SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you're applying to one or more of the UC schools, you want to make sure you get the application right. This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the UC application, from the time you decide to apply to a UC school to when you submit the final piece of the application.

Keep reading to learn when the most important UC application deadline is, which documents you need to submit to complete your application, if you need a separate application for each UC school, and how you can make sure every part of your application sets you apart from the crowd.

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 answer your FAQs! — below. 

Did you receive a priority application from a college but aren't sure what exactly it is? Is it a scam? Does it mean you'll automatically be admitted? Should you apply to schools that offer you priority applications or do you have better options? This guide on priority applications will answer all your questions!

Are you applying to a school that uses priority deadlines and are unsure what that means? What is a priority deadline, and how does it differ from a regular deadline? Do you need to apply by a priority deadline? What happens if you don't? Read this article to learn the answer to each of these questions and understand how to make priority deadlines work for you.

The novel coronavirus has had a massive impact on colleges, and that includes college admissions. Because of stay-at-home orders, virtual learning, and cancelled SAT and ACT exam dates, among other things, many universities are aware that it might be difficult or impossible for incoming high school seniors to take and do well on standardized tests in time for application deadlines.

The result? Dozens of colleges have dropped their SAT and ACT test requirements for the 2020/2021 college admissions cycle. Which schools have cancelled exams? Will they reinstate these test requirements next year? If you're able to take a test, should you still submit your scores? This guide covers all those questions.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some colleges and universities are changing the application process for the upcoming Fall 2020 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 Fall 2020 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 2020 admissions process. 

Sifting through glossy college brochures and trying to choose the right schools to apply to can feel overwhelming. Then, once you decide where to apply, you have to navigate each school’s application, wondering if you’re filling questions in properly and what your chances of being accepted are. The good news is, you don’t need to struggle alone! A college counselor can help answer many of your college-related questions, and they’ll use their expertise to advise you on the best college decisions for you. 

Want to learn more about college counselors? In this guide, we’ve answered all your college admissions counselor questions, including every question they can help you answer, who should meet with a college counselor, and what you need to do before you meet with one.

Do you dream of becoming a doctor? If you're set on going to medical school, then a combined BS/MD or BA/MD program might be for you. The majority of these combined programs allow motivated high school students to go right from undergraduate to medical school without having to go through another application process.

While there aren't a ton of spots available in combined programs, there are schools throughout the country that offer them. Before we look at those, however, let's review what BA/MD and BS/MD programs entail, as well as the pros and cons for high school and young undergraduate applicants.

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has caused a pandemic that continues to impact many crucial sectors, including education. For college applicants in particular, it's a trying time filled with confusion and anxiety. Will COVID-19 affect college admission decisions or other parts of the admission process? We break down the answer here.

Applying to college usually means writing some essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and submitting your transcripts. But what about the ACT and SAT? Is the ACT required for college? The answer is, not necessarily!

In this guide, we explain what test-optional colleges are and give you the complete list of 1,000+ colleges that don’t require ACT scores from applicants. We also offer a few tips for what to do with these ACT-optional college lists.

Since you put so much effort into studying for and taking AP tests, you've likely wondered whether colleges look at AP scores. How is all of your AP prep and effort going to affect your chances of admission to college?

In this guide, we'll illuminate the relationship between AP scores and college admission. We'll also discuss how important AP scores are for your application, how colleges consider these scores, and what being an AP Scholar can mean for your admission chances.

If you've applied or are currently applying to Ivy League schools, you've likely heard the phrase "Ivy Day." Ivy Day, or Ivy Admissions Day, is when all the Ivy League schools announce their admissions decisions for regular decision first-year applicants. This year, Ivy Day is March 26, 2020.

Keep reading to learn more about what to expect on Ivy Day, how to predict future Ivy Day dates, and what to do with your admissions decision(s) once Ivy Day is over.

Getting into nursing school can be pretty competitive, so you might be wondering how your ACT score will affect your chances of getting accepted into your dream school. The answer to this question can vary depending on what kind of nursing program you choose, what schools you apply to, and how your other application materials look. 

Different nursing programs handle ACT scores differently, so it’s important to find out as much information as possible about the significance of ACT scores in nursing school admissions. 

In this article, we’ll help you understand how ACT scores affect your nursing school admissions chances by covering the following: 

• The different types of nursing programs you can apply to 
• The general application process for four-year bachelors of nursing programs 
• How your ACT score factors into your nursing school application, and what a "good" ACT score is for nursing school admission
• Explaining how ACT scores fit into the admissions process at six of the best nursing programs in the United States 
• Giving you five expert tips for achieving an ACT score that will help you stand out in the nursing school admissions process

So keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the ACT score needed for nursing school! 

Have you done some volunteer work or community service and want to get a letter that shows how many hours you've completed and what jobs you did? Or maybe you need a community service letter to apply for a scholarship, job, or to a particular college? Do you know who you should ask to write the letter and what it should include?

Read on to learn what a community service letter is, why it's useful, and how you can get a great one written for you.

When I applied to college, I was accepted into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, the Ivy League, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and more. While I had a strong overall application, the two teacher letters of recommendation were critical in getting me admitted.

Why? Both teachers said I was one of the top students they had ever taught. Both enthusiastically advocated for my personality, leadership skills, and energy.

How can you earn recommendation letters that will get you into your top choice colleges? I'll show you how in this article.

For the first time, I'm sharing my full, unedited letters of recommendation as examples for you. These are the exact letters submitted when I applied to college. Even better, you'll see exactly what my Harvard admissions officer underlined—what really stood out as important and noteworthy.