so that you can interpret this information effectively. For example, are these schools the best schools you can attend? Are they the most competitive? What do you do if your SAT scores are below the listed averages?

Read on for a list of the top schools ranked by SAT score, and answers to the above questions!

The college application process can be stressful, but don't worry, if you hope to attend a four-year university and have a low ACT score, there is quite possibly a college for you!

In this article, I list the universities with the lowest 25th percentile ACT scores for their admitted students. The 25th percentile ACT score signifies that 25% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that number. The 75th percentile ACT score signifies that 75% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that score (25% scored higher). I will also explain why you shouldn't always judge the colleges by their low 25th/75th percentile ACT.

If you live in the U.S., you’ve probably heard about how important “STEM” education is. But what is STEM, exactly? And why is it so important? 

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about STEM education, including:

• Explain what STEM stands for
• Overview the disciplines that STEM includes
• Answer the question, “What does STEM stand for in school?”
• Explain the importance of STEM
• Provide a five question quiz to help you decide if pursuing STEM is right for you

Ready? Let’s dive in! 

For those of you who have started researching college admissions, you may have heard of the concept of a "safety school." What is a safety school? Simply, a safety school is one in which your odds of getting in are extremely high. Everyone who applies to college should apply to safety schools. Why? You don't want to risk getting rejected from all the schools you apply to.

In this article, I'll define and explain the concept of a safety school. Furthermore, I'll discuss how to identify your safety schools and determine the number of safety schools you should apply to.

Planning on taking the SAT soon? If so, you're probably wondering, "What's a good SAT score for 2021?" In this in-depth guide, we explain the three ways you can determine whether an SAT score is good or not. We also explain why it's so important to set a goal score and how the coronavirus pandemic and new school score policies have affected 2021 SAT scores.

COVID-19 (the coronavirus) has caused serious changes to upcoming IB exams and the IB programme. To help you stay up to date, we've compiled all the information you need to know about IB alterations and cancellations as a result of COVID-19, how they'll impact you, and how they'll impact the potential college credit you earn from IB scores.

The average ACT score for US students is a 20.6. The middle 50% of students score between a 16 and a 25. The following chart breaks down the nationwide average by section:

However, when you’re thinking about college admissions the nationwide average isn’t important: what really matters is the average score of the students you’re being compared with.

If you’re a high achieving student applying to very selective schools you’ll need a score much higher than the national average. If, on the other hand, you’re applying to certain state schools, a 20 is a totally acceptable score.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some colleges and universities have changed the application process for the upcoming Fall 2021 application cycle. These changes are meant to help applicants and may include application deadlines, required application materials, and financial aid applications and awards.

If you're planning to apply to college this fall, it's important you know about these changes and how they might affect you. In this article, we'll help you navigate changes to the college application process due to the COVID-19 epidemic by describing four ways that these changes may affect college applicants. We'll also provide four tips for how to proceed if your college application is affected by COVID-19.

Take a deep breath: we're here to help you navigate the changes to the admissions process. Now, let's take a look at the Fall 2021 admissions process.

When they first start tutoring, almost all students ask the same question: what is the average SAT score? 

The answer varies a bit every year, but for students in the class of 2019, the average SAT score was a 1051. I’ve created a chart by section below.

Many students make judgments about their potential for future success based on how well they do on the ACT or SAT. Though earning high scores on these tests will help you to get into a selective college, the scores don't always have an impact on your future beyond that.

In this article, I'll go through whether or not ACT scores can be used as a means of predicting academic success, career success, and overall happiness later in life.

Did you know that studying for the SAT or ACT can be a joint effort? This is one of the draws of ACT and SAT prep classes, which allow you to learn the most important components of the exam in a group setting, with guidance and advice from an expert teacher. Unfortunately, not all classes are high quality, so you'll need to carefully vet any you're interested in before committing to one.

In this article, we go over the six key qualities that make for a great SAT/ACT prep class. We then introduce our four tips for finding the right prep class for you. Before we do all that, though, let's answer an important question: should everyone take an ACT/SAT prep class or not?

Have you heard about ACT Academy and are wondering if it's a good study resource? Although ACT Academy has some legitimate benefits, overall, there are many drawbacks to it, and we only recommend using it in addition to other study materials. Using ACT Academy as your main ACT prep resource can result in a lot of wasted time and a lower score than you wanted. In this in-depth guide, we explain everything you need to know about ACT Academy, including what it offers, why it was created, and how it differs from other resources. We then break down ACT Academy's pros and cons and explain how you should use ACT Academy as part of your test prep (and how you definitely shouldn't use it).

Many students are aware that you need a good vocabulary to do well on the ACT, but they're often not sure just how their vocabulary will be tested. Gone are the days where you needed to learn the definitions of dozens of obscure words, but a good vocabulary is still key to excelling on the ACT. To help you out, we've compiled a list of 163 key ACT vocabulary words to know. We also explain how vocab is tested on the ACT, the types of questions you'll see, and the best way to study ACT vocab words.

Are you hoping to be a college athlete, either as a recruit, walk on, or just as someone who is particularly talented at a sport and thinks that'll be what makes you stand out to colleges? If athletics has dominated your high school years, you may be wondering how you can translate that skill and dedication towards a strong college application. That's where we come in! In this in-depth guide on how to get into college as an athlete, we'll explain how you can create a strong athletic "spike" that'll showcase your athletic abilities, impress college admissions teams, and show that you're a top-notch applicant who they want at their school.

Are you taking the 2020 PSAT? If so, you'll want to have a solid understanding of what score to aim for and what your score report shows. In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about PSAT scores, including what score you should be aiming for, what score you'll need to meet National Merit cutoffs, and what PSAT score you'll need to impress colleges.