For Fall 2027, Rice University is test-optional, but recommends sending test scores. In 2020, the majority of US higher education institutions adopted a test-optional policy for their admission process - meaning applicants were not required to submit ACT or SAT scores. Today, many elite institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford [...]
For more than 23 years, General Academic has guided tens of thousands of Houston families through high-stakes exams like the ISEE, SAT, and ACT. We have consistently observed that test anxiety is rarely a permanent personality trait. More often, it is a temporary, physiological response triggered by highly specific, yet [...]
Updated Guide Available: For the latest trends in test-optional colleges for Fall 2027 admissions—including the latest research on outcomes, current Texas university policies, and a practical framework for deciding whether to submit scores—see our comprehensive 2027 guide: the State of Test-Optional College Admissions in Texas for 2026-2027. The test-optional wave [...]
Register now for our ACT and SAT test prep courses starting February 1st. Spring Branch and Houston ISD students preparing for School Day Testing (March 4 & April 1) save up to 25% when registering with friends! Register now for our ACT prep courses Register now for our [...]
One of the age-old questions of test prep is when to begin the process of studying. Different sources tend to have wildly different recommendations, especially for important tests taken by many students, like the ACT and SAT. There’s a tendency toward doomsaying–an idea that if students haven’t been preparing [...]
Houston's Graduating Seniors are Smart The 2024 National Merit Scholarship Competition was a good year for Houston-area high school seniors. There were 466 area seniors who scored in the top 1% on the PSAT to earn the celebrated “Semifinalist” designation. This number was fairly stable compared to last year's [...]
Houston's Smartest Seniors Brush Aside Pandemic to Ace the PSAT The 2023 National Merit Scholarship Competition was a rebound testing year for Houston-area high school seniors. There were 476 area seniors who scored in the top 1% on the PSAT to earn the celebrated “Semifinalist” designation. Versus 379 Semifinalists [...]
Not even a pandemic can stop these brilliant students from reaching for the stars. The 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition was a pandemic year for Houston-area high school seniors. There were 379 area seniors who scored in the top 1% on the PSAT to earn the celebrated “Semifinalist” designation. [...]
Our summer courses for College Applications, ISEE, P/SAT, and ACT provide an invaluable head start to fall testing and applications. Our very small classes are capped at 6 students and allow for individualized attention from our brilliant instructors. All classes meet remotely or at our socially-distanced, loft-like office just [...]
Our summer courses for the ISEE, P/SAT, and ACT provide an invaluable head start to fall testing. Our very small classes are capped at 8 students and allow for individualized attention from our brilliant instructors. All classes meet remotely or at our socially-distanced, loft-like office just north of the [...]