SAT and ACT Test Prep

Tamra Kerns

SAT or ACT?  The easiest way to determine which you like better is to take a practice SAT and a practice ACT and see which one you feel more comfortable with (and get a higher score!)   Or, if you really want to minimize your time on test prep, you will likely be taking a PSAT this October in school, and most high schools (in the south) have a school day SAT in the spring.  If you have questions about this, be sure to bring it up in our next meeting. 


When should I take my tests?

Lots of factors come into play when it comes to planning your test schedule. But at the highest level, most students should take their first tests in the Fall of their 11th grade year.  So consider which weekends you may be busy with your extracurriculars, when you might be traveling, when you will have completed important courses (Algebra 2 is important). Also most students choose to take a test at least twice. It is strongly advised to try to be done with testing by the end of your Junior year so that you can focus the summer between Junior and Senior year on your college applications. But, if it's absolutely essential, you can take tests the summer of, and up until October of your Senior year.


Should I really do anything to prepare in advance?   There are certainly colleges that will not require that you submit test scores, but it is HIGHLY LIKELY that one of your top choices is going to be looking carefully at your test score - either because it is required or strongly desired!  Just as you wouldn’t take a final exam for a course or an AP exam without preparing, it only makes sense that you invest some time in SAT or ACT test prep to ensure that your scores reflect your true abilities.


When should I prepare?   The most ideal time is summer between 10th and 11th grades.  You will be busy this fall with school and you really need to be taking your tests starting in the fall anyway (in most cases).  And, if you do a little each week, it won’t seem so overwhelming.  As an added bonus, if you are studying some all summer, you will start your Junior year off strong, as you won’t have forgotten key concepts over the summer! 


How should I prepare?   There are many philosophies about this, so I’ll share a few to consider.


  • Practice tests - regardless of how you might study and make sure you understand content, nothing beats taking practice tests!  And taking them on a Saturday morning at 8:00am, timed exactly as the actual test, is the best way to maximize your time spent!

 

  • SAT Online Practice Tests
  • ACT Practice Tests
  • Unfortunately, the ACT is in a bit of a transition right now.  They have just introduced a new digital test, but they do not yet have full-length ACT practice tests online.  Most test prep experts are recommending that if you want to take the ACT, you stick with the paper version this year! 
  • Materials for ACT prep (includes study guides and a full-length practice paper test)


  • Self-directed Study - if you are the type that can come up with a plan and stick with it, then there are great free tools out there that you can use.



  • Group and Private Lessons - If you know that you simply aren’t going to be self-disciplined enough to do independent test prep, then you should consider investing in a class or private tutoring to ensure that you make progress.  Numerous test prep companies offer group and private sessions - some in person and some online.  Here are a few, but there are many others.


  • More Than A Teacher - This is a popular Austin-based company that many students use for group-based test prep. They offer bootcamps right before big test days, as well as summer sessions.
  • Applerouth - This company offers group and private tutoring on a variety of subjects.
  • StudyPoint - This is a nation-wide company offering private tutoring online and in person.
  • JB Tutors - This is a small Austin-based company that does private tutoring in a variety of subjects, including SAT and ACT.  They will cater tutoring to help specific needs.

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College Visits

By Tamra Kerns • October 21, 2025
When thinking about college visits, it’s important to plan well in advance to determine when and where you will go, but also to be purposeful about what you want to accomplish while you are there. This article covers: How to choose colleges to visit How and when to plan your visits in advance Tips for the day of your visit Choosing Colleges to Visit You are there for two purposes. Can you envision yourself fitting in on that specific campus? Even if you are not interested in that specific campus, how do you feel about a school that size? Or in that setting (urban, college town, etc)? Can you envision living on another campus that is roughly the same size or has the same urban/suburban/rural environment, etc. If you have an idea of specific schools you want to apply to (or are thinking you’d really like), plan to visit those. If you are just getting started and aren’t sure about what type of college you might like, mix it up! Visit a variety of schools—big and small, urban and suburban, in-state and out-of-state. Create a list of schools you want to visit. Save in-state visits for weekends or shorter days off from school and plan to use your longer breaks for those that are a distance away. Try to choose colleges whose breaks don’t overlap with yours so the campus is alive with students. How and When to Plan a Group of College Visits Tours fill up quickly, so try to plan as early as possible (at least 4-6 weeks in advance). The Winter Break is a great time to start discussing a plan! In Google Maps on your laptop, mark each school as a Favorite. Determine which schools are in a close enough proximity that you might visit them on a several day trip. Look at the best order to visit them to minimize your driving/flying. Once you have the list of the schools you would like to visit, determine when their tours are available. To do this, search on “XXX University Campus Tour." You will likely find a student-led walking tour and possibly an admissions presentation. Sometimes there are separate housing tours. Sometimes you will see tours for specific colleges on their main campus visit page. If you do NOT, that doesn’t mean that they do not have one, so you should go to the department page that you are interested in visiting and find a contact email and send an email asking if they have a tour or someone you can talk to when you are in town. Create a quick list showing when all of the tours are for the various schools you will be visiting before starting to schedule. Once you have an idea of which schools you can do on which days, then start to reserve your spots. Preparing In Advance for Your College Visit Check Out Their Website - Read more about your major, look at the Student Life or Activities section, watch a recorded Information Sessions, or take a quick Virtual Tour. This will help generate questions you want to ask while you are on your tour. Prepare Your Questions - Refer to the Questions to Ask When Visiting Colleges to create your list of most important questions you want to ask. Prepare to Take Notes - In your Google folder in the Campus Visit folder is a template for taking notes at each school. This is IMPERATIVE! You WILL forget the details of a specific school after you have visited a few of them. Make a copy in Google Drive of the Template and rename it for each college you will be visiting. Make sure you have Google Docs on your phone and that you can easily navigate to this folder. Then, on the day of your visit, simply take notes directly in the document. Tips for a Great Visit Wear comfortable shoes and take a water bottle! Make sure your phone is fully charged! Look around (this is more difficult for summer visits). What are students wearing? Are they dressed in a way that you’d feel comfortable fitting in? Are they laughing and talking as they walk between classes? In the hang out places are they quiet and studying or talking together? In the various classroom buildings, do you see flyers for clubs that look interesting? How large are the classrooms? Would you be comfortable learning in them? Ask if you can walk through the cafeteria (or even eat there!) It’s worth it to see the food selections AND the student vibe! Ask the tour guide what they like best about their school? Like least?

College Visits

By Tamra Kerns • October 21, 2025
When thinking about college visits, it’s important to plan well in advance to determine when and where you will go, but also to be purposeful about what you want to accomplish while you are there. This article covers: How to choose colleges to visit How and when to plan your visits in advance Tips for the day of your visit Choosing Colleges to Visit You are there for two purposes. Can you envision yourself fitting in on that specific campus? Even if you are not interested in that specific campus, how do you feel about a school that size? Or in that setting (urban, college town, etc)? Can you envision living on another campus that is roughly the same size or has the same urban/suburban/rural environment, etc. If you have an idea of specific schools you want to apply to (or are thinking you’d really like), plan to visit those. If you are just getting started and aren’t sure about what type of college you might like, mix it up! Visit a variety of schools—big and small, urban and suburban, in-state and out-of-state. Create a list of schools you want to visit. Save in-state visits for weekends or shorter days off from school and plan to use your longer breaks for those that are a distance away. Try to choose colleges whose breaks don’t overlap with yours so the campus is alive with students. How and When to Plan a Group of College Visits Tours fill up quickly, so try to plan as early as possible (at least 4-6 weeks in advance). The Winter Break is a great time to start discussing a plan! In Google Maps on your laptop, mark each school as a Favorite. Determine which schools are in a close enough proximity that you might visit them on a several day trip. Look at the best order to visit them to minimize your driving/flying. Once you have the list of the schools you would like to visit, determine when their tours are available. To do this, search on “XXX University Campus Tour." You will likely find a student-led walking tour and possibly an admissions presentation. Sometimes there are separate housing tours. Sometimes you will see tours for specific colleges on their main campus visit page. If you do NOT, that doesn’t mean that they do not have one, so you should go to the department page that you are interested in visiting and find a contact email and send an email asking if they have a tour or someone you can talk to when you are in town. Create a quick list showing when all of the tours are for the various schools you will be visiting before starting to schedule. Once you have an idea of which schools you can do on which days, then start to reserve your spots. Preparing In Advance for Your College Visit Check Out Their Website - Read more about your major, look at the Student Life or Activities section, watch a recorded Information Sessions, or take a quick Virtual Tour. This will help generate questions you want to ask while you are on your tour. Prepare Your Questions - Refer to the Questions to Ask When Visiting Colleges to create your list of most important questions you want to ask. Prepare to Take Notes - In your Google folder in the Campus Visit folder is a template for taking notes at each school. This is IMPERATIVE! You WILL forget the details of a specific school after you have visited a few of them. Make a copy in Google Drive of the Template and rename it for each college you will be visiting. Make sure you have Google Docs on your phone and that you can easily navigate to this folder. Then, on the day of your visit, simply take notes directly in the document. Tips for a Great Visit Wear comfortable shoes and take a water bottle! Make sure your phone is fully charged! Look around (this is more difficult for summer visits). What are students wearing? Are they dressed in a way that you’d feel comfortable fitting in? Are they laughing and talking as they walk between classes? In the hang out places are they quiet and studying or talking together? In the various classroom buildings, do you see flyers for clubs that look interesting? How large are the classrooms? Would you be comfortable learning in them? Ask if you can walk through the cafeteria (or even eat there!) It’s worth it to see the food selections AND the student vibe! Ask the tour guide what they like best about their school? Like least?