Will the SAT and ACT be Relevant for Current 10th and 11th Graders?

The question we keep receiving from parents and students is —

Will the SAT and ACT be relevant for current 10th and 11th Graders?

The short answer is yes.

See our analysis below…

New Trends—

In 2021, we expect to see the following trends emerge:

• More selective colleges will be test-optional, but the SAT and ACT will still matter a great deal.

  • As we've previously expressed, the new test-optional policies at many universities will encourage more applications. Many students will apply without standardized test scores because that will be easier. However…

  • Students who submit a strong ACT or SAT score will likely see an outsized advantage when college admissions officers decide who gets in and who does not. 

  • Conclusion: Current 10th and 11th graders should prepare for the ACT and SAT as they have in years past.

• AP Exams will take on greater importance in the admissions process at colleges that de-emphasize the ACT and SAT or stop using it.

  • This point is primarily focused on the UC System. They are leading the charge to de-emphasize, and possibly remove altogether, the use of the ACT and SAT in their admissions decisions. However…

  • GPA is not a reliable metric when it is used as the sole quantitative metric for admissions due to grade inflation. (This isn’t our opinion, it’s based on rock-solid science produced by the research committee that the UC formed to study their own admissions process.)

  • Therefore, if the UCs are test-blind in 2021 and beyond (this means that they cannot even look at SAT and ACT scores), they will use AP scores in conjunction with GPAs to bolster their quantitative metrics.

  • Conclusion: Current 10th and 11th graders should prepare for their AP exams and take them very seriously, especially if they plan to apply to UC schools.

Current 11th graders—

We get it. You’re anxious that you’re falling behind and that you’ll be in a poor position next Fall when you submit your applications to colleges. We would urge you to be patient. Your window for testing will come in the Spring and Summer as Covid-19 is brought under control. What you can do right now to assuage that anxiety is prepare for the ACT or SAT so that when your opportunity comes to test, you’ll be ready to take full advantage of it.

““…the most effective way to deal with anxiety, I’ve discovered is to make sure you’re as prepared as possible for whatever is coming your way.” ”

— Coach Phil Jackson, Eleven Rings

Current 10th graders—

You have plenty of time, so there is no need to rush. What you can do right now is to decide whether ACT or SAT is a better fit. Remember, no college needs both an ACT and SAT, and no college prefers one test over the other. They just want the best score you can produce on either the ACT or SAT. So it is to your advantage to pick one test and stick with it.

How do you do that?

1. Take a Pre-ACT at your school or a full-length mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus

2. Take a PSAT at your school or a full-length mock SAT with Test Prep Gurus

3. Contact one of our Directors to analyze your results and determine which exam plays to your natural academic strengths.

New Test Dates:

Many high schools this Spring will take advantage of their new ability to hold an ACT or SAT exclusively for their students. In the past, every school that hosted an exam was a national testing site, open to anyone who registered for it. However, beginning this Spring, high schools will now have the option to host an exam on their campus that will be only for their students. This will allow high schools to host exams safely, without breaking their Covid-19 distance protocols.

Upcoming dates for the ACT and SAT—

ACT: 

February 6, 2021 (national test date, register directly with ACT)

March 2, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

March 16, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

March 30, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

April 13 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

April 17, 2021 (national test date, register directly with ACT)

June 12, 2021 (national test date, register directly with ACT)

July 17th, 2021 (national test date, register directly with ACT)

SAT: 

March 3, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

March 13, 2021 (national test date, register directly with College Board)

March 24, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

April 13, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

April 27, 2021 (district testing, ask your high school if they are participating)

May 8, 2021 (national test date, register directly with College Board)

June 5, 2021 (national test date, register directly with College Board)

Authority Magazine -- An Interview with Test Prep Gurus CEO, Nick Standlea

Our CEO, Nick Standlea, was recently interviewed by Authority Magazine

I hope this article provides insight into how many of the principles we teach at Test Prep Gurus are applicable far beyond standardized tests -- whether that means succeeding in college, launching your next creative project, or creating a business.

Interviewer: “Nick, can you tell me a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?"

Nick: “Earning a massive score improvement on the ACT or SAT is a great metaphor for starting a new business because they both require the same ingredients for success –

• Have clear goals for success — make sure the metrics for success are within your control

• Seek expert advice for creating a plan to reach your goals- if you think it is expensive to hire an expert, wait until you hire an amateur

• Turn preparation into a game- if you are going to spend hours of your life working at something it might as well be fun

• Track your results to see if your preparation is working- be scientific in pursuit of the most effective route to reach your goals

• Focus on the process — If you dedicate yourself to developing real expertise, results will follow”

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their ACT and SAT scores so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

1. Complete mock ACT and SAT exams.

2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.

Senior at Woodbridge High School, S.A., works with Test Prep Gurus and earns a perfect score on the ACT!

Senior at Woodbridge High School, S.A., works with Test Prep Gurus and earns a perfect score on the ACT

It’s been a trying time for Seniors throughout California when it comes to standardized testing. But one Senior at Woodbridge High School in Irvine was not going to be denied.

She worked tirelessly with our team for 12 weeks in preparation for the July ACT.

Then, just days before the big exam, her test center canceled.

Instead of getting down or giving up, she signed up for a test in September and worked even harder than before. She decided that the obstacle of the canceled test wasn’t a set back, it was an opportunity to score even higher.

Wow, did she ever.

She improved her ACT score +6 composite points (equivalent to +240 points on the SAT) and earned a perfect score!

Congratulations S.A.! It was a privilege for everyone on our team to play a roll in helping you along on your path to college. We can’t wait to see what university you choose next year and what you will accomplish after that. With your grit and determination, anything is possible!

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their ACT and SAT scores so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

1. Complete mock ACT and SAT exams.

2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.

Boost Your HSPT Catholic School Entrance Exam Score!

HSPT Prep Course for prospective Catholic school students

(January 2nd & January 9th)

Location: 

From the comfort of your own home, or anywhere else with an internet connection!

Free Mock HSPT Exam:

More information soon on how to take your baseline HSPT exam.

Class Dates:

     Saturday, January 2nd: 12:00pm-3:30pm (Test-taking strategies and the verbal side of the HSPT)

     Saturday, January 9th: 12:00pm-3:30pm (Test-taking strategies and the quantitative side of the HSPT)

*All times above are Pacific Standard Time

If you are interested in 1-on-1 HSPT lessons, please call us at 949-229-5359 or email us here

Please note the following:

• students must register separately for their official HSPT exam

• registration for our HSPT class will close on Thursday, December 27th at 3:00pm

• once your order is received, we will ship a course book to the mailing address provided in your order form

If you would like to complete this purchase over the phone, please call us at 949.229.5359

We look forward to helping your student reach his or her potential on the HSPT exam!

Need a Private Instructor for Your Online Classes?

From calculus to physics to English and History, our team can teach it all.

If you want to help your student get ahead and or just make sure he or she doesn't fall behind, private academic instruction might be the answer.

Online classes will bring a number of challenges this Fall. Our team of instructors can offer solutions. We work with elementary through high school age students, one-on-one or in small groups. 

Is the ACT and SAT optional essay dead?

We've long known that the SAT and ACT essays were poor tools for evaluating writing skills. On this front, we have some welcome news -- the optional SAT and ACT essays are, essentially, dead. As of now”, West Point is the only school still "requiring" a standardized essay (and even that might change by the time we get to Fall admissions season).

So finally some good news! No need to register for, complete, or prep for the optional SAT and ACT essays. They are a thing of the past. 

News: June ACT will happen, but some test centers opt out

The facts:

• The June 13th ACT is going to happen. This bodes well for future ACT and SAT exams this Summer

• A number of test-sites opted out of administering the test, forcing a number of students to postpone their exam until a future administration

• ACT released a new FAQ for students whose test site centers canceled 

If your June 13th test was canceled:

ACT sent an email to all students registered for the June test date informing them of their testing status and provided instructions for how to complete a free reschedule. Most examinees should be able to reschedule their registrations through their student web account. 

Test Date Change fees will be waived.

The next ACT national test date is July 18. ACT is in close contact with test centers regarding their ability to administer the test.  ACT expects many more students to test in July and is trying to add a second exam in July as well as an additional exam in August.

TPG’s take: If your June ACT exam was canceled, we understand how frustrating that must be.

ACT is trying to make their exam available to as many students as possible, but we are told that that some sites were forced to close due to various state guidelines (which differ in each state), while some other school-based sites simply opted out.

That said, ACT expects more test sites to be available for the July and September exams.

We encourage all students whose exams were canceled to register as soon as possible for the July ACT exam, and the September exam when registration becomes available.

Webinar: "COVID-19 and College Admissions"

Over 1,000 people tuned in to see this live on Facebook! Enjoy the recording.

Specific Questions:

1:27 What will look different in terms of how college will review college applicants than in years prior?

4:45 Will my SAT or ACT test scores still matter with so many schools going test-optional for fall 2021 applicants? If I have high scores at a test-optional college, will I be disadvantaged?

13:03 Should I take the SAT or ACT? Can I skip the SAT and ACT this year?

15:08 What can students do with this time have during the lockdown? Are there any silver linings?

21:49 How I let colleges know about the specific conditions at my high school during the shelter in place?

26:03 Will the cost of college change? Will there be more scholarships or fewer scholarships?

31:37 What test dates should a student prepare for if they want to take future SAT or ACT tests?

34:03 How to keep motivated? How can we deal with anxiety?

46:00 Can I take a free mock ACT or SAT exam?

Description of the Webinar:

College admissions experts will discuss how COVID-19 will impact Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

Specific issues include:

ACT and SAT testing,
Changes to the Spring semester,
AP exams,
The difference between test-optional and test-blind colleges,
Why grades matter this semester,
Changes to how colleges will review applications in the wake of COVID-19,
Extracurricular activities during shelter-in-place,
College admissions deadlines for the class of 2021,
and more...

Panelists:

• Nick Standlea, President, Test Prep Gurus, Co-Chair of the OC College Fair

• Johnathon Rastello, Dean of College Counseling, Tarbut V'Torah Day School, Co-Chair of the OC College Fair

• Elizabeth Heim, Director of College Consulting Plus+, Assoc. Director of Counseling & College Planning, Orange Lutheran High School

#college_admissions #SAT #high_school #ACT #Covid #Seniors #Juniors #Sophomores #Standardized_Testing

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their ACT and SAT scores so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

1. Complete mock ACT and SAT exams.

2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.

SATs, GPAs and deadlines: College admissions experts give advice amid COVID-19 crisis

ABC interviewed California Director of Undergraduate Admissions Han Mi Yoon-Wu and Western Association of College Admission Counseling President Lauren Cook about how the UCs will conduct admissions moving forward and what students can do to help their college applications stand out.

In regard to applying to the UCs, many students are wondering if they still need to take an ACT or SAT test.

Yoon-Wu confirmed that it will be advantageous to students to submit an ACT or SAT score to the UCs.

"If the scores are such that it provides additional information about the student's academic performance ... such as to supplement their GPA, then it would be used as an added value factor."

You can see the entire interview below.

Skip to various highlights:

15:29 How can I improve my applications?

19:45 Should students submit SAT and ACT scores?

24:10 How can students make up for lost Spring and Summer activities?

Spokesman for ACT says there will be additional ACT exams in June and July

"Our primary concern at this time is the health and safety of students and our testing staff," said Ed Colby, a spokesman for ACT. “As CDC and local guidelines for safety allow, in addition to our planned June 13 and July 18 test dates, we will be offering new test dates on June 20 and July 25 to provide students with options to schedule and reschedule their registration," he said. "We will also offer a remote proctoring option for the ACT test, allowing students to take the test at their home on a computer. As early as August, we will begin offering students a practice experience with the at-home ACT and will launch the option in late fall/early winter 2020 as part of our national testing program. We'll be releasing more information soon."

Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/16/college-board-and-act-announce-plans-continue-testing-fall

ACT.org News: http://leadershipblog.act.org/2020/04/act-to-offer-students-additional-summer.html

June SAT postponed

The College Board announced that it will not administer the June SAT. This means that the next SAT will be in August. This applies to both the standard SAT and SAT Subject Exams.

They will add an SAT exam in September. As a result, this Fall students will be able to take the SAT in August, September, October, November, and December.

Many colleges have already announced that they are making plans to push back their standard application deadlines to ensure that students have ample opportunity to complete their SAT and ACT testing before they apply to college.  

As an extra precaution, College Board announced it is also investing in creating an online version of the SAT to ensure that students will be able to take their exams in one format or another this term.

Students will be able to register in May for the Fall tests, including the new September date. Please note that if you’re a student whose June registration was canceled, you will be able to re-register before other students.

As of today, ACT still plans to administer the June ACT. There is a possibility that ACT will choose to administer their test online this June or at some other point this Summer – as soon as they make an announcement we will be sure to share it with you.  

5 ways that the coronavirus will change college admissions this fall

Below is an excellent article from Robert Massa, who teaches about higher education at the University of Southern California and is a former admissions dean from Johns Hopkins University and Dickinson College, offers insights into five ways the COVID-19 pandemic could affect a student’s quest to attend the school of their choice.

5 ways that the coronavirus will change college admissions this fall

1. More time

Due to the uncertainties surrounding the health and financial implications of the pandemic, many colleges will not have filled their classes by the traditional May 1 deadline. Colleges that are concerned about not meeting their numerical enrollment goals will likely be flexible in allowing students to apply, even at this late date.

To give students more time to visit and consider other factors, a number of colleges have pushed back their deposit deadline to June 1. For the most part, these are schools that historically have not filled their class by May 1. The more selective institutions are keeping the May 1 candidates reply date.

If you have a deposit deadline from one school that is May 1 and another that is June 1, and you need more time to decide, appeal to the May 1 school to give you more time. Depending on how close that college is to filling its class, it may be flexible.

2. A better shot

If a student has applied to one of the most selective, strongest universities – which represent less than 4% of the four-year public and nonprofit private colleges in the U.S. – they will be just as hard to get into, at least initially, as they’ve been in the past. Those schools are, however, likely to have longer wait lists this year, primarily because of the uncertainty surrounding international students and whether they will be able to travel to the U.S. And if they can’t, more students may be admitted from the waitlist than in past years.

But, if students have applied to one of the vast majority of the other selective colleges - including the 16% that admit between a fifth and half of their applicants – it is likely to be somewhat easier to get in for several reasons.

Because of the economic consequences of coronavirus, as many as a fifth of students think they may have to abandon their first choice college to attend a school that is more affordable, according to a survey conducted in March. In addition, that survey found that a college closer to home would be a more viable choice than a first-choice institution for 35% of students. Taking these factors into consideration, colleges are likely to admit more students than they did last year because they expect that more of their admitted students will ultimately opt to stay closer to home or to attend a more affordable school.

3. Bigger scholarships

Colleges may offer bigger financial aid packages to woo more students. alexsl/Getty Images

Colleges are worried that the health calamities and concerns and the economic fallout from the pandemic will result in more students declining admission offers. For this reason, I believe colleges will be likely to offer students more money in an effort to get them to enroll. The competition for student enrollments will be intense.

Schools may offer bigger scholarships to students who decline an opportunity to enroll. That’s because last September, the National Association of College Admissions Counseling settled an antitrust lawsuit with the Department of Justice, thereby allowing colleges to recruit students who had already committed to attend another institution by awarding them more money. Previously, the association’s ethics code had forbidden this kind of poaching.

Consequently, students may have to decide whether to stick with the original school they selected, even if it doesn’t offer as much tuition help.

4. More need-based aid may be available

If a family is affected by the economic fallout from COVID-19, they may appeal for additional need-based financial aid. The financial aid system estimates parents’ ability to pay on income that was earned two years ago. Due to COVID-19, income earned in the first quarter of 2020 may not predict a family’s total 2020 income. For that reason, it will be important for families to work with the financial aid office of the colleges on their list to help them take a lower family income into account when calculating the family’s eligibility for financial aid. It is important for families to explain the need for more financial aid during the application process or certainly pre-deposit – not after a paying an enrollment deposit.

5. More virtual visits

In the past, I always advised students to schedule a day to visit the campus of a school they might attend. Among other things, I would tell them to request a meeting with a faculty member in major they might consider, sit in on at least one class and to meet with an admissions officer and a financial aid adviser if appropriate. The big open houses for admitted students are great, because you get to meet potential classmates, but they are not the same as visiting campus during a school day.

Visiting a campus may not be feasible since so many colleges have shut down for the rest of the spring semester. But many colleges are now hosting virtual visits complete with live tour guides and interactive Q&A sessions. Some have also built upon existing social network platforms to encourage engagement with members of their campus community. In addition to these staged visit programs, you can also request to meet with a professor on a video chat. You can even ask to visit an online class.

The visit really isn’t about the buildings or the beauty of the physical space. It’s about the people with whom you will live and learn. Hopefully you can get a good feel for that through the virtual version.

Final decisions

Whether to stray from a top college choice in these uncertain times is a decision that students and their families must make. At some point – likely long before this entering class graduates from college – the pandemic will be over and life as we knew it will return. Parents and students should make this decision carefully, of course, and should consider what is in the student’s best interest going forward in a post-COVID world.

This article was originally posted at: https://theconversation.com/5-ways-that-the-coronavirus-will-change-college-admissions-this-fall-135152

Will the ACT and SAT Matter for the Class of 2021???

The UCs and many other colleges have gone test-optional for the coming admission cycle. Will the ACT and SAT matter for the class of 2021?

The short answer is yes. Likely more than ever before.

Before we get to why this is so, let’s cover the basics of what has happened so far—

In response to the cancellation of the March, April, and May standardized exams, many selective colleges, UCs included, have switched to test-optional for the class of 2021.

We view this as a positive development because many low-income students will have restricted access to standardized exams this year in particular due to COVID-19.

So why will ACT and SAT scores play a more important role in admission to selective colleges than ever before?

Follow my logic…

Admissions officers from selective colleges around the country tell us that the top two factors in determining admission to a selective college are GPA and a standardized test score (ACT or SAT).

But the GPAs of students from the class of 2021 will be compromised.

Many schools have switched to pass/fail for the second semester of this school year. Class of 2021 students will be missing the single most important semester of grades in high school — 2nd semester of Junior year. With less reliable information on GPA, a greater focus will shift to standardized test scores.

So while fewer students will apply to UCs with standardized test scores this coming year, those who earn strong ACT and SAT scores will enjoy an even more significant advantage than they otherwise would have in a normal undisturbed admissions cycle.

These students will also enjoy substantial advantages when it comes to scholarships — especially those who have both strong GPAs and strong ACT or SAT scores.

Let’s drill into the UCs a little more deeply. I suspect that students with strong ACT or SAT scores in the class of 2021 will enjoy a particularly strong advantage when applying to the UC system. The recent UC report on the use of ACT and SAT in the admissions process states:

“At UC, test scores are currently better predictors of first-year GPA than high school grade point average.”

It stands to reason that if test scores are better predictors of grades at UCs than high school grades are, then UCs are even more likely to increase their reliance on test scores given the compromised nature of GPAs for the classes of 2021 and 2022.

The report goes on to explain that high school GPA is becoming a less-reliable predictor of academic success in college due to grade inflation:

“(We) found that California high schools vary greatly in grading standards, and that grade inflation is part of why the predictive power of high school GPA has decreased since the last UC study (in 2001).”

So again, if the predictive power of high school grades is decreasing due to grade inflation, the UCs (especially the most selective UCs) are very likely to place more emphasis on ACT and SAT scores in the coming admissions cycle.

In summary, fewer students will apply to UCs and other test-optional colleges with standardized test scores this coming year. However, those who earn strong ACT and SAT scores will enjoy an even more significant advantage than they otherwise would have. Students with strong GPAs plus strong test scores to match will enjoy more choices among selective colleges (and scholarship opportunities) than in any admission cycle in memory.

Live Updates: AP, SAT, ACT updates due to Coronavirus

We continue to deliver one-on-one teaching for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams, as well as mock exams for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.

Hang in there. We can get through this together. 

Updates on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting college admissions testing:

AP Exams:

• For the 2019–20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home.

• Students will get to pick one of two dates to take their AP exams. Dates will be announced on April 3, when the College Board also plans to reveal what types of questions will appear for each of the dozens of subjects.

• To be fair to all students the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students had already covered in class by early March.

• Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year to earn.

• Students will be able to take their AP exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.

• Test security is a concern. The exam questions are designed and administered in ways that prevent cheating; including a range of digital security tools and techniques, including plagiarism detection software, to protect the integrity of the exams.

• For detailed course-specific AP exam information, click here.

• AP Exams this year will not include any multiple-choice questions, only free-response questions adapted for secure testing at home.

• The exam will be “open book” and “open note”. Yes, you can use your notes during the exams.

• AP Exam Schedule

• AP Exam FAQ

IB Exams: IB Exams scheduled from April 30th - May 22nd will be canceled for the 2019-2020 school year. Students will receive their IB diplomas or certificates based solely on their previous course performance.

Standardized Exams for the Class of 2021:

Many colleges have decided to switch to test-optional for the class of 2021. Even though it seems, counter-intuitive, this will likely make ACT and SAT scores more important for the class 2021 than any class in recent memory — read more here.

The ACT:

• Canceled:

  • April 4, 2020

• Not Canceled:

  • June 13, 2020

  • ACT has stated they will add an extra exam on June 20

  • July 18, 2020

  • ACT has stated they will add an extra exam on July 25

  • Sep 12, 2020

The ACT has announced that it will add extra test dates in June and July: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/16/college-board-and-act-announce-plans-continue-testing-fall

Live Updates from ACT: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html

Note: All students registered for the April 4 test date will receive an email from ACT with instructions for free rescheduling to the June 13 ACT or a future national test date. 

The SAT:

• Canceled:

  • March 14, 2020 (as well as the make-up March 28 2020)

  • May 2, 2020

  • June 6, 2020

• Not Canceled:

  • August 29, 2020

  • September (date to be announced)

  • October 3, 2020

  • November 2, 2020

  • December 7, 2020

Live Updates from College Board: https://pages.collegeboard.org/natural-disasters

Contact Test Prep Gurus to Create a Personalized Plan for the ACT, SAT, or AP Exams

This is going to sound crazy -- but it might be more advantageous to apply to fewer colleges

Contrary to popular belief, students may disadvantage themselves when they apply to too many selective colleges.

The thinking goes like this -- the more top colleges I apply to, the higher my chances of getting into at least one of them!

But surveys with our students prove that this is not a successful strategy. It’s often students who apply to fewer colleges, who are the most successful.

Why?

In short, college admission officers want to see three things in your essays and personal statements—

1. You have a strong sense of who you are and what makes you unique

2. You have a strong sense of the college’s culture, programs, and what makes it unique

3. You have an idea of how you (see item #1) will be a good fit for the college (see item #2) during your four years at the college and in the world after you graduate.

If you apply to too many schools, it will be difficult to understand what makes each one different, let alone articulate in your essays how you will be a good fit at each one of those schools.

What is the right number of schools?

That depends on each student. But it’s safe to say that more than 15 is almost certainly too many (or at least you have better have a compelling reason for doing so)

Typically, students are encouraged to apply to between 6-12 schools, with an even distribution between:

• likely schools (your GPA and SAT or ACT score is above their typical applicant),

• target schools (your GPA and SAT or ACT score is similar to their typical applicant)

• reach schools (your GPA and SAT or ACT score is below their typical applicant)

So how do you determine if you should apply to 2, 3, or 4 each of likely, target, and reach schools?

If you have access to an excellent college counselor, ask him or her what they recommend (if you don’t have one, we will be happy to recommend an honest one to you).

If you don’t have access, ask yourself this simple question — how many essays can you reasonably expect to write to accurately articulate who you are why you want to attend each particular college? 

In the end, don’t obsess over picking the right number of schools to apply to — focus instead on:

• creating a balanced list (an even number of lieklys, targets, and reaches)

• properly researching a wide variety of schools to determine what colleges will be an excellent fit for you

• writing unique, original personal statement essays that articulate your voice

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their ACT and SAT scores so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

1. Complete mock ACT and SAT exams.

2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.

How I Learned to Not Hate the ACT

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their ACT and SAT scores so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 easy steps:

1) Complete free mock ACT and SAT exams.

(Learn where your student is scoring today and whether their current scores will help or hold back their applications to their first-choice colleges.)

2) Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

(ACT and SAT scores must be understood in their proper context, taking into account the specific tests, when they were taken, and how they stack up against your student’s goals for college.)

3) Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.

(We work with students of all levels. Whether you’re shooting for a perfect score, simply want to be more comfortable with standardized exams, or anywhere in between, Test Prep Gurus is here to help you reach your goals.)

Make a plan to score higher on the SAT and ACT

Step 1: In 10th grade, all students should take the PSAT in October at their high school. Their results will be available in December. They should then take a mock ACT — either through their high school or Test Prep Gurus.

Step 2: Choose between SAT and ACT based on the scores in step 1. No college requires both SAT and ACT. They only want your highest score on one test or the other. No college prefers one exam over the other. As such, it behooves each student figure out which exam best suits their natural strengths, and stick solely to that test. Ideally, this decision should be made near the end of 10th grade. Please note that if your school administers a Pre-ACT during the Fall of 10th grade instead of the PSAT, take both a mock SAT and ACT in the Spring of 10th grade. Our team can help families compare their PSAT and ACT scores to make sure they choose the right path.

Step 3: Choose one of the three prep paths: Standard, Accelerated, or Summers Only.

Standard: Students typically begin preparing for the ACT or SAT in the Fall of 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Spring of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the Summer prior to 12th grade. They typically take a second official exam in the Fall of 12th grade. They should schedule an additional test date in the Fall of 12th grade as backup.

Accelerated: Some special cases, such a being a highly recruited athlete, require that a student complete their college admissions testing by the end of 11th grade. Some naturally high-scoring students choose to complete all of their testing by the end of 11th grade. This is the accelerated timeline. These students typically begin prep during the Summer prior to 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Fall of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the 11th grade school year. They typically take a second official exam in the Spring of 11th grade. They should schedule an additional backup test date in the Fall of 12th grade.

Summers Only: Some students prefer to complete all of their test preparation for the SAT or ACT during the Summer so they can completely focus on their test prep without competing demands on their time from school. These students typically begin prep during the Summer prior to 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Fall of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the Summer prior to 12th grade. They typically take a second official exam in the Fall of 12th grade. They should schedule an additional test date in the Fall of 12th grade as backup.

Additional Notes:

• Early Applications: The September ACT and October SAT will qualify for Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) applications.

• Subject Tests: It is typically recommended to take subject tests on the May or June SAT exam dates. Take Subject tests that align with your AP courses.

• Super-scoring: After choosing between ACT or SAT, we encourage all students to take at least two official exams to make use of potential super-scoring at various colleges.

Start the three-step process toward your dream college!

Three Steps to Success:

1) Complete a free mock ACT or SAT exam.

(Learn where your student is scoring today and whether their current scores will help or hold back their applications to their first-choice colleges.)

2) Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

(ACT and SAT scores must be understood in their proper context, taking into account the specific tests, when they were taken, and how they stack up against your student’s goals for college.)

3) Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your student’s goals for college and beyond.

(We work with students of all levels. Whether you’re shooting for a perfect score, simply want to be more comfortable with standardized exams, or anywhere in between, Test Prep Gurus is here to help you reach your goals.)