SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Math competitions are a fantastic extracurricular activity for high school students. Math competitions help students improve their math skills, earn scholarships, and stand out as college applicants. 

If you are interested in getting into high school math competitions but aren’t sure where to begin, this article is for you. We’ll give you all the details on 12 math competitions for high school students, including the eligibility requirements and cash prize opportunities for each competition. 

We’ll also briefly explain how to decide which math competition is right for you and how math competitions can help you shine as a college applicant. So let’s get started!

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.

Each year, high school seniors from all over the U.S. enter their independent, original scientific research in The Regeneron Science Talent Search (formerly called the Westinghouse Science Awards). The competition invites the most promising applicants to showcase their research projects in Washington, D.C. and compete for big cash prizes. 

Are you a budding scientist looking to earn some extra cash for college? If so, then you should consider entering the Regeneron STS! 

To help you put together a top notch Regeneron STS application, this article will: 

• Explain how the talent search works
• Give you a step-by-step breakdown of the application and competition judging criteria
• Provide examples of winning STS research projects
• Walk you through four tips for creating a winning application

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Have you heard about how impressive the Regeneron ISEF (previously called Intel ISEF or the Intel Science Fair) is and want to know if it's true? Can it really be a ticket to acceptance at top schools? Yes, the Regeneron ISEF is a highly-competitive science fair that attracts top high school students from around the world. Read this guide to learn how to get into ISEF, what a top project must have, and how you can put yourself in the best position to win this competition.

Have you heard of the Yale Young Global Scholars program but aren't sure if it's worth attending? YYGS is a summer program for high school students run by Yale Unviersity. Some attendees love their experience, while others don't feel the program is worth its high price tag. So, should you apply?

This article will explain exactly what the benefits and drawbacks of YYGS are, as well as the questions you need to ask yourself before you make a decision to attend.

The argumentative essay is one of the most frequently assigned types of essays in both high school and college writing-based courses. Instructors often ask students to write argumentative essays over topics that have “real-world relevance.” The question, “Should college athletes be paid?” is one of these real-world relevant topics that can make a great essay subject! 

In this article, we’ll give you all the tools you need to write a solid essay arguing why college athletes should be paid and why college athletes should not be paid. We'll provide:

• An explanation of the NCAA and what role it plays in the lives of student athletes
• A summary of the pro side of the argument that's in favor of college athletes being paid
• A summary of the con side of the argument that believes college athletes shouldn't be paid
• Five tips that will help you write an argumentative essay that answers the question "Should college athletes be paid?" 
  
  

Thinking about a career in medicine? I highly recommend trying out some medical experiences in high school before committing to a pre-med track. Many of my high school friends who hoped to go into medicine ended up changing their major during college when the pre-med courses got too difficult.

Doing a medical internship, summer program, or community service project in high school can help you decide if medicine is the right track for you before you waste time and money going pre-med in college. This guide will explain what experiences are open to you as a high school student, what those experiences involve, and how you will benefit from them.

As the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to spill over from one week to the next, some pre-collegiate summer programs for high school students are announcing changes. Because of social distancing measures and temporary university closures, some summer programs are making the difficult decision to cancel or reformat their programs for an online environment. 

How do you know if your program has been affected? And what do you do if these changes apply to your summer program? To help you stay abreast of these changes, we’ve put together a quick guide to what to do if your summer program has been affected by COVID-19. We’ll also provide updates on the current status of 12 popular summer programs. 

With the novel coronavirus forcing global shutdowns of schools and workplaces, many students are turning to remote activities to keep busy and still have extracurriculars to include on their college applications. Fortunately, the number of at-home internships and extracurriculars has been growing steadily in the past few years, and there may be many more options for remote activities than you expect. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about remote internships and extracurriculars, including specific ideas to look into, how colleges will view remote activities, and how you can make them as impressive as possible, even if you can't leave the house.

The Disney College Program is a sought after paid college internship program in the U.S. Not only do you get to work for Disney, you'll also gain professional and educational experience that stands out on your resume. It's not surprising, then, that thousands of college students seek the chance to put the DCP on their resumes each year.

But, what is the Disney College Program, exactly, and how do you know if you’d be a good fit for it (and a competitive applicant)? We'll answer these questions and more for you in this article! We'll give you:

• An overview of the Disney College Program, including who it’s for and who’s eligible, how long it lasts, and what the benefits are
• An explanation of the three main components of the Disney College Program
• Three tips for deciding if the program would be a good fit for you
• A guide to the Disney College Program application process and five tips for putting together a stand-out application.

Find out all the details you need to know about the Disney College Program below!

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.

How do you like to spend your time after school? Did you know that how you choose to spend this time could be one of the most important ways you shape your future?

Extracurricular activities are a critical component of your college application, and you need to impress colleges with your interests. But you might not know what good extracurricular activities look like or what you should be spending your time on.

We've got you covered here in our guide of hundreds of examples of extracurricular activities. Read on to get some inspiration for how to spend your valuable free time during high school!

Have you heard of the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)? Maybe you've heard that participating in NSLC is a great way to impress colleges, and you're wondering if that's true. Spoiler: If you're considering NSLC because you think it's prestigious, you're in for a rude awakening. Keep reading to learn why.

This guide will go over exactly what NSLC is, what its potential benefits and drawbacks are, and how you can decide if you should participate in one of its programs.

Have you heard of the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF)? Perhaps you've heard that attending the NYLF is a great way to improve your chances of getting into top colleges, and you're wondering if that's true or not. Spoiler: If you're considering NYLF because you think it's prestigious, you'd be dead wrong. Keep reading to find out why.

This guide will explain what NYLF is, what its benefits and drawbacks are, and how you can decide whether or not you should participate in it.

Interested in pursuing a career in medicine? If you are, being a hospital volunteer in high school is a fantastic way to test out the profession. If you're not interested in pursuing a career in medicine but still want to volunteer, that's great too!

Being a hospital volunteer is very rewarding, but it's also a lot of hard work. How can you become a hospital volunteer? Why should you volunteer at a hospital? What are the main duties of a hospital volunteer? I'll answer these questions and more in this guide.