Test prep can be an expensive undertaking, yet we recommend that every student do some prep before they take the ACT or SAT. We’ll be discussing free test prep resources—what’s out there and which options are best. For juniors, we have advice on the top five things you should be doing now to get started on the college search and application process, and the top five things you and your families should know as you prepare to pay for college.

Standardized tests play an important role in the application process at many colleges, and those colleges will generally accept submission of either SAT or ACT scores. So which test should your child take?

People who can write a check for $50,000 or $75,000 to pay for college make up a pretty small group, and not many colleges can or will offer that much aid even to those who qualify for it. If you’re not sure where the money to pay for your or your child’s education is coming from, check out our advice on how to look for and maximize merit scholarship opportunities. As early deadlines—Early Decision, Early Action, Priority, and rolling—approach, we’ll offer some tips on how to approach these deadlines and what to expect from the early process. Finally, we’ll welcome a guest with insight into using mindfulness as part of your test prep process.

There are many, many myths floating around out there about college admissions, and in this new regular segment, we’re going to try to replace the myth with some facts. Last week we shared everything you need to know about completing the FAFSA, and this week we’re tackling the CSS Profile, which is required by about 400 colleges and universities. Finally, we’ll let you in on the who, what, where, when, and how of submitting standardized test scores.

Guest post by Joanna Graham, Fortuna Admissions

Most students look forward to taking a standardized exam about as much as getting a root canal, so I get that my love of them is uncommon (standardized tests, not dental work). I was 11 years old when I took my first standardized test, and since then I’ve sat for just about every exam under the sun – the ACT, SAT, GRE – even the LSAT and MCAT. So I speak from experience when I say that the GMAT, which is the beefy exam favored by business schools worldwide, is special. (Disclaimer: I spent nine years working at GMAC, the entity that administers and develops the GMAT exam.) Coupled with your academic credentials, your GMAT is also an integral component of your MBA application.

Owning your own business can impact the financial aid process. Tune in to learn more about how that works. We’ll also help rising seniors evaluate where they are in the testing process and determine whether or not they need to take any more of those tests at this point. Finally, we’re taking a closer look at how institutional priorities can impact admissions decisions.

Heard about The College Board’s new adversity score that will be accompanying test results at a pilot group of colleges this fall? We’ll share our thoughts about the score, including information about what it’s based on, why it was created, and what the impact will be for applicants this year. We’re also offering suggestions for getting the most out of your summer experience, whether a job, internship, course, or something else, and we’re answering your questions in Office Hours.

Perhaps you’ve heard the news that the SAT will give students a new “adversity score” that will share more about their social and economic background with colleges? If not, you must not work in college admissions, college counseling, or a high school setting, be a teenager, have a teenager, know a teenager, or know someone with a teenager. The news exploded with so much force on Thursday as to almost—almost—eclipse the big bang of #OperationVarsityBlues.

The College Board made headlines this week with its new adversity score, which will be utilized by 150 colleges and universities this fall. The score will be calculated based on factors like neighborhood crime and poverty rates, parental income and education levels, as well as the curriculum and socioeconomics of the student’s high school. Given the current climate of college admissions thanks to high-profile legal cases like the Operation Varsity Blues scandal and the Students for Fair Admission v Harvard lawsuit, it’s unsurprising this news has been met with a wide variety of very strong opinions.

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.