Tag: SAT

4 Reasons to Prepare for the SAT or ACT

Posted by: Kim on July 20th, 2023

As a parent or student entering the college admissions process, you might need clarification on the choices before you. Commonly we get classic questions like “What test should I take? ACT or SAT?” And more recently, “Why should I take the ACT or SAT if it is test-optional?” Out of all the questions we receive, […]

Late to the ACT/SAT Party? Why Junior-Year Students Still Have Time to Prepare and Improve Scores

Posted by: Kim on March 14th, 2023

If you are the parent of a junior-year student who hasn’t taken the ACT or SAT yet, you might feel a sense of panic this spring. Your student has been busy with school, sports, extracurriculars, and driving lessons. However, they haven’t had time to take or prepare for standardized tests.   We get it, and you […]

11 Things We Know About the Digital SAT

Posted by: admin on February 9th, 2023

Here we go again. For the third time in less than 20 years, College Board is bringing to market, er, to students, a new version of its flagship exam, the SAT. This time, it’s digital. This is a long anticipated change, accelerated by (and perhaps given cover) by COVID-19, when 700,000 fewer students took the […]

SAT Math: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on May 6th, 2021

Your SAT math score is composed of two sections: a 25-minute no-calculator section with 20 questions and a 55-minute section with 38 questions that allows the use of approved calculators. Together, these two sections make up half of your overall SAT score. While SAT math certainly presents a few hurdles, in both content and structure, […]

SAT Writing: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on April 6th, 2021

by John Jones with Ian Lekus and Natalie Lempert The Basics The SAT’s Writing & Language section is one of the four scored sections on the test. The point totals from this section are combined with those from the Reading section to give the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score. This score, which has a […]

SAT Reading: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on March 4th, 2021

If you are like many students, the Reading section of the SAT is your least favorite and, oftentimes, the most difficult one to improve. As for the first part, I don’t blame you. The SAT begins with a grueling 65-minute Reading section. When our tutors first took this version of the test in 2016, even […]

State of the SAT and ACT: Test Availability and Test Optional

Posted by: admin on November 2nd, 2020

It’s been difficult lately to keep up with all the news about the SAT and ACT, and we do this professionally! You’re likely wondering what to make of so many colleges and universities going test optional and whether students are actually taking the tests. And, more importantly, whether you should look to take a test! […]

Test Prep: How Soon is Too Soon?

Posted by: admin on May 14th, 2020

We get tons of questions from sophomores about when to start preparing for the SAT or ACT. In most years, we advise students to hold off on any test prep until sophomore year is in the books. Why? Well, the number one indicator of where you get to go to college is your grades, so […]

ACT English Section: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on December 5th, 2019

ACT English Overview I often tell students I’m working with that the ACT and the SAT are bad tests. Why? I’ve been working with them for over 15 years and still can’t tell you what they really measure. It’s certainly not “intelligence” or IQ, there’s little correlation between test scores and grades, and test scores […]

How Many Test Prep Sessions Should We Have?

Posted by: admin on October 2nd, 2019

Originally published October 2, 2019 When meeting with parents, this is the most frequent question I get asked, so obviously I’m very experienced answering this simple, logical question. The answer is “I don’t know.” I completely understand that this is a frustrating answer. The entire application process is complex and tiring, and offering this simple […]