Category: SAT Study Guide

Why Top Universities Are Reinstating SAT and ACT Requirements in 2026

The “test-optional” era, which many believed would be a permanent fixture of American higher education, is undergoing a dramatic and rapid reversal. As we move into the 2026 admissions cycle, the pendulum has swung back toward standardized testing with remarkable force. Elite institutions—including Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, and Caltech—have officially ended their test-optional experiments, once […]

GMAT or GRE? New Data Show How Test Choices Impact B-School Admissions in 2026

For decades, the path to an MBA was paved exclusively with the GMAT. Even after business schools began accepting the GRE, most capped the percentage of admitted applicants who’d taken it instead of the GMAT, sometimes viewing it as a signal that a candidate might be “math-averse” or undecided about graduate school goals. However, as […]

What the Latest SAT and ACT Score Reports Reveal About Student Performance

In the wake of technological shifts in education, the landscape of standardized testing has undergone intense scrutiny and transformation. For students, parents, and educators tied to the college admissions process, the release of the latest SAT and ACT annual reports is more than just a data dump—it is a vital pulse check on the academic […]

ACT and SAT Test Participation Trends Show Surprising Shifts in 2026

The landscape of college admissions has felt like a moving target for the better part of the last five years. Between the massive pivot toward test-optional policies in 2020 and the more recent rollout of the digital SAT and ACT, students and parents have navigated a whirlwind of change, and as we look at the […]

4 Ways a Low SAT Score Costs More Than You Think—And How to Avoid It

It’s easy to underestimate the long-term impact of a standardized test score—until you’re staring at the price tag of your child’s first-choice college, wondering why that scholarship didn’t come through. In this blog article, 4 Ways a Low SAT Score Costs More Than You Think—And How to Avoid It, we break down the hidden financial […]

4 Ways the Digital SAT is Harder—And What You Can Do About It

The SAT is no longer a paper-based rite of passage. It is now digital, adaptive, and shorter. At first glance, this seems like a win: less time, fewer questions, and a sleek interface. What can go wrong? Plenty. In some ways, the Digital SAT may actually be more punishing than its predecessor—for example, since it’s […]

7 SAT Prep Secrets for a 200+ Point Gain

You’ve heard the promise before: “Raise your SAT score by 200 points or more,” but what most companies don’t tell you is how—or the likelihood of that happening. At The Best Test Prep, we’ve helped thousands of high schoolers achieve score jumps of 200 to 300 points and more, so we’re here not to sell […]

8 Tips on How to Prepare for the SAT from a Top Instructor

There are hundreds of ways to study for the SAT. Most of them are amateurish and don’t work well, so if your idea of prep is buying a giant workbook, doing random problems, and hoping muscle memory kicks in on Test Day, keep reading. In this blog, you’ll learn 8 Tips on How to Prepare […]

5 Steps to Balance Standardized Test Prep with Schoolwork and Extracurricular Activities

Balancing standardized test prep with schoolwork and extracurricular activities is one of the most common—and solvable—challenges high-achieving students face. If your child is aiming for admission to an elite college, managing SAT or ACT prep on top of classes, clubs, and everything else isn’t optional. It’s essential. The key is knowing how to prioritize without […]

Master the SAT: Tips for the Ultimate Study Plan

You’re just months away from the SAT—the test that can open the doors to your dream college and scholarship opportunities. It’s time to grab the bull the horns, focus, and rise to the challenge. To reach your full potential and score as close to 1600 as possible, having a study plan the master the SAT […]