A Guide For High Schools about the best SAT & ACT practices to set their students up for success on tests and during college admissions.

The College Board SAT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States, is undergoing a significant transition from its traditional paper-based format to a digital format. Students now take the test on a computer rather than with pencil and paper. This shift to digital testing raises several important implications for students. For one, it requires them to adapt to new testing strategies and tools that may differ from what they are accustomed to with paper-based exams. Additionally, the move towards digital testing results from a broader trend towards incorporating technology into education and assessment methods.

Many families struggle to find the EXTRA time in their teen’s day for SAT prep when they have numerous extracurricular activities and regular studies to attend to. While we don’t recommend taking away sports, band, chorus, volunteer work and paid jobs, we do suggest that students carve out time for prep. Without a clear carve-out, SAT (or ACT) prep will fall to the demands of classes, extra-curricular activities, social activities, and sleep.

What is a Tutoring Club?

A tutoring club is where serious students gather to get their work done AND have a tutor’s expertise when they are stuck.

Some tutoring clubs are more pro-active – they enlist a tutor to teach a certain agenda from scratch, or review a certain subject. High School tutoring clubs allow students to get help with difficult academic work, with semi-academic work, and with standardized test prep.

On average, our students increase their SAT scores by nearly 150 points!

What is the secret to our success rate? When it comes to the SAT, we have one simple answer to help students send the best scores to the colleges of their choice.

NOBODY should be delaying an SAT based on this rumor. That’s because “easier” does not mean BETTER. An easier-for-all SAT means Revised SAT scores will be artificially higher. But colleges will be wise to that. If 1400 is easier to attain on the Revised SAT, then colleges will need 1500 to be impressed.

When the SAT was “recentered” in March 1994, high recentered scores were not as impressive as prior scores that were 100 points lower. (Recentering added 110 – 120 points to mid-range scorers.) Colleges could tell the difference, and they certainly will know the difference if the scaling is skewed next year.

Many parents ask us if a student’s SAT prep should be delayed until he or she has completed Algebra 2 in school. The timing of when you study for the SAT is really important. Kids’ schedules, whether during sophomore or junior year, tend to get filled up later in the year. While schedules are more hectic in the spring, students also have more math knowledge under their belts than in winter or fall. So, what should students do?

Many colleges make the award automatic based on a combination of SAT (or ACT) and GPA. Merit-based scholarships range from $500 to $200,000. Our students seeking scholarships report an average award exceeding $70,000 over four years.

As you might have heard, many students are disappointed with their June SAT scores. Students who answered more questions correctly on this SAT compared to a previous exam saw very minor score improvements. Our founder, Mark Greenstein, offers advice to these students to combat their surprisingly low test scores.

Mark Greenstein of Ivy Bound offers test day hints to Ivy Bound students taking the SAT or ACT.

The score, officially called the Environmental Context Dashboard, is calculated with several factors that take into account a student’s home conditions, their community and school system. Also factored in are the student’s local crime rate, poverty rate, if the student has only one parent, the families median income and more.

During winter and early spring in New England, an SAT date may be cancelled due to weather. Parents and students who might be fretful about a cancelled SAT should know there is no downside to a test that’s rescheduled! Our founder, Mark Greenstein, explains how this can actually be beneficial for students.

There is recourse, in mindset and action, for students who receive SAT scores that are below where they need for likely admission to their choice university.

The makers of the SAT demand scrutiny when someone’s score has increased by what they believe to be an inordinately high amount. When a student scores 250 points higher than a previous test, they are required to investigate for cheating.

TEST OPTIONAL AND TEST BLIND HAVE TWO DIFFERENT MEANINGS:

Test Blind: colleges wont see test scores at all.

Test Optional: Students who withhold scores are still included for consideration but with one less credential

The format of the SAT has changed in many ways, both good and bad, depending on a given student’s strengths. Designed to prepare students for higher education, the standardized test has evolved greatly over its 90-year existence.

We have always promoted efficiency – more learning in less time! We understand that most student schedules are overcrowded with schoolwork, extracurricular activities and other obligations. There is no time to be wasted

When you score poorly on the SAT the first time, it can be very disappointing. However, depending on when you took the exam, there could be time for a retake. If you’re a high school junior, should you sign up for the next SAT or look ahead to future ACT dates? We offer three tips to help you make this decision. First, what are the key differences between the two tests?

For all students studying for the SAT and ACT, we have some advice: Don’t wait to sign up! Whether it’s your target or practice test date, delaying until close to the deadline could get you shunted to a faraway test center. To avoid the unnecessary stress before test day, make sure to sign up well in advance.

Ivy Bound was originally founded with a desire to give students the best SAT test prep in the area. Since 2001, Mark Greenstein’s company has evolved into one of the premier test prep and tutoring firms in New England, helping students succeed on the ACT, AP Exams, Graduate School Exams and much more. While we guarantee SAT score increases, we also encourage students to strive for merit scholarships based on test performance.