If you are taking the SAT with Essay, on the exam you will be asked to read a text (typically a speech or editorial of some sort) and discuss how the author effectively builds an argument. This might be a familiar task if you’ve done it in school, but if not, don’t worry. The format is straightforward, and with some practice, you can learn how to write a great SAT essay. The SAT essay is optional, but we recommend you complete it. Some college and universities require that yo

We know you want to impress colleges with your accomplishments in the classroom, but your academics aren’t the full picture to who you really are. Yes, colleges want bright students. But even more, they want bright, well–rounded students. That's where your extracurricular activities come in. Grades and test scores are very important, but so is what you choose to do on your own time. Admissions officers are looking to create a class made up of students with diverse interests a

Did you know summer activities can push your college application to the “yes” pile? Colleges want to see that you are committed to extracurriculars throughout the school year, but they also love it when you are making the effort to expand and stretch yourself over summer vacation. What you do with your time can help you stand out from other applicants who have similar test scores and GPAs. What Should High Schoolers Do Over the Summer? Your summer vacation is the perfect time

Learn how to calculate your target SAT score across the redesigned ("new") and "old" tests The SAT was redesigned in March 2016, and now consists of 2 sections and is scored out of 1600 points. Prior to the redesign, the test consisted of 3 sections and scored out of a total of 2400 points. Each year, colleges publish the average (or a middle range of) SAT scores for the incoming class, which helps aspiring applicants set their SAT score goals. Because many applicants in th