We actively recruit, train, and coach the most brilliant and charismatic would-be tutors. Less than 10% of the top 1% of US college undergraduates and graduates meet our rigorous tutor qualifications. We start by recruiting brilliant individuals with proven academic records—very high test scores and grades. Then we train them [...]
To help students conquer their test anxiety, the first step we take is to validate their concerns—the ISEE, ACT, and SAT are high stakes test after all—but then we walk them through the science of why they feel the way they do and implement research-backed mitigation strategies. Our more than [...]
Students should start their test prep by taking both a mock ACT and digital SAT. The student's performance and comfort on that diagnostic exam will then guide their choice of which test to ultimately prepare for the most—but preparing for one test also prepares them for the other. Whether your [...]
Taking a full-length mock test under timed conditions is one of the best ways to predict how your child will perform on the actual exam; it also helps them build the mental toughness necessary to perform reliably on test day. There's a big difference between working 10, untimed questions at [...]
Ideally, students will complete at least 3 full-length practice tests before they take the ISEE, SAT, or ACT exam. However, parents should be careful not to force students to take mock tests in quick succession without sufficient studying. We expect students to complete a minimum of 20 hours of tutoring [...]
General Academic recommends that rising high school juniors start preparing for the ACT and/or SAT in the summer (June/July) in the lead up to the fall test dates (August/ November). This timeline allows the student to work around particularly stressful periods like mid-term and final exams. It provides ample time [...]
In response to the new Digital SAT test rolled out in 2024, competitor ACT also announced that they would overhaul their exam beginning as early as spring 2025. The updated ACT test is shorter (2 hours) and makes the dreaded Science Test optional. Scoring remains on a scale of 1-36, [...]
Most General Academic high school juniors will take the ACT or SAT two or three times to ensure they earn the score they need. There is no penalty for taking the test multiple times, and colleges only care about the highest score. Note that most juniors will also take the [...]
The genuinely not-waffling answer is that every student is different. How long your child needs to spend preparing depends primarily on: What score do they want to achieve? What score do they have right now? How big is the gap between their goal and current scores? However, the overly simplified [...]
The shorter answer is that students who have the means and time to prepare and take the ACT or SAT should absolutely do so. Colleges like standardized tests because they're norm-referenced and their scores are comparable across the entire US population regardless of school and curriculum. However, the uncomfortable outcome [...]