Choosing high school coursework requires thoughtful, year-by-year planning. This is important, because selecting the right courses for yourself will ensure that you are engaged and challenged and that you enjoy your work. In addition, the courses you take will directly impact your college planning. Your transcript — that is, your academic record — traces the […]
Students, families, and teachers alike were looking forward to returning to the school building this year, hoping to regain semblances of their normal routines. After last year’s virtual school and hybrid schedules, many students were eager to return to the building full-time, longing for the opportunity to socialize in person and engage in extracurricular activities […]
One of the most useful skills to have is to be able to direct our curiosity. To many of us, curiosity often appears as some kind of spontaneous miracle: a spark just happens, seemingly from far beyond our control, and we find ourselves swept up by it. Perhaps someone with knowledge and charisma can ignite […]
One of the most critical and yet often least-considered choices you make in high school is your annual selection of classes. Through 8th grade, your classes have mostly been decided for you, but with the freedom and independence of high school comes the pressure of starting to determine your own academic pathway. Some students float […]
Now that you’re coming up on the close of the year in your science class, I’d encourage you to try to think about the big picture. Science is very much about the study of systems and how their different components interact — so why not try thinking about your science class in the same way? […]
Today, the College Board announced the end of the Subject Test program, effective immediately. We’ve long seen this change coming, since fewer and fewer colleges required subject tests, culminating in 2020, when they were no longer required for admission at any schools. The College Board spent the last decade overhauling both the SAT and all […]
You might have noticed that the PSAT that usually happens in the fall didn’t happen this year. As of now, the rescheduled date is January 26, though actually hosting the test remains at the discretion of your school. If you’ve already been notified about the test happening, that’s great! If not, PrepMatters is hosting a […]
The transition from freshman to sophomore year of high school is rooted in the refinement of your goals and intentions. You’ll want to continue shaping exactly what it is that defines your passions and vision so that you can set yourself up to successfully pursue those interests with direction and challenge yourself with a strong academic […]
Welcome to physics, chemistry, or biology class, young scientist. Here you sit, excited to unravel the mysteries of the universe — to learn how the interplay of unseen forces can impress themselves upon matter at a distance, how a confusion of billions upon billions of molecules conspires to produce properties you can see and touch, […]
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 […]