Get ready to ace the April ACT with these 4 helpful tips:

English: The context (style and structure) questions usually require more thought than the grammar questions do. Focus first on just the grammar questions within each 15 question passage (there are 5 passages per English section). Once you’ve completed the grammar questions, you can tackle the context questions with much more success.

 Math: The math section is in order of increasing difficulty. Strong math students should make sure to allow themselves enough time to finish the more difficult questions. However, if in practice you see that you struggle with the harder questions, spend the needed time and be sure to ace the first 30 questions. Don’t stress if you run out of time and don’t get to the last few questions.

 Reading: You will always be presented with four long readings – Prose, Social Science, Humanities and Natural Science. There’s no rule about what you need to read first. Start with your strongest subject, and end with your weakest! You must practice taking a bunch of readings in order to evaluate what is your strongest and weakest. Helpful Tip: 75% of our students find the Prose reading most difficult.

 Science: Skip the reading blurbs and focus only on the charts and graphs in a passage. Use the questions to guide your eyes to the right answer.

College Admissions Tip:

Buy a whiteboard and sit down together (parent/student) and create a to-do list (for applications, schoolwork, etc) that you both will review and modify every three weeks. Put the whiteboard in a place where the student can see it as a daily reminder.

March Madness is upon us and with it comes this New York Times article that gives a humorous insight into the crazy world of college sports fandom. For some, getting the opportunity to don their school’s colors and cover their face in paint is the epitome of the college experience. For others, well, they call it March Madness for a reason. Either way, you’re not alone.

Click here to read this article written by Elizabeth Anne Brown.

Have you ever felt frustrated by the college admissions process? You’re not alone. For years, many have criticized what has become widely considered an antiquated system. This article explores what goes on behind closed doors: what various colleges look at when considering a student and how and why the application process may or may not begin to evolve.

Click here to read this article written by Eric Hoover.