Step 1: In 10th grade, all students should take the PSAT in October at their high school. Their results will be available in December. They should then take a mock ACT — either through their high school or Test Prep Gurus.
Step 2: Choose between SAT and ACT based on the scores in step 1. No college requires both SAT and ACT. They only want your highest score on one test or the other. No college prefers one exam over the other. As such, it behooves each student figure out which exam best suits their natural strengths, and stick solely to that test. Ideally, this decision should be made near the end of 10th grade. Please note that if your school administers a Pre-ACT during the Fall of 10th grade instead of the PSAT, take both a mock SAT and ACT in the Spring of 10th grade. Our team can help families compare their PSAT and ACT scores to make sure they choose the right path.
Step 3: Choose one of the three prep paths: Standard, Accelerated, or Summers Only.
Standard: Students typically begin preparing for the ACT or SAT in the Fall of 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Spring of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the Summer prior to 12th grade. They typically take a second official exam in the Fall of 12th grade. They should schedule an additional test date in the Fall of 12th grade as backup.
Accelerated: Some special cases, such a being a highly recruited athlete, require that a student complete their college admissions testing by the end of 11th grade. Some naturally high-scoring students choose to complete all of their testing by the end of 11th grade. This is the accelerated timeline. These students typically begin prep during the Summer prior to 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Fall of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the 11th grade school year. They typically take a second official exam in the Spring of 11th grade. They should schedule an additional backup test date in the Fall of 12th grade.
Summers Only: Some students prefer to complete all of their test preparation for the SAT or ACT during the Summer so they can completely focus on their test prep without competing demands on their time from school. These students typically begin prep during the Summer prior to 11th grade. They typically take their first official exam in the Fall of 11th grade. This is followed by additional preparation during the Summer prior to 12th grade. They typically take a second official exam in the Fall of 12th grade. They should schedule an additional test date in the Fall of 12th grade as backup.
Additional Notes:
Early Applications: The September ACT and October SAT will qualify for Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) applications.
Subject Tests: It is typically recommended to take subject tests on the May or June SAT exam dates. Take Subject tests that align with your AP courses.
Super-scoring: After choosing between ACT or SAT, we encourage all students to take at least two official exams to make use of potential super-scoring at various colleges.
Start the three-step process toward your dream college!
Three Steps to Success:
1) Complete a free mock ACT or SAT exam.
(Learn where your student is scoring today and whether their current scores will help or hold back their applications to their first-choice colleges.)
2) Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.
(ACT and SAT scores must be understood in their proper context, taking into account the specific tests, when they were taken, and how they stack up against your student’s goals for college.)
3) Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your student’s goals for college and beyond.
(We work with students of all levels. Whether you’re shooting for a perfect score, simply want to be more comfortable with standardized exams, or anywhere in between, Test Prep Gurus is here to help you reach your goals.)