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.

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.

In the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Beth Heaton talks with her guests about considerations when selecting a major in the college application process, how to complete the CSS Profile®, and how to send standardized test scores to colleges and universities. In other words, this episode is chock full of highly relevant information for high school seniors and their parents, as well as 11^th grade parents and students who are planning ahead!

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, guest host Ian Fisher discusses intriguing first-year abroad programs for college freshmen and tackles loads of listener questions regarding SAT scores, student loans, the AP Capstone program, and recommendation letters.

On this week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Ian Fisher talks all things summer. From test prep for rising seniors to self-reflection exercises for future ninth graders, he’s got you covered for ways to keep students occupied during the off-season. He also delves into the world of loan forbearance with a guest college finance educator.

As the school year winds down, you may want to consider taking an SAT Subject Test while the information is still fresh in your mind. Not even sure what a Subject Test is or why you might want to take one? Check out the latest installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert, in which former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer Elizabeth Heaton answers the question, “What are SAT Subject Tests?”