Think you’re either a good test-taker or you’re not? Wrong! While some students show a natural aptitude for standardized tests, it’s been documented time and time again that studying for the SAT or ACT does, in fact, improve scores. It follows that, if you intend to take the SAT or ACT this spring or summer, you should be preparing for that test now, or very shortly. But with the volumes of books, online tutorials, classes, and private tutoring available, it can be difficult to figure what kind of test prep is best. Enter former Tufts University and Regis College admissions officer, Kerrin Lyons.

Your high school counselor is encouraging you to take the SAT. But your neighbor (whose son got into Harvard, by the way…) says the ACT is the way to go. So, what’s the real deal? Which test do colleges really prefer? Find out in the latest installment of our video series, We Can Explain.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga covers a range of topics that will appeal to high school students and parents at different stages of the college search. She begins with a discussion about exactly when to prepare for and take standardized testing and the what, when, where, and why of college supplemental essays. She wraps up the show with a continuation of last week’s conversation about how financial aid awards differ among colleges, this time focusing on merit aid policies and practices.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Sally Ganga unpacks how to pick courses for your first semester of college, everything you need to know about SAT Subject Tests, and financial aid at the Ivies.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton welcomes guests to talk about standardized testing conversion charts, using tax refunds for student loan repayments, and strategies for visiting colleges. Listen to the complete show on the VoiceAmerica network or by searching for Getting In: A College Coach Conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

What is a good SAT score?  It’s a simple question, right? The answer, however, is anything but simple, and depends, according to former Reed College admissions officer Abigail Anderson, on the colleges to which you’re applying. An off-the-charts test score at one school may be only middle-of-the-road at another. In this installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert, Abigail explains how to determine what a good SAT score is at the colleges on your list.

The college application process is fraught with stressful decisions to make: what colleges to apply to, whether to apply early, what essay topic to choose, and, of course, which standardized test to take. While any college that requires standardized testing will accept either SAT or ACT scores, the two tests have a number of differences that students and parents should consider when deciding which test to pursue.

As the first quarter of the academic year wraps up and sophomores settle into their new position of being old enough to know college is coming sooner rather than later, but young enough to still be able to make some educated decisions, here are some common questions to consider.

If you’ve paid any attention to the world of college admissions over the last couple of years, you’ve likely heard talk of the “old SAT” and the “new SAT.” What exactly do these designations mean, how do you compare scores, and do colleges care which ones you submit? Learn what the old and new SATs mean to you from former Harvard University admissions officer, Rebecca Besthoff, in the latest installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert.

My colleague recently had a student ask whether or not he should be sending a Math I Subject Test with a score of 740 and a percentile rank of 89 or a Math II Subject test with a score of 760 and a percentile rank of 64. While the student’s raw score was stronger on Math II, the percentile reached was higher on Math I.

This is a question we get all the time at College Coach and it’s honestly mindboggling to us, simply because we never would have looked at percentiles. When reading college applications, we all only looked at raw scores earned.