Should I take the ACT or SAT? Why do I Have to Take the ACT The ACT is a test that is currently used by colleges and universities across the United States to judge students’ college readiness. It is one of many criteria used by admissions officers to decide who will be admitted. It is also a graduation requirement in some states and school districts. The SAT is a similar test that is used in a similar way. Colleges and universities that require an admissions test will accept either the ACT or the SAT so students can choose which one is the better fit for their skills. Read more on figuring out ..read more

Many students believe that when you apply early to a university, you must limit your application to a single college. When, you look more closely at the application requirements, you will find that you can apply more strategically. Highly selective schools in the United States–like Harvard, MIT, and Yale–have restrictive early action. For example, Harvard describes its Early Action program like this: “If you apply to Harvard under our Restrictive Early Action program, you may also apply early to non-binding public or foreign colleges/universities (no Early Decision programs), but you may not a ..read more

Is it too late to apply to colleges? Early decision and early action deadlines are creeping up on students right about now at the beginning of November. While some students may have decided to apply early some time ago, many of their friends may be left in a panic as they watch the deadlines go by thinking “what does this mean?”. “Should I apply early?” Many students experience FOMO (fear of missing out) as they realize a bit belatedly that many of their peers are wrapping up applications just as others are only getting started. What is early action? What is early decision? Who are they right ..read more

The College Board made some major announcements today. First, they are immediately discontinuing SAT Subject Tests (the one hour tests in subjects like Literature, Math Level 2, and Chemistry) for students in the United States. They will continue to offer SAT Subject Tests for International Students who wish to take them in May or June of 2021. Students may still be able to submit existing scores from SAT Subject tests, but should check with individual colleges on their policies. If you are registered to take an upcoming SAT Subject Test, the College Board will cancel your registration and giv ..read more

A lot of students start junior year not entirely sure what they want in a college. By the time they reach the start of senior year, they need to know. The summer before senior year and that school year itself will be full of college applications, essays, letters of recommendation, and financial aid paper work. To make this process go more smoothly, students should try to have their list of colleges just about ready before senior year starts. This means that the summer prior to 11th grade and junior year itself are the time for figuring out what a student wants in a college and writing a list o ..read more

By Michal Strawn Many students don’t begin thinking about colleges until late in their junior year or early in their senior year of high school. The perception is that until the applications are open, there isn’t much you can do. Boy is that a misconception! In the months prior to the start of senior year, there are many steps that students can take to help reduce the stress of application season and help the entire process move smoothly. Consider making our to-do list your to-do list for the summer. 1. Finish that list Filling out applications isn’t actually all the difficult, it’s just time ..read more

In 2020 many colleges started to seriously develop virtual campus tours to try to fill in the gaps left by restrictions on face to face meetings. While some colleges had previously had brief video tours, they did not do a good job at helping students really get a good feel for the campus. With almost all perspective students touring virtually, though, colleges felt the need to improve their offerings. Students who don’t wish to travel far to campus, or who don’t feel it is safe to meet in person, can now get close to the full tour experience through their computer screens. These virtual experi ..read more

With so much in the news about changes to college testing and admissions, I have heard the same questions from many clients. I wanted to pass along the very latest and best information that I have about the SAT, ACT, and test optional policies. How have the ACT and SAT changed their upcoming dates? • ACT just announced that they will have test dates on June 13th and July 18th. If there is a need to move the test date because of local health conditions, the June test would be moved to June 20th and the July test would be moved to July 25th. Despite much speculation that the summer ACT tests wou ..read more

I was recently in a library here in central Ohio working with a student. As the student completed some practice problems I was watching the other folks coming and going from the library and saw a dad with his daughter come in to check out some books. The girl was maybe in 7th or 8th grade and I was excited to see her in the library- more kids should be reading over summer break! However, then I saw what the dad was checking out: every test prep book in the building. Now, I’m the first to admit that the summer is a great time to get ready for the ACT and SAT tests, but students (especially stud ..read more

For the past few years, the state of Ohio has paid for all juniors to take one standardized test for free in the spring. Generally, schools in Ohio (with a few exceptions) have chosen the ACT as it is the student-preferred test in Ohio.  Over the past few years, an increasing number of schools have been offering this test only through an online portal.  With this trend increasing every year, it is a good idea to understand the pros and cons for online tests. Pros: The first advantage to the online test is that there is a timer on the screen. Since time management is such an issue for many stud ..read more