Yes, I have favorite multiplication tricks. And after you realize how much time and how many errors they can save you on the SAT and ACT, so will you!
Affirmative Action Supreme Court Decision: Does the Class of 2025 Have to Take the SAT or ACT?
You’ve surely heard the huge college admissions news by now: no more race-conscious affirmative action. Considering this change, should the Class of 2025 and younger plan on taking the SAT and ACT?
5 Pieces of Info You Need to Create Your SAT/ACT Study Strategy
This post will take you from the basics to some advanced test-prep moves! I’m walking you through the five pieces of information you need for a winning test-prep strategy—and how to put them together into a plan that will open doors at your dream schools.
2023-24 SAT and ACT Test Dates
When can you take the SAT, Digital SAT, and ACT in academic year 2023-24? I’m so glad you asked! Here are all the test dates, as well as registration deadlines, score release dates, and info on how to register.
Which Facts to Memorize for the SAT No-Calculator Math (Math Etiquette II)
Part 2 of my Math Etiquette series gets down to brass tacks. It’s time for me to dish: exactly which math facts you need to memorize for the SAT and ACT.
Why the U.S. Class of 2025 Needs to Start Their Test Prep NOW
I’m not one to scare-monger, but current sophomores living in the US and US Territories are in a very special situation—and most of them need to get their test prep going very, very soon. Read on to find out why that is—and how to get your SAT, ACT, or Digital SAT timeline moving at the right clip.
How to Know if You Should Cancel Your SAT or ACT Score
There are new and helpful options for how to cancel your SAT or ACT score. But don’t get carried away, because there’s a really important question you should ask yourself before you take advantage of them: SHOULD you cancel your score? Let me walk you through the decision the way I’ve helped my students tackle it.
Complete Guide to Superscoring on the SAT and ACT
What’s a “super score”? If you’re applying to colleges—or especially if you’re a parent of someone who is—you need to know how this scoring system works and how it affects your college applications. I’m breaking down the details of super scoring on the SAT and ACT in this week’s post!
Nervous during the SAT and ACT? Stay Calm with Page Turn Zen
All the SAT and ACT prep in the world won’t matter if you get so nervous on exam day that you can’t remember what you’ve learned. That’s why I like to teach my SAT and ACT-taker clients this technique: Page Turn Zen. Read on for the deets on how this simple practice can help you stay calm—and increase your score by hundreds of points.
What to Learn for the SAT No-Calculator Math Section (Math Etiquette I)
What's math etiquette? Well, like social etiquette, it helps you navigate problems confidently and gracefully...except these problems are math problems! It's also a crucial part of getting prepared for the new SAT No-Calculator Math section. Here's the run-down.
How Do You Cancel Your SAT score?
IF canceling your scores is really necessary, it can save your application! But how do you cancel your SAT scores? Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough, for use in emergencies only!
Inequalities on the SAT and ACT (Baby Algebra Pt. 6)
We’ve reached the end of our baby Algebra upgrade series at long last! In this final post, I’m showing you a trick that upgrades your baby Algebra skills and scores you points on the SAT. (Hint: it involves inequalities!) And you definitely haven’t learned this trick in math class—or in any of your test-prep books!
Inequalities and Absolute Values (Baby Algebra Pt. 5)
We’re starting to wind up our baby Algebra upgrades, but before we do, don’t forget about Inequalities and Absolute Values! Lots of people do—but not the SAT Math test makers, so listen up.
How Many Solutions Does a System of Linear Equations Have? (Baby Algebra Pt. 4)
We’ve covered a lot of ground in this Baby Algebra series! Now that you’re working with linear equations and systems of linear equations, I’m going to teach you a little shortcut to solving—or even skip having to solve!—some of the problems the SAT will throw at you on this topic.
Does the Class of 2024 Need to Take the SAT or ACT?
So many parts of “normal” got put on hold during COVID, and college admissions were no exception. Many students in the high school classes of 2022 and 2023 got into college without taking the SAT or ACT because a lot colleges temporarily switched to Test Optional or Test Blind admissions. But now that the world has mostly opened back up again after the pandemic, does the Class of 2024 need to take standardized tests as part of their college admissions journey?
How to Recognize Systems of Linear Equations (Baby Algebra Pt. 3)
You might not know the math you think you know! This week, in my series teaching you to beat the SAT math paradox, I’m showing you how to recognize systems of linear equations…even in disguise. If you can spot these subtle systems, you can solve problems quickly and easily that might otherwise have stumped you.
The SAT's 5th, Experimental Section
Um….WHAT 5th section of the SAT?? If this blog post’s title alone is threatening to give you a panic attack (or if it’s not, but you still want to find out what the 5th section means for you), take a deep breath. This post’s got all the info you need to take the section in stride.
Why Your SAT/ACT Score Was Lower Than Your Practice Tests (And What to Do about it)
A student wrote to me with a concern that affects a LOT of high schoolers taking the SAT or ACT: what to do when your test score doesn't measure up to your practice scores. In this blog post I give her (and you) my tried and true two-step technique for turning this disappointing situation around!
How to Recognize a Linear Equation on the SAT (Baby Algebra Pt. 2)
In the second post of my new series upgrading your baby Algebra skills to the level that will let you nail ALL of the possible points on the SAT, we’re covering the foundation: what are linear equations, anyway, and what do they actually mean? Need answers? Read on!
How to Answer SAT Paired Passage Questions
Most students have a totally misguided approach to double passage questions on the SAT Reading section. And it costs them MAJOR points. This post explains what you’re probably doing wrong—and how to get it right.
