AdmissionSight

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Cornell University is test-optional, but not for long. For Fall 2025 applicants, Cornell remains test-optional, giving students the choice to submit SAT or ACT scores. However, this policy will change for Fall 2026 admissions, when standardized test scores will once again be required. Dont stress about the SAT or ACT.

Testing

Peterson's Blog

JANUARY 7, 2025

Standardized test scores, like the SAT and ACT, determine academic readiness and skills for entering university. Scores grant entry to schools with specific requirements, award scholarships, and determine areas of strengths and weaknesses within a students academic career. What Are the ACT and SAT?

ACT

Great College Advice

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Admissions officers mark each individual factor (grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, etc.) Certainly, it’s nice to be a great center fielder, to have led your Model UN team to a regional title, or to be the lead in your high school musical.

Admissions

Discovery College Consulting

MARCH 4, 2025

Test-optional policies took off during the Covid 19 pandemic, though some institutions, mostly small liberal arts colleges, had adopted these policies in the early 2000s. Recently, some of the most selective colleges in the nation have been reverting to test-required policies. It would not be surprising if others follow suit.

Policies

Top Tier Admissions

DECEMBER 23, 2024

SAT Tutoring Expert one-on-one guidance to boost your score. ENROLL NOW UT AUSTIN SHAKE-UP Despite the return of a standardized testing requirement for applicants that began this cycle, UT Austin saw a third consecutive year of record-breaking application numbers. Consequently, the major youre applying to at UT Austin matters a lot.

Waitlist

Grown & Flown

APRIL 2, 2025

I sat in my dorm room that first day with a huge smile, but inside, I felt a mixture of petrifying fear and excitement. I got my first low grade on a paper I had worked super hard on (not bad, but not meeting my straight-A standards from high school). Youre thrown advice in graduation cards left and right… Study hard!

Transition

ACM College Consulting

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

High school juniors are at a pivotal stage in the college application process. Prepare for Standardized Tests If you plan to take the SAT or ACT, start preparing now. Plan to take the test at least twice this spring and summer to meet fall deadlines. Create a Timeline : Plan out your tasks for the next year.

Applications

Georgia Tech Admissions Blog

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

I gathered documents, tried, and failed to book an appointment, travelled to the DMV, drew a number, sat for three hours, turned in all my paperwork, took a mini drivers test and vision check, and finally posed for a new requisitely terrible picture. It was a ton of prep work and a huge investment of time and emotional energy.

Testing

College Essay Guy

JUNE 23, 2025

This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but standardized testing (as in, the SAT and ACT) can have disparate negative impacts on first generation and/or low income (FGLI) students compared with wealthier students. TABLE OF CONTENTS (click to skip ahead) What even are these tests?

Standardized Testing

AdmissionSight

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Harvard takes a holistic approach to admissions, meaning they dont just focus on grades and test scores. Standardized test scores Harvard has reinstated its requirement for standardized test scores beginning with the class of 2029, meaning applicants must now submit SAT or ACT results as part of their application.

University

College Essay Guy

DECEMBER 6, 2024

What are the eligibility requirements for your GPA, test scores, and community service hours? The program offers scholarships based on your high school grades and test scores. Complete the required high school coursework. Achieve the required minimum high school GPA.

Scholarships

College Essay Guy

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

West Point Academy Admissions Stats Acceptance Rate: around 12% Median SAT Score Range: 1220-1450 Median ACT Score Range: 27-33 Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy , located in Annapolis, Maryland, is renowned for its exceptional training programs preparing students for U.S. Cadets are expected to excel in all three areas.

Letters of Recommendation

The College Pod

MARCH 21, 2025

It has tons of facts about who gets in, how many students apply, what test scores they had , and how much financial aid was given. It lists things like: GPA Class rank Test scores Extracurricular activities Essays Recommendations Next to each one, the college says whether it’s Very Important , Important , Considered , or Not Considered.

Financial Aid

AdmissionSight

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

That’s why we suggest starting with a simple to-do list during your junior year of high school. The PSAT, or Preliminary SAT, is a standardized test that gives you a sneak peek at what the SAT will be like. Prepare for the SAT and ACT. A great way to begin is by taking a full-length practice test for both.

Applications

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 21, 2025

Starting with the Fall 2026 application cycle, undergraduate applicants will once again be required to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) as part of their application. This marks a shift from the test-optional policy adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. ENROLL NOW What Does This Mean for College Admissions?

Standardized Testing

AdmissionSight

DECEMBER 1, 2024

Are you a high school student unsure about which colleges to apply to, or maybe an adult thinking about going back to school? Unlike universities, community colleges often have looser admission requirements, making it easier for students who might not meet strict GPA or testing criteria to still pursue their educational goals.

Community College

Admissions.Blog

JUNE 17, 2025

This means it’s an important time for members of the high school Class of 2026 – especially those who want to run the gauntlet this admissions cycle – to be aware of the the five colleges with the most grueling standardized test requirements for first-year admission. Why Grueling: MIT’s 4.1%

Standardized Testing

AdmissionSight

MAY 23, 2025

Got a 1590 SAT score ? If you’re deciding which score to submit, trying to evaluate your performance across both exams, or simply curious how your near-perfect SAT stacks up, this 1590 SAT to ACT guide is for you. 1590 SAT to ACT: Whats the Equivalent Score? 1590 SAT to ACT: Whats the Equivalent Score?

ACT

Berkeley² Academy

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for high school juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) and achieve qualifying scores. What benefits do National Merit Scholars earn?

Scholarships

HelloCollege

JANUARY 14, 2025

Participating in dual enrollment in high school can be a great way to make the most of your college experience. What Is Dual Enrollment in High School? Dual enrollment, also know as concurrent enrollment, allows students to earn college credit while still in high school.

High School

Peterson's Blog

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Whether you need SAT ACT tutoring, ISEE test tutoring, or an online math tutor, Peterson’s test prep connects you with an award-winning online tutor anytime, 24/7, for instant live tutoring. Test Anxiety and Poor Exam Performance —You may understand the material but struggle to perform under pressure during exams.

Test Prep

AdmissionSight

DECEMBER 4, 2024

A big reason for this surge is the rise of test-optional policies and increased global access to higher education. This means more competition for every spot and higher expectations for grades, test scores, essays, and extracurriculars. Think 1550+ on the SAT or 35 on the ACT. to just 5.4%. That’s a massive drop.

Acceptance

Emerging College Consulting

JUNE 6, 2025

If you’re helping a high school student research colleges, you’ve probably run into a lot of promotional language: small class sizes, holistic admissions, vibrant campus life. Because nearly all accredited colleges participate, you can use it to directly compare schools in an apples-to-apples format.

GPA

AdmissionSight

JULY 29, 2025

<p>Is Caltech test-optional? Applicants must submit standardized test scores as part of the admissions process. </p> <ul> <li aria-level="1"><a href="#Is Is &lt;yoastmark class=">Caltech Test-Optional in 2025? ">What SAT Score Do You Need for Caltech?</a></li>

Testing

Peterson's Blog

JULY 2, 2025

Like most things, the landscape of standardized testing is ever-evolving. What hasn’t changed – the PSAT, SAT, and ACT are still important in college admissions, especially for selective schools and students seeking merit-based scholarships. If that’s the case, traditional test prep may be best for you.

Test Prep

Peterson's Blog

AUGUST 13, 2025

The Challenge of “One-Size-Fits-All” Test Prep Personalized test prep tools are a game-changer for educators seeking to streamline their workflow and improve student outcomes. While likely the most efficient for teachers, a generic approach to test prep simply doesn’t cut it.

Test Prep

AdmissionSight

JANUARY 1, 2025

To stand out, make sure your essays, test scores, and extracurriculars show youre not just academically strong but also a great fit for UChicago. This round gives you extra timemaybe to improve your grades or test scoresbut its still binding, just like ED I. GPA , and 97% ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.

Acceptance

AdmissionSight

JANUARY 23, 2025

One of the big questions that might be swirling around in your head is: Is Duke test-optional? Dukes Test-Optional Policy Duke SAT Scores Duke ACT Scores Duke University Admission Requirements Frequently Asked Questions Takeaways Dukes Test-Optional Policy For the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Duke University is test-optional.

Testing

Grown & Flown

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Before we even opened the computer, my daughter and I sat down and discussed her top priorities. In the beginning, we trained ChatGPT by testing it on just a few schoolsthen, when she was closer to making a decision, we used it to compare her final options. Are there any trends in enrollment to be aware of? Good luck with your search!

Financial Aid

Top Tier Admissions

JULY 8, 2025

This past May, students sat for over six million AP exams across 40 different subjects. Technology glitches aside, the AP program maintains a strong world-wide reputation as a demanding curriculum that is trusted by students and school administrators alike to prepare students for the rigors of college-level work. Only time will tell.

Standardized Testing

College Essay Guy

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Academic achievement/Merit-based Academic or merit-based scholarships are awarded based on high academic achievement. These scholarships typically require excellent grades, high test scores, and sometimes additional criteria like leadership, community service, or extracurricular involvement. How do you write a scholarship essay?

Scholarships

UGA Undergraduate Admissions Q & A

JANUARY 9, 2025

We have applicants from over 6,600 high schools, with the range going from 1 applicant (a number of schools) to 478 applicants (Lambert HS). We do not limit decisions based on the high school a student has attended, but instead look at each student individually. using the UGA GPA calculation method.

Applications

UGA Undergraduate Admissions Q & A

MARCH 14, 2025

Please remember this is not the GPA students see on their high school transcript, but rather the GPA that UGA recalculates for everyone based on the core academic courses taken in high school and looking at the actual grades posted on the transcripts. The mid 50% UGA GPA is 4.08 – 4.35, with a 4.22

Scholarships

College Kickstart

JUNE 28, 2022

SAT: 1330 ACT: 29 By invitation Baylor University Honors Program TX GPA: 3.8 SAT: 1430 (avg) ACT: 32 (avg) Boise State University The Honors College at Boise State University ID GPA: 3.5 SAT: 1330 ACT: 29 By invitation Baylor University Honors Program TX GPA: 3.8 By invitation; Application by request for under 3.8

Programs

HelloCollege

JANUARY 21, 2025

When planning for college , standardized test scores still stand out as one of the most important factors in applying to college. But one of the most common questions is, “How much does ACT/SAT tutoring cost?” How Much Does ACT/SAT Tutoring Cost?

ACT

AdmissionSight

APRIL 5, 2025

ACT or SAT scores ACT English Language Arts. SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Alternatively, ACT English Plus Reading with a score of 63 or better or SAT Subject Tests in English Composition. High school requirements If you completed a year-long U.S. History Subject Test. SAT Subject Test.

Transfer

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 7, 2025

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Just like theres a right and a wrong time to study for a big test (hint: NOT the night before!), You can reapply to a school that denied you in the past, but you must have a stronger record of achievement and accomplishments in order to get a different result. theres an optimum time to transfer.

Transfer