Are you trying to figure out whether you should focus on the SAT or the ACT? Relax—we’ve got you covered. A lot of students wonder whether colleges secretly prefer one test over the other. Good news: they don’t. From a college admissions standpoint, there’s absolutely no difference, so don’t let this particular concern influence your decisions. But based on your personal preferences, there are lots of questions you can ask yourself when deciding between the SAT and ACT. Here are some that we’ll cover in this post:
- Are you required to take one of the tests?
- How fast do you read?
- Do you like geometry?
- How do you feel about logic puzzles and problem-solving?
- What are your thoughts on science-y stuff?
- Do charts and graphs make you smile?
- Are you addicted to your calculator?
- How much do you rely on process of elimination math?
- How confident are you in math?
- Is hunting for answers in reading passages tough for you?
- Are you and English Learner?
Let’s get started.
Are you required to take one of the tests?
The one outside factor that might have an impact on your choice is whether you live in a state that requires the SAT or ACT:
A lot of other states or school districts require the SAT or ACT, but policies vary. If your school requires that you take one of these tests, then your choice isn’t between the SAT and the ACT but between taking only the one test your school requires and taking both tests (which is totally an option!).
Assuming that you have a choice to make, let’s look at some differences between the tests that might make one test a better choice than the other.
How fast do you read?
The SAT gives you more time per question than the ACT does, so if you don’t read very fast, the ACT might not be the right test for you.
The ACT is much faster-paced, so if racing against the clock is a big challenge for you, think about sticking with the SAT.
Do you like geometry?
If you love geometry, the ACT might be the test for you!
About 1/3 or more of the ACT math section is geometry, compared with about 10% of the SAT math section. Plus, the SAT math section gives you a geometry cheat sheet with formulae, but the ACT math section expects you to have all that info memorized.
How do you feel about logic puzzles and problem-solving?
If logic is your thing, the SAT might be the better test for you.
On both the reading and the math sections, ACT questions are a little more straightforward whereas SAT questions often require a few extra steps of logic to arrive at the right answer. If you’re good at visualizing math problems and drawing logical conclusions from reading, then you might be well-suited to the SAT.
What are your thoughts on science-y stuff?
The ACT has a whole section dedicated to science-y stuff, so if you like reading scientific materials, that might be the test for you.
Make no mistake: The SAT includes science-y stuff, too. But it’s a lot less concentrated and makes up a much shorter portion of the test. The SAT science passages also make up less of your score—about 1/8 of your total score on the SAT versus ¼ for the science section on the ACT.
Do charts and graphs make you smile?
Both tests require a good bit of data interpretation, but the ACT has a little more emphasis on this particular skill thanks to the Science section. The ACT Science section can more accurately be described as scientific reading with graphs and tables—there’s a good bit of data interpretation involved. The SAT scatters charts and graphs throughout all sections of the test, so you’ll find some data interpretation on the reading and writing sections, but it’s nowhere near as concentrated as it is on the ACT.
Are you addicted to your calculator?
Is your calculator a comfort object? Do you feel anxious without it? If so, the ACT might be the better choice for you.
The SAT includes a calculator-free math section. While all the questions in this section can be answered without relying on a calculator, those of you who cling to the calculator might not want to face this section.
How much do you rely on process of elimination in math?
If the process of elimination is one of your top math strategies, the SAT might be your better bet…or it might not.
There are two differences at play here: one is the number of answer choices (ACT math has five answer choices while SAT math has four answer choices) and the other is the presence of grid-in questions on the SAT math section.
Since the ACT math section has five answer choices, you’ve got a 20% chance of guessing correctly if you can’t eliminate any answer choices. The SAT gives you slightly better odds at 25%. So if you tend to guess a lot, the SAT might be your better option.
However, this difference might be balanced out by the SAT math section’s grid-in questions. On these questions, you have to write in your own answer—you can’t eliminate your way to a good guess.
How confident are you in math?
If you love math and you know you’ll score better on math than on the verbal sections, the SAT is probably your better choice. On the SAT, the math sections make up half of your total score, but on the ACT, the math section only makes up a fourth of your total score. If math is your strongest suit, try the SAT on for size.
Is hunting for answers in reading passages tough for you?
If you have trouble finding the right place in a reading passage to answer a particular question, you might want to stick with the SAT. The SAT places reading questions in chronological order, so it can be easier to spot the right place in the passage to help answer the questions. The ACT doesn’t put the reading questions in any particular order, so it can be more challenging to find the relevant parts of the passage. Read more on acing the ACT English section.
Are you an English Learner?
The ACT is somewhat more generous in granting test accommodations to English Language Learners (ELL). If you are enrolled in an ELL/ESL program through your school, you would likely qualify for EL accommodations on the ACT. You can only get these accommodations on the SAT if you’re taking the SAT during the school day, which is usually only common in states that require the SAT of all students.
So…which test should I take?
The ultimate test of which test to take is…to take both tests. Some students have a natural affinity for one test over the other, and the best way to figure out whether you’ll perform better on one test over the other is to take a full-length ACT and a full-length SAT. Take these tests on different days so that you’re just as fresh when you take each test. Compare your scores—if you scored much higher on one test than the other, there’s your answer. And if your scores are about the same, pick the one you enjoyed the most (or hated the least)—colleges will take scores from either test.
Once you’ve decided which test you are going to take, it’s time to start prepping. We have plenty of SAT and ACT prep tips in our blog, but if you want personalized test prep that will really help you score big on test day, then contact your local 宝博体育 center and receive a free practice test and consultation.
4 SAT Reading Strategies to Boost Your Score
TEST PREPUnlike the math and writing portions of the SAT, the SAT reading section doesn’t require you to bring any outside knowledge to the test. You don’t need to know grammar rules or algebra—you just need to know how to read. For those of you who hate reading, that’s easier said than done. But with a few sound SAT reading strategies in your back pocket, you too can get a high score on the SAT reading section.
#1: Time Yourself
This SAT reading strategy is all about time management. A big part of succeeding on SAT reading is beating the clock. You have 65 minutes to read five passages and answer 52 questions.
65 minutes might sound like a pretty long time, but it goes fast. The key is to pace yourself to avoid having to rush through the last one or two passages.
Using a watch with no bells or whistles (smart watches aren’t allowed on test day), time yourself while you practice. Give yourself 12 minutes per passage, including answering questions. At 12 minutes, move on whether you’re finished or not.
12 minutes per passage leaves you with 5 minutes at the end to go back and answer questions you skipped or reexamine questions you’re less sure about.
#2: Tackle the Easiest Passages First
Every SAT reading test will include a literature passage, two science passages, and two history or social studies passages. One of the social studies passages will be a Founding Document or Global Conversation passage—a speech or text important to U.S. and/or global progress (for instance, an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence or a speech by Nelson Mandela). One of the social studies or science passages will be a paired passage.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Most students find these passages to be the trickiest:
Sometimes the SAT sticks the toughest passage in the very beginning of the section. If you work through the passages in order, you risk getting bogged down in that first passage, losing precious time that you could have spent getting more questions right on later passages.
There’s a trick to making this SAT reading strategy work for you: You need to be particularly careful when bubbling in your answers. Make absolutely sure that each bubble corresponds with the correct question—otherwise, this tip will backfire in a big way!
#3: Find the Passage Strategy that Works for You
There are tons of SAT reading strategies to tackle passages, and what works for one student won’t necessarily work for another, so there’s a certain amount of trial and error in finding the right strategy. Some popular strategies include:
#4: Be Like a Shark—Keep Moving
Fun fact: Many types of sharks must swim constantly in order to breathe. If they stop moving, they die.
For the purposes of the SAT reading section, be one of those sharks. Keep moving.
If you get stuck on a question, make your best guess and move on. When you bubble in your guess, mark it dark enough to be read by the scanner but light enough that you can quickly erase it if you have time to revisit the question later. Mark the question in your test booklet so that you know you want to revisit it.
Maintain Focus
If you find yourself zoning out (it happens!), shift positions and take a deep breath. Getting some oxygen up to your brain should help you refocus and get through the section.
Remember to practice with different SAT reading strategies until you find the one that works best for you! Visit your local 宝博体育 center for a practice test and find out how you can maximize your SAT score.
A Survival Guide for Your Junior Year of High School
HIGH SCHOOLAs the weeks and months before college applications are due slip away, high school juniors get busier and more frantic. Fear not! With careful planning, you’ll get through this—and we’re here to help. We hope you find this survival guide useful in getting through your junior year of high school.
Finalizing Your College List
Even though applications aren’t due until next fall, finalizing your college list should be one of your first steps in surviving the college admissions gauntlet. After all, the list of schools you’ll apply to is going to determine which standardized tests you need to take, what test scores you’ll need, how many essays you have to write, and when all of this needs to be done by.
Making a Testing Plan
Once you know the test policies at your chosen colleges, you can figure out what tests you need to take and what scores you need to earn.
Most colleges publish score data on their websites, and search tools like NCES College Navigator and College Board’s Big Future include median score ranges as well. Remember that the median score range represents where the middle 50% of previously admitted students scored. The other half of admitted students scored above and below that range, which is a nice reminder that test scores alone don’t determine admission. Check out What SAT and ACT Scores Do I Need? for more info.
You have no choice about when to take your AP exams since they’re only offered in May, but you have some flexibility about when to take the SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests. Try to give yourself multiple test dates to finalize your scores and avoid piling tests on top of one another. For example, if you’re taking multiple AP exams in May followed by your final exams, May might not be the ideal month to also take the SAT.
When you know which tests you’ll take, what scores you need, and how much time you have to meet your score goals, you can create a test prep plan that will work for you. Check out College Admissions Testing: Which Tests to Take When to help you figure out the standardized test landscape.
Prepping for AP Exams
Junior year is probably your most challenging year yet in terms of your AP course load, which means that this will also be your most challenging AP exam prep experience. Luckily, we have a slew of resources to help you tackle AP exam prep:
Searching for Scholarships
It feels weird to worry about paying for college when you don’t even know where you’re actually going to college, but many scholarships have application deadlines over the summer and into early fall. Getting a jump start on your scholarship search will pay off in the end.
Start with a crash course in financial aid with Paying for College: You Got In. Now to Pay for It.
Next, start looking for scholarship opportunities. Here are our favorite scholarship search sites:
Don’t stop there! Here are some other great scholarship tips:
Tips to Keep all the Balls in the Air
You know what you need to do, but it’s a long list. It’s tough to balance all of this plus your schoolwork plus your extracurricular responsibilities plus things like eating and sleeping. You’re going to need some Marie-Kondo-level organization skills.
If you’d like to get some help create creating your own plan for high school, start with a free personalized consultation from 宝博体育 Education. Contact your local 宝博体育 center today to learn more.
Top Five Signs You Need Test Prep Help
TEST PREPPlenty of people get ready for tests like the ACT and SAT all on their own. In fact, we’ve got lots of test prep resources to help students get ready for their tests:
But sometimes you just need help. How do you know if an SAT or ACT tutor is right for you?
#1: Your scores are much lower than you’d like
This one’s pretty obvious: If you have a looooong road from where you’re scoring now to where you want to score on test day, you might need some help. A qualified test prep tutor can help you identify the areas where you need the most help, focus on the topics where your time will pay off in the biggest score boosts, and create and follow through on a detailed study plan.
#2: Your scores have plateaued
You’ve been prepping on your own for a while now, but recently, your practice test scores have stopped going up. For a lot of students, there’s a wall beyond which it’s much more difficult to see score improvements. Sometimes this is just a mental block and a few days off from test prep will help them power through, but other times, it’s because they reached the toughest concepts on the test and the more difficult content is tough to master on their own. If your scores are stuck in neutral, a good test prep tutor can help you break through the wall by introducing new strategies and approaching tough concepts from different angles.
#3 Your scores are really high, but not as high as you’d like
“But wait,” you say. “Didn’t you just say low scores are a sign that I need test prep? Make up your mind!”
While students with low scores can definitely benefit from test prep help, students whose scores are near the top of the scale sometimes benefit even more. When you’re scoring high already, the areas where you can still gain additional points are also the areas with the toughest questions. Mastering the most complex topics and learning to answer the hardest questions isn’t always something students can do on their own. Experienced test prep tutors have the strategies and expertise necessary to help students tackle the toughest parts of the test.
#4 You’re struggling in a specific subject area
Let’s say you’re acing the reading and writing parts of the SAT but your math score is in the toilet. If your strengths lie with verbal skills, you’re probably not going to have much success teaching yourself the Algebra II concepts you need to excel on the math section of the SAT. When you’re struggling in a specific area, you might not feel prepared to teach yourself the material; a test prep tutor, on the other hand, can certainly help you f address your subject weakness.
#5 You’re missing key knowledge or skills
A lot of knowledge builds on itself. For example, if you don’t have a great grasp of subject-verb agreement and verb tenses, questions that examine parallel structure will be almost impossible to get right. If you don’t have a decent grasp of algebra, solving for x in a word problem that sets up a right triangle and requires the application of the Pythagorean theorem is going to be like…Greek. So if you’re missing an important building block of knowledge, everything you build on top of that faulty foundation is going to have a big crack running through it. A test prep tutor can help you identify these gaps in knowledge and shore up your foundation to build a stronger network of knowledge and skills.
Finding the Right Test Prep Program
Any good test prep program has to start with a diagnostic test. No one can effectively prepare you for a test without first knowing where you’re starting from. (Visit your local 宝博体育 Education center to schedule a free diagnostic test.)
If your score is very low, you’re struggling in a particular area, or you suspect you’re missing important foundational skills, be sure to ask whether the tutor or test prep provider specializes in the test or subject you need help with.
If your score is already high and you want to get it higher, make sure your test prep service targets the toughest parts of the test. A lot of test prep tutors or programs focus most heavily on the mid-level skills and question types, but this won’t help if you’re already doing really well.
Finally, make sure your test prep provider isn’t taking a one-size-fits-all approach. The test is standardized, but you aren’t. What works from another student might not work for you, and no one else has your particular mix of strengths and weaknesses.
How to Decide Between the ACT and SAT
TEST PREPAre you trying to figure out whether you should focus on the SAT or the ACT? Relax—we’ve got you covered. A lot of students wonder whether colleges secretly prefer one test over the other. Good news: they don’t. From a college admissions standpoint, there’s absolutely no difference, so don’t let this particular concern influence your decisions. But based on your personal preferences, there are lots of questions you can ask yourself when deciding between the SAT and ACT. Here are some that we’ll cover in this post:
Let’s get started.
Are you required to take one of the tests?
The one outside factor that might have an impact on your choice is whether you live in a state that requires the SAT or ACT:
A lot of other states or school districts require the SAT or ACT, but policies vary. If your school requires that you take one of these tests, then your choice isn’t between the SAT and the ACT but between taking only the one test your school requires and taking both tests (which is totally an option!).
Assuming that you have a choice to make, let’s look at some differences between the tests that might make one test a better choice than the other.
How fast do you read?
The SAT gives you more time per question than the ACT does, so if you don’t read very fast, the ACT might not be the right test for you.
The ACT is much faster-paced, so if racing against the clock is a big challenge for you, think about sticking with the SAT.
Do you like geometry?
If you love geometry, the ACT might be the test for you!
About 1/3 or more of the ACT math section is geometry, compared with about 10% of the SAT math section. Plus, the SAT math section gives you a geometry cheat sheet with formulae, but the ACT math section expects you to have all that info memorized.
How do you feel about logic puzzles and problem-solving?
If logic is your thing, the SAT might be the better test for you.
On both the reading and the math sections, ACT questions are a little more straightforward whereas SAT questions often require a few extra steps of logic to arrive at the right answer. If you’re good at visualizing math problems and drawing logical conclusions from reading, then you might be well-suited to the SAT.
What are your thoughts on science-y stuff?
The ACT has a whole section dedicated to science-y stuff, so if you like reading scientific materials, that might be the test for you.
Make no mistake: The SAT includes science-y stuff, too. But it’s a lot less concentrated and makes up a much shorter portion of the test. The SAT science passages also make up less of your score—about 1/8 of your total score on the SAT versus ¼ for the science section on the ACT.
Do charts and graphs make you smile?
Both tests require a good bit of data interpretation, but the ACT has a little more emphasis on this particular skill thanks to the Science section. The ACT Science section can more accurately be described as scientific reading with graphs and tables—there’s a good bit of data interpretation involved. The SAT scatters charts and graphs throughout all sections of the test, so you’ll find some data interpretation on the reading and writing sections, but it’s nowhere near as concentrated as it is on the ACT.
Are you addicted to your calculator?
Is your calculator a comfort object? Do you feel anxious without it? If so, the ACT might be the better choice for you.
The SAT includes a calculator-free math section. While all the questions in this section can be answered without relying on a calculator, those of you who cling to the calculator might not want to face this section.
How much do you rely on process of elimination in math?
If the process of elimination is one of your top math strategies, the SAT might be your better bet…or it might not.
There are two differences at play here: one is the number of answer choices (ACT math has five answer choices while SAT math has four answer choices) and the other is the presence of grid-in questions on the SAT math section.
Since the ACT math section has five answer choices, you’ve got a 20% chance of guessing correctly if you can’t eliminate any answer choices. The SAT gives you slightly better odds at 25%. So if you tend to guess a lot, the SAT might be your better option.
However, this difference might be balanced out by the SAT math section’s grid-in questions. On these questions, you have to write in your own answer—you can’t eliminate your way to a good guess.
How confident are you in math?
If you love math and you know you’ll score better on math than on the verbal sections, the SAT is probably your better choice. On the SAT, the math sections make up half of your total score, but on the ACT, the math section only makes up a fourth of your total score. If math is your strongest suit, try the SAT on for size.
Is hunting for answers in reading passages tough for you?
If you have trouble finding the right place in a reading passage to answer a particular question, you might want to stick with the SAT. The SAT places reading questions in chronological order, so it can be easier to spot the right place in the passage to help answer the questions. The ACT doesn’t put the reading questions in any particular order, so it can be more challenging to find the relevant parts of the passage. Read more on acing the ACT English section.
Are you an English Learner?
The ACT is somewhat more generous in granting test accommodations to English Language Learners (ELL). If you are enrolled in an ELL/ESL program through your school, you would likely qualify for EL accommodations on the ACT. You can only get these accommodations on the SAT if you’re taking the SAT during the school day, which is usually only common in states that require the SAT of all students.
So…which test should I take?
The ultimate test of which test to take is…to take both tests. Some students have a natural affinity for one test over the other, and the best way to figure out whether you’ll perform better on one test over the other is to take a full-length ACT and a full-length SAT. Take these tests on different days so that you’re just as fresh when you take each test. Compare your scores—if you scored much higher on one test than the other, there’s your answer. And if your scores are about the same, pick the one you enjoyed the most (or hated the least)—colleges will take scores from either test.
Once you’ve decided which test you are going to take, it’s time to start prepping. We have plenty of SAT and ACT prep tips in our blog, but if you want personalized test prep that will really help you score big on test day, then contact your local 宝博体育 center and receive a free practice test and consultation.
Score High with These ACT® English Tips
TEST PREPYour challenge, should you choose to accept it (and if you’re taking the ACT®, you have to accept it): Answer 50 questions in just 35 minutes. The ACT English section is the fastest-paced section on the test, and anywhere from 1/3 to ½ of the questions focus on the nit-picky rules of English grammar, mechanics, and usage.
If you’re hoping for a top English score, you’ll need to prepare to answer every question correctly. In fact, it’s incredibly rare to be able to earn a perfect 36 if you miss just one question. Read on for our best ACT English tips.
Know What’s Tested
You’ll have a better idea of what to work on if you have a good understanding of what’s on the test.
The ACT English section is pretty evenly divided between grammar questions and rhetoric questions. Grammar questions test usage and mechanics, and rhetoric questions test broader writing strategy. If you have a good idea of the topics that come up most frequently, you know which topics are likely to have the biggest impact on your score. This table shows you the topics on the ACT English section from most to least frequent.
Know Your Weaknesses
Every test-taker has a different set of strengths and weaknesses. On English, your biggest weakness usually falls under the heading of either content or time management.
To figure out how big of an issue time management might be, conduct a little experiment. Take a practice English test with a timer set for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, finish the rest of the test section without timing yourself, but mark the questions you answer untimed. What you’re trying to figure out is whether you are missing questions only because you don’t have enough time to get to all of them, because you don’t know the answers, or because of some combination of the two.
Once you know where your biggest weaknesses lie, you can take steps to address them. If timing is your biggest weakness, you’ll want to work on time management strategies. If content is your biggest weakness, you’ll want to identify content areas to focus your study efforts on.
Practice Makes Perfect
Check out our post about the importance of practice tests in ACT prep. One of the best test prep tactics is to complete timed practice sections and practice tests. This helps you work on time management, testing strategies, and content.
Understand Your Mistakes
Your practice won’t help much unless you go back and review your mistakes. Even though it’s not fun to wallow in your wrong answers, reviewing each missed question will help you avoid future mistakes. Be sure you understand why you got the question wrong and why the correct answer is correct. If you can’t figure it out, ask a tutor, friend, or teacher.
Watch the Clock
You know you have 35 minutes to address 6 passages and 35 questions. It helps to break this down into bite-sized pieces so that you aren’t too rushed during the final passage—after all, there are probably several questions on that last passage that you can totally get right if you aren’t having to rush.
Give yourself 4-6 minutes per passage and set of questions. After 8 minutes, move on to the next passage regardless of whether you’re finished. At the end, you’ll have about 5 minutes left. Use those 5 minutes to go back and answer any questions you skipped or review any questions you weren’t sure about.
Go Paragraph by Paragraph
Chop the passage into pieces. Read an entire paragraph, jot down a 2- or 3-word summary of the main idea, and then answer the questions for that paragraph. If you get stuck on a tough question, keep moving and come back to it. Repeat the same process with the next paragraph.
Tackle Big Picture Questions Last
Use the little summaries you wrote defining the main idea or purpose to go back and skim the passage in order to better address any questions that cover the passage as a whole or relationships between paragraphs.
Read Everything Surrounding the Underlined Portion
Don’t just read the underlined portion and the answer choices—read the entire sentence containing the underlined portion and the sentences immediately before and after. This context will allow you to get to the right answer. For example, the ACT sometimes slips a pronoun-antecedent agreement error that you would only see if you read the previous sentence, which might contain the antecedent.
Identify the Specific Error
Don’t immediately go with the answer that “sounds right”—that can be a good strategy for making an educated guess when you’re trying to eliminate answers, but it won’t get you to the right answer if that’s your go-to strategy. Instead, try to identify the specific error in the question so that you can eliminate answers that don’t fix the original error—you’ll have a much better chance of getting the right answer than if you go by instinct alone.
Visit your local 宝博体育 Education center for a free practice ACT and learn how 宝博体育’s experts can help you maximize your ACT scores.
The New Viral Math Trick That Isn’t Very New
TUTORINGA useful math trick that could save you tons of time and mental effort has sped across the Internet, leaving half the population wondering why they weren’t taught this in school and the other half of the population wondering why so many people are flabbergasted by something they thought everyone already knew.
Whether you’ve known this trick since your elementary days or you’re just now learning it when you’re today years old, let’s review this nifty trick for quickly calculating percentages.
It doesn’t just work with 4 and 75.
Quick: What’s 28% of 25?
28% of 25 is 25% of 28. 25% is ¼, so we divide 28 by 4 to get 7. 28% of 25 is 7. Boom.
So why does it work? In math-speak, it works because multiplication is commutative. In non-math-speak, that means the order of the numbers in a multiplication problem doesn’t change the answer, so a × b is the same as b × a. Let’s take a look:
Voila!
These kinds of math tricks make so much sense once someone shows you the mechanics of how they work. Our math tutors specialize in teaching students the kinds of math “hacks” that make math simple. If you’d like a free math tutoring consultation, contact your local center today!
5 Things You Should Do on Every College Visit
COLLEGE ADMISSIONSThe web offers a treasure trove of college information. From college websites to student review sites to rankings publications, there’s no shortage of resources for you to learn about the colleges you might apply to. Given all this detailed information, it might not seem necessary to physically visit college campuses—why take the time when a digital campus experience is at your fingertips?
Campus visits offer a unique perspective on a school, one that simply can’t be matched by a website, no matter how detailed or flashy it may be. Don’t take our word for it: In an annual national survey, nearly half of college freshman said that a campus visit was “very important” in making their college choice.
Since campus visits are an important part of picking a college, make sure you do these five things to make your college visits worthwhile!
Visit the Dorms
You’ll spend an awful lot of time in the dorms at whichever college you ultimately attend. When you check out the accommodations, you get two important sources of information: your own observations of the living quarters (the bathroom is how small?!?) and the chance to interact with current students.
Students will be more likely to chat with you if you catch them in their natural habitats, away from an official campus tour. Ask about what the students love and hate about the school. Their responses will tell you a lot more than any admissions brochure.
Grade the Grub
We don’t have to tell you how important food is to your happiness and well-being. The dining halls are where you’ll eat a majority of your meals for as long as you live on campus, so check them out!
Dining options fall on a pretty wide spectrum. Some colleges dish up standard cafeteria fare, and others offer fast food options. Still other dining halls offer a fine dining experience to rival a four-star restaurant. A dinner menu at Bowdoin College might include lobster; a kale, blueberry, and apple salad with cranberry vinaigrette; or locally-sourced, grass-fed beef burgers.
Make It Official
Colleges take demonstrated interest into consideration when making admissions decisions. After all, they prefer to admit students who are more likely to ultimately enroll. Your campus visits offer opportunities to demonstrate interest.
Start by taking an official tour. Signing up for the tour makes your visit official, which shows the admissions office that you were interested enough in the school to travel there for a visit. Speaking of the admissions office, consider stopping by. Be polite and professional and come prepared with any admissions questions you might have.
Visit Your Prospective Academic Department
If you’ve already settled on a major, use your visit as a chance to meet the teachers, see the classrooms, and learn more about the program you’re enrolling in. It’s considerate to call or email in advance, so you can be sure faculty will have time to meet with you.
Many colleges will allow you to sit in on a lecture or two during your visit, which gives you a feel for the classroom experience and lets you check out some of your potential professors in action.
If the college requires an essay or writing supplement explaining why you wish to attend this school, a visit to your prospective academic department will allow you to write a far more nuanced response. You’ll be able to knowledgeably discuss the opportunities you hope to explore at the college since you’ll have already checked out what’s available.
Check Out the Extras
Don’t forget to see what the school has to offer in terms of athletic facilities, activity centers, and the bookstore. Go off the beaten path to discover some of the hidden gems on campus. Consider asking students what they think a prospective student should see that isn’t on any official tour.
Look at the campus as your potential home and scout the area accordingly. You might decide to spend several years there—make sure you know what you’re getting into.
College Counseling Help
Now that you know about the things you should do on every college visit, be sure to read our post on how to make sure you have a successful college visit. You can also learn more about finding the right college for you by visiting your nearest 宝博体育 Education center for a free college roadmap session!
AP Exam Prep: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
TEST PREPAP exams are among the most challenging standardized tests high school students will face. These marathon tests usually cover an entire year’s worth of information. The sheer volume of knowledge required means that students should prepare for these exams carefully and thoroughly.
What do I need to think about when planning for AP exam prep?
The two biggest considerations when starting AP exam prep are how much content you need to cover and how much time you have to prepare.
How much content?
Think about how many subjects you need to study—are you taking one AP exam? Two? Ten? This will have a big impact on how much material you need to cover.
Within each AP subject area, create a list of topics you know will be on the test. How do you know what’s on the test? Hopefully, your AP teacher will have given you a pretty thorough overview of the AP exam, but if not—or if you need a refresher—check out the course descriptions on the College Board website.
Here’s an example from the AP US History Course Description:
Next, think about how confident you are in each topic—on a scale of “I got this” to “uh oh,” how confident are you in your understanding of the course material thus far? If you know you know your stuff, AP exam prep will be much easier than if you’re pretty sure you’ve already forgotten everything you learned in the fall.
Check out our Ultimate AP Exam Study Planner for a tool to organize and prioritize your study topics.
How much time?
Pull out a calendar and count the weeks between now and AP exams. This is your finite AP exam prep window—unlike most other tests, you can’t just push these exams back a month or two if you’re not ready yet.
Now think about your after school schedule from week to week. Once you account for your regular homework load, your extracurricular activities, other responsibilities, and sleep, how much time do you have left over each week to dedicate to AP exam prep? Be realistic. If you plan to spend 8 hours a week studying for AP exams when you can really only dedicate 4 hours a week to AP exam prep, you’re planning to fail.
When should I start prepping for AP exams?
In a way, AP exam prep starts on the first day of class: the best AP exam prep is working diligently to learn the material throughout the school year. Formal, intensive AP exam prep—the kind with study guides and practice tests—should start a good 8 to 12 weeks before your AP exams (for the mathematically challenged, that’s February or March). This allows you to review the material in smaller chunks over time rather than trying to cram a ton of information into your head at the last possible minute.
How should I study for AP exams?
The best AP exam prep approach differs from student to student and subject to subject. For example, you probably won’t study for AP Literature the same way you would study for AP Calculus because the subjects and exam formats are so different.
With that said, there are certain principles that apply no matter what you’re studying for.
Planning for Success
But what if there was actual scientific proof that making a study plan boosts your performance?
Researchers from Stanford, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Michigan Ann Arbor conducted a study in which they split students in an introductory statistics class into two groups. Prior to their exams, both groups were asked about their goals and motivation for the upcoming test. Students in the treatment group were then asked to think about the types of questions that would be on the exam, to identify resources they would use to prepare for the exam, and to identify where, when, and how they would implement each resource. In other words, they were asked to create study plans.
On average, the students who created study plans scored 9% higher on their exams than the students who were not asked to create study plans.
9% can easily make the difference between a 4 and a 5 on your AP exams.
The Science of Learning
Whether you’re studying for AP psych or not, psychology researchers have some tips to help you ace your AP exams.
More AP Exam Study Tips
But wait! There’s more. Here are a few of our top study tasks to help you remember new information:
Don’t forget to also check out our post with our Top 5 AP Prep Tips.
Get AP Prep Help
There’s no shame in seeking out additional support in your test prep efforts. In fact, AP prep programs like the ones 宝博体育 offers help students stay accountable to their study plans and make them more effective learners. You can read more about the value of test prep programs here.
How to Have a Successful College Visit
COLLEGE ADMISSIONSGiven the rich visual detail of most college websites, it might seem like you don’t have to physically visit a college’s campus to get a good feel for the school, but when done right, a college campus visit can offer a lot of insight and give you a bit of an edge in the admissions race. Read on for our tips for a successful college visit.
Go prepared.
Make a list of questions for students, admissions staff, faculty, and anyone else you hope to meet so that you can be sure to remember everything you wanted to ask. Researching the college in advance can help you to better plan your visit so that you can explore the aspects of the college that mean the most to you.
Be open-minded.
Visit colleges you aren’t really interested in attending. Every campus visit gives you insight into what you do and don’t want in a college—and you never know, you might find a school that you love that you would never have otherwise considered.
Don’t let one negative experience sour you on a whole college. For example, maybe the class you sat in on was dull, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of other amazing class experiences to be had.
Time it right.
Although a campus visit can be enlightening at any time of year, the best time to visit is while regular classes are in session. This gives you the most accurate idea of what life on the campus is really like.
Make it official.
Sign up for the official tour. What the college chooses to highlight tells you a lot about its priorities and culture, so the official tour is always enlightening. Plus, college admissions officers consider taking a tour to be a sign of demonstrated interest, which can be a factor in admission decisions.
Get off the beaten path.
What the college highlights is certainly enlightening, but what’s not placed front and center can be just as revealing. Explore the campus without a tour guide to learn more about student life, campus culture, and the perks and drawbacks of the school.
Talk to students.
No one is better informed about the student experience at a college than the students themselves. Most students are happy to talk about their schools—which is a sign of student satisfaction in and of itself. Be prepared with questions so that you can learn the nitty gritty details of student life—how’s the food? What are the dorms like? How’s the social scene? Are the staff responsive? Is the faculty dedicated?
Meet the decision makers.
Stop by the admissions office to introduce yourself. This is another way to demonstrate interest, and if you’re lucky, you might get to learn about the admissions process straight from the source.
Keep good records.
After three or four campus visits, details tend to run together. Document your visits with photos and notes so that you remember the pros and cons of each school.
Sit in on a class.
Most colleges will let you sit in on a lecture. Look at the course catalog to find a class you’re interested in, and consider looking for professor reviews so that you can sit in on a quality lecture. Don’t judge all the classes at a college by this one experience, but take the time to explore the academic side of the college.
Save the best for last.
You’ll get better at campus visits with practice, so start with schools you’re not that interested in and work your way up to your dream school.