admissions, financial aid, parenting

Wednesday’s Parent: Why Can’t I Attend My Dream College?

 

dream collegeThis past week, I’ve been discussing the financial aid awards and how they affect your student’s college choice. When those award packages arrive, it may be time for some tough love. The award may not be enough to justify sending your college-bound teen to her dream college. If your student asks this question, “Why can’t I attend my dream college?”, be prepared for an answer.

I had to answer that question when my daughter was accepted to a college she had dreamed of attending since middle school. She worked hard to be accepted and when her offer of admission arrived, she was beyond excited. Her dream had become a reality–until the award package arrived. Then, she was crushed. The only aid they offered was federal student loans. She had been “gapped” and I knew we were going to be forced to cross that college off the list. Yes. She had applied to other colleges that offered substantial aid and scholarships. Yes. They were colleges she wanted to attend. But they weren’t her first choice and her dream college was within her grasp. Or was it?

I had to have a very tough conversation with my daughter. I explained to her the cost of the college was way beyond our ability to pay. We discussed student loans, parent loans and appeals. But we both knew that racking up debt to attend was not logical or financially practical. We had placed all her dreams on financial aid and when it didn’t measure up to our expectations, we were forced to move on; with many tears, much sobbing and tremendous disappointment.

We took a look at the other offers of admission. With scholarships and aid, she would only have to take out minimal student loans; making it manageable to pay back after graduation. One college even offered a full-ride scholarship. It was clear that these colleges wanted her and demonstrated it by backing it up with generous aid packages. There were some strong contenders among the other colleges and it was time to take a second look; and we did.

We visited the colleges that offered the greatest amount of financial aid. She toured the campuses (some for the first time) and was able to see herself at two of the colleges that offered similar aid packages. What was the deciding factor? Location. She chose the college that was in the same city as her dream college. Part of the lure of the dream college was the location and since this was at the top of her list, it tipped the scales for her.

What was the outcome? She fell in love with her second choice college. It was a perfect fit for her academically, socially and financially. But the real payoff was at graduation when she had minimal student loan debt and was able to start her life without the burden of unmanageable student loan payments. Our smart decision paid off; and she understand why she could not attend her dream college.

admissions, financial aid

What is Financial Aid Front Loading?

 

My fellow college expert, Wendy David-Gaines, shared some insight into this college practice. This article originally appeared on her site: 5 Questions to Ask About Financial Aid Front Loading. 

financial aid front loading

If you think your washing machine is the only front loader, watch out because your college may be taking you to the cleaners. Front loading happens when colleges make their most generous financial aid award offers to applicants as a lure to attend. When students return the following year they may find their school has dropped their previously awarded grants and scholarships. Thousands of dollars may have been lost to the common practice of front loading.

“About half of all colleges front-load their grants, according to financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz, who analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistic’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System,” according to DailyFinance.

The lesson for parents and their college-bound students is to carefully scrutinize, analyze and question each item in their financial aid awards before bothering to compare one college’s offer to another. It may turn out that freshman year is a best deal at one place but if the total years until graduation are tallied, another choice may be the better bargain.

Is the college front loading on your financial aid award to lure your student?
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Here are five questions to ask the college financial aid officer:

Is the grant/scholarship renewable and if so for how many years? What you want is the money to continue until the student graduates. Bear in mind it is taking longer, four to six years, for those who graduate to do so. Find out the maximum number of times the award will be made.

What are the strings attached to keeping the grant/scholarship? It’s important to understand the terms of receiving free money awards before acceptance to make sure the student can and will perform them. He may have to keep his grades up, play an instrument, or be a member on a team. Find out the eligibility requirements each year including any additional paperwork necessary to keep them.

If the grant/scholarship is lost, what will replace it? Often student loans are the college’s substitution plan. However, there may be other grants/scholarships available. Ask about them and the application process. Be prepared to continue searching for these and have a college finance Plan B.

Will the college bill increase in following years and if so, by how much? Those renewable grants/scholarships may no longer cover the same portion of college costs if tuition rises. See what if any cost components like tuition/fees and room/board are capped or held at the freshmen level.

Will the grant/scholarship be increased to keep pace with any raised college costs? Be aware most colleges will not match tuition increases or increase free money aid when tuition rates increase. However, the college bill must continue to be paid.

admissions, financial aid

Is the College Gapping Your Student?

college gappingIn London, you see signs and tourist shirts everywhere that say “Mind the Gap”. If you ride their underground transportation system, you will hear them announce “mind the gap” at each station. It’s a warning for passengers to be aware of the distance between the train and the train platform.

In admissions, college gapping is a term used in reference to colleges and financial aid awards. The gap between what you can afford to pay (your EFC) and what colleges offer in aid creates this gap. Gapping happens when a college makes an offer of admission and doesn’t back it up with financial aid. Quite simply, the college doesn’t offer enough aid to cover the difference between the cost of the college attendance and your expected family contribution.

Gapping is a serious business. Colleges use the tactic to “weed out” the good applicants from the average applicants. Quite simply, if your student is at the top of their applicant pool, they will receive the aid required to attend. If not, your student will be gapped, in the hopes they will reject the offer of admission.

It’s a numbers game. Colleges offer admission to more students than they can possibly accommodate. Gapping helps them lessen the number of students who accept those offers of admission.

Is the college 'gapping' your student? Heed this warning: MIND THE GAP!
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The warning you can hear in the London tube, is the same warning parents should hear when opening financial aid packages: Mind the Gap! Sometimes, gapping isn’t obvious. Colleges will pad the EFC numbers with federal student loans, federal parent loans and work-study. These should NOT be considered when determining if the college is gapping your student. All students qualify for federal student loans. College aid should only be in the form of merit scholarships and grants. If the difference between what you can afford and what the college offers is padded with loans, the college is gapping your student.

For more information on why colleges practice gapping and how to avoid being gapped, read this article I wrote for TeenLife: How to Avoid “Gapping in College Admissions. Lynn O’Shaughnessy also explains gapping in her article: Don’t Let Colleges Snooker You.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Easy Community Service Scholarships

 

easy community service scholarships
photo credit DoSomething.org

DoSomething.org is all about “doing”–for your community. By signing up for one of their featured campaigns, students not only do good, but they could even win a scholarship — which means money to pay for school.

Following are some easy community service scholarships:

Treat Yo Friends-$1000

Give a friend a “voucher book” of fun activities so you can reconnect and fight loneliness and depression.

Deadline: March 28, 2016

You Teach!-$3000

Perform a rap with friends to show appreciation for your favorite teacher.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Dunk You Very Much-$3000

Dunk recyclables on friends to encourage others to go green. Use a recycling bin as a hoop.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Pregnancy Test-$2000

Send friends a sassy text baby to take care of for a day to start the conversation about teen pregnancy.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Everyday Superheroes-$3000

Make a card celebrating someone who does super things in your community.

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Little Rock Nine Text-$2000

Share a day in the life of a Civil Rights student activist via DoSomething.org’s text messages.

Deadline: April 30, 2016

If you think there aren’t scholarships for everyone, these are a perfect example. And these are not only fun activities that raise awareness in the community, but they also have some good size scholarship awards to boot!

 

financial aid

Bummed About Your Financial Aid Award Package?

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financial aid

Picture this. A teenage daughter with her heart set on attending an expensive private college. A mother who knew it was simply not affordable unless the financial aid award package was substantial. Waiting, waiting, and more waiting for the package to arrive after she heard she was accepted.

I’m sure this is the scene in many of your homes today. As a parent, you know the financial realities of paying for college. Your student, on the other hand, is thinking with her heart. If she’s like my daughter, she can’t see the picture from a financial perspective. After waiting for the award to arrive, my heart sunk. When her first choice college offered her “zero” financial aid other than student loans, I knew we were headed for a tough conversation.

If you’re bummed about your financial aid award package, what can you do?

First, compare awards from all the colleges

My daughter applied to ten colleges. Not all of them offered aid beyond student loans, but several of them offered scholarships and school grants. Sit down and compare the awards. Many colleges have implemented the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet. If not, you can download the sheet and complete it yourself for each college. Look at the bottom line. Which college’s package gives you the best value: it’s what you can afford to pay and your student will graduate with minimal debt (if any)?

Second, if there are larger awards from other colleges, use them as leverage

Since one of the colleges that offered my daughter admission also offered her a full-ride scholarship, we had some leverage. If the college that your student is dying to attend doesn’t offer a substantial aid package and one of the other colleges she applied to does, use those figures for leverage. Have your student contact the college and let them know it is her first choice, but she needs more aid to be able to attend. Mention that other colleges are offering more aid and you would like them to at least match these offers. These appeals are common and most colleges will consider upping the ante if you just ask.

Third, if the college won’t offer more money, consider one of the other colleges that offer the best financial aid

After appealing the aid, and not being satisfied with the college’s decision, it was time for some tough love. I knew it was going to break her heart, but I had to be the logical one. If the money picture is bleak and her first choice college won’t budge, it’s time for your student to consider one of the other colleges that did offer financial aid. Take a deeper look at the other colleges, revisit if you have to, and make the final decision.

As it turned out, my daughter fell in love with one of the colleges that offered substantial aid. It was a perfect fit for her, and she was able to graduate with a very small amount of student loan debt. She thanks me every day that I led her in that direction. If she had attended her dream college, even with the outside scholarships she had won, she would have graduated with close to $75,000 worth of debt. It was a tough conversation, but one I’m glad we had.

Could this disappointment have been avoided? Absolutely. I should have had a serious talk with her before she applied about what we were willing to pay and what we expected her to pay. This way, she would have known that this college, although it was her dream to attend, was completely out of our financial reach.

FAFSA, financial aid

Art Imitates Life: Opening the Financial Aid Award Package

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What’s more scarier and nerve-racking than waiting for the college decision? Opening the financial aid award package. Families all across the country are waiting for the arrival of their financial aid award, knowing that their student’s ability to attend college depends on the amount of the award.

This is such a universal anxiety among parents, television shows have written episodes around the issue. My three favorites, Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek, and The Middle paint a picture of how the award letter affects college attendance.

Dawson’s Creek

Joey Potter is accepted to a high-priced private university in New England. But accepting the offer of admission depends on her financial aid package. When she receives it, they didn’t offer her a full ride. She and sister meet with the admissions counselor, who tells them that since their business is doing well, Joey doesn’t qualify for financial aid.

financial aid award package

The counselor says, “Nearly everyone these days borrows some money to pay for college.” Joey replies, “I don’t want to do that. i don’t want to graduate with debt.”

Gilmore Girls

As graduation day approaches, Rory learns her financial aid was rejected. The irony, her mother received some financial assistance from her grandfather that altered the FAFSA results. Even though they were financially unable to pay, that money took them out of the running for aid.

financial aid award package

Rory’s mother explains, “We didn’t get financial aid for Yale. No scholarships, no hardship money, nothing.” Devastated, Rory questions, “I don’t understand what happened. Send them proof. A bank statement. I’ll take a student loan out from the bank. That’s what banks are for.” Her mother counters, “I don’t want you to be buried by loans the day you graduate from college.”

The Middle

Sue Heck opens her financial aid package and has problem deciphering it. She’s not alone. Many students and their families have difficulty understanding the award letter and don’t know how to compare awards from different colleges.

financial aid award package

As Sue is opening the package, her parents are screaming, “What’s it say!” Sue responds, “I don’t know. Is it one year or four years?” Her father grabs the letter and immediately exclaims, “Yes! They’ve given us everything we needed. We’re poor. If we had worked a little bit harder, none of this would be possible.”

In each of these episodes, the students managed to attend their first choice college without incurring debt. Two from generous benefactors who paid their tuition and one who received a full ride. But there are underlying realities that parents must face:

1. The college decision is first and foremost a financial one–I’ve said it before and I will say it again: have the “money talk” before you apply to colleges. This avoids any disappointment if the college does not offer enough aid to cover your costs.

2.  Even though a college offers admission, it doesn’t mean you will receive financial aid–Colleges use the money to attract the most desirable students. If they don’t consider that your student is desirable, they won’t offer aid or they will gap you.

3. Families anguish over the high cost of college–College has become increasingly expensive and it’s clear that the decision to attend college is not based on the education alone.

In the next few weeks I will be sharing my own personal experiences how to decipher the award package, how to compare with other colleges, and how to determine if a college is “gapping” you. Before the letter arrives, be prepared to take an honest look at your finances and have a discussion with your student about the weight the package plays in their acceptance of admission.

test prep

Are Standardized Tests Flawed?

 

standardized tests

Colleges use these standardized tests to predict a student’s ability to perform well academically in college. But are the tests are flawed?

Test prep tutors across the board are recommending students avoid the new SAT test. Their reasons: the test is untested and its impossible to predict a student’s success. One test prep tutor, Lauren Gaggioli of Higher Scores Test Prep, is steering all her students toward the ACT:

This new test is a bad bet for this year’s juniors. Frankly, our students shouldn’t be guinea pigs and there is a very easy solution to the problem – take the ACT. Might sound too good to be true, but the solution really is that simple.

In a recent podcast, Lauren gives four reasons why students should avoid the SAT and focus on the ACT.

But wait…

Now the ACT is having its own issues. The essay scores are inexplicably low causing concern for students and test prep tutors. The Washington Post interviewed students and ACT officials:

Controversy erupted soon after the ACT introduced a revised essay-writing task in September that is being graded for the first time on the same 36-point scale as the rest of the test. Counselors across the country are complaining that many of their top students, who routinely earn marks higher than 30 on other parts of the ACT, are getting writing scores in the low-to-mid 20s.

One tutor I spoke with said after looking at her student’s essays from the test, it was impossible to see why they were scored low and difficult to understand the reasoning behind the scoring.

Now what?

ACT assures students that once they become more familiar with the writing prompts their scores will improve. But what about those students who have already taken the test? You can pay $50 to have the essay re-graded (hand scored). In most instances the score will improve. One student went from a 19 to a 31 after regrading.

Here’s the question: will colleges put less weight on both the SAT and the ACT knowing the new tests are controversial? Will students begin viewing “test optional” schools as a viable alternative to avoid these flawed standardized tests? Only time will tell.

Need help understanding the ACT essay problem? This is a great article that explains what happened and how to take action if you feel your score is wrong: Think Your New ACT Writing Score Is Wrong? Recent Issues, Explained

tech gadgets, technology

Tech Advances That Benefit Students

 

techSlowly high school is trickling to an end. Many parents and students are already waist deep in the college application process. Unfortunately, simply receiving that much anticipated college acceptance letter does not inevitably lead to a joyous (and expensive) graduation ceremony. Getting into college, in some ways, is the easiest step.

According to US News, one in three freshman drop out of college within their first year. And to make matters more dire, some national universities only have a retention rate of 58%. While students drop for a variety of reasons, recent technological advancements can help students at least ensure they do not drop out due to academic difficulty. Here are a few pieces of modern marvels that students might want to consider investing in:

Gamification of Education

As a student, nothing is more aggravating than doing homework, discovering you did every single problem wrong, figuring out what you did wrong, and then remembering you know have an ‘F’ that will drag down your grade. It’s aggravating and demoralizing. You might ace the test, but it might not be enough.

One solution is to ensure you’re enrolled in classes that utilizes technology and gamification to help students learn. Many on campus and on-line courses utilize a personalized learning environments to guide students through their coursework without penalizing them for not getting it right the first time. ASU has branched out by incorporating into many of their Astronomy and History classes online personalized learning environments.

The Astronomy course, HabsWorldBeyond, presents complicated math problems and then allows you to create a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, and then discover exactly where your calculations went wrong. The end goal here is to learn. Not to understand complicated concepts from the get-go. (I would recommend trying to sign up for courses that utilize some type of gamification.)

Students can also stream line the learning process by picking up educational tabletop games. Rather than spending hours building flash cards and trying to will yourself to memorize them, you can pick up a game that will allow you to actively engage with and/or utilize that knowledge.

Here are a few educational games to check out:

  • Covalence: A Molecule Building Game by Genius Games
  • Meltdown: A Cooperative Chemistry Game By Play EFG
  • Antimatter Matters: A Quantum Physics Board Game (Really!) by Elbowfish

You might also check out if you can find any board games in a language you are attempting to learn. Instead of getting an English version of Monopoly or Catan purchase a Spanish, German, French version.

Smart Pens

Smart pens (AKA digital pens) can revolutionize how students take, store, and find class notes. Instead of lugging around a heavy laptop or carrying around five different notebooks. The student just carries a lightweight pen and one notepad.

Everything written with the digital pen is stored in the smart device and can be transferred over to one of their electronic devices. Once transferred over, the software and apps created in conjunction with the pen can be used to turn their hand-written notes in text. The notes can then be transferred to whatever word processor the student prefers. (And at that point students can sort the notes by subject.) The text version of the notes can then be quickly searched with a simple Control F when the student needs to study or complete assignments.

Some smart pens even have the added capability of taking audio recordings as the student which can then be played back allowing individuals to hear the lecture while looking at the attached notes. If you’re interested in further research on smart pens here are a few models if you might want to check out)

Recording Devices

Recording devices are valuable tools in their own right and far cheaper at this point than a smart pen. Just as re-reading a book can lead to a more advanced understanding with each exploration, re-listening to lectures can grant greater understanding of the subject matter with each listen.

They’re particularly useful when trying to learn a new language (something that many majors require). Sometimes in language classes (particularly higher level ones where the professor won’t speak English) re-listening can help by allowing students to look into words, phrases, and concepts that went right over their head the first time around.

If you do decide to invest in a recording device, you might want to hold off on recording any of the lectures in small classrooms until you can ask for the professor’s permission.

Apps

As of July 2015, both the Android and Apple app stores had over 1.5 million apps. While downloading the latest free game of the week, future and current students might want to search for apps that can help them study, complete their assignments, and supplement their education. I imagine at this point, if you think of an educational topic and then think, I wish there was an app for that, there probably is an app for that.

There are flash card apps that help students study without investing money and time to creating paper flash cards.

There are apps to help students with their math homework. Students scan the math problem or input the math problem and the app creates a step by step solution to the problem. While the apps can be used to cheat, more savvy and dedicated students can utilize them to ensure their problems are correct and discover where they might have gone wrong.

Finding apps that offer knowledge or simulations of the subject matter they are taking can be a good supplement. These astronomy apps might be useful for students enrolled in an astronomy course.

The successful completion of college can be a difficult endeavor. Students can’t always control all aspects of their life that might derail their college education, but they can give themselves the best chance to succeed academically by investing some of their funds or just some of their time finding the right technology to supplement their education.

_________________

Today’s guest blogger, Samantha Stauf, was a first generation college student. Since Samantha graduated two years ago, she’s spent her free time writing articles meant to help current students succeed. You can find her on Twitter at the hashtag @samstauf.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Are Scholarships a Scam?

red-dices-1418972-640x480

Wait. Did I just ask that question? I did. I asked it because many parents believe they are a scam. Their students work hard, apply, and never win anything. They are frustrated, discouraged and feel the promise of scholarships is a pipe-dream. You may have been there yourself, asking the same question: are scholarships a scam?

The truth? Scholarships are not scams. Students every day win thousands of dollars in scholarship money to pay for college. But you must roll the dice with the odds in your favor.

If your student isn’t winning, they could be making these mistakes:

You apply to the wrong scholarships

Many students apply to scholarships that simply aren’t fit for them. If you’re applying for a scholarship that requires the student to exhibit community service and there is not a record to back it up, you’re not going to win. If you apply for a scholarship that asks for exemplary leadership and you don’t serve in multiple leadership capacities, you won’t win.

Before you apply, read the criteria carefully. If you feel you are a poor representation of who the scholarship committee is looking for, don’t apply. Be honest with yourself and save the time and the frustration.

My daughter applied to the Coca-Cola Scholars program, a large scholarship of $10,000. The application reads, “Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.” She had some service and very little leadership. She didn’t win, of course. Not because it was a scam, but because she applied to the wrong scholarship.

You apply to the scholarships that have thousands of applicants

The big scholarships for $100,00, $20,000,  and $10,000 have thousands of applicants. The national scholarships will have so many applicants, the competition for the scholarship rivals that of trying to gain acceptance to a competitive college.

The better bet is applying to local scholarships. There will be fewer applicants and a better chance of winning. My daughter won a substantial local scholarship because she was the best applicant in a smaller pool of applicants.

Your scholarship application is incomplete or doesn’t stand out from the other applicants

If your scholarship application arrives incomplete the scholarship judges will simply place it in the rejection pile. If your student can’t follow instructions, they won’t be placed in the viable applicant pile.

Imagine a scholarship with hundreds of applicants. If the application doesn’t stand out, isn’t properly completed, or doesn’t make an impression on the judges, your odds of winning will be slim. For tips on how to package a winning scholarship application, get How to Win College Scholarships–A Guide for Parents and Students in 10 Easy Steps.

Your scholarship essay has misspellings, grammar mistakes, or simply doesn’t answer the question

This goes without saying–proofread and proofread again. Answer the questions, check your spelling and grammar and have someone proof it before you submit it.

You haven’t focused your scholarship search

There are scholarships available for everyone in just about every category imaginable. Be specific in your scholarship search by doing a simple internet search. For instance, are you pursuing a STEM major, there are STEM scholarships available. Read this article: How to Search for STEM Scholarships. You can apply these tactics in any scholarship search.

You haven’t applied to a college where you are at the top of the applicant pool

Scholarships from the college are based on academic achievement and where you fall in the applicant pool. If you apply to a highly competitive college and have marginal test scores and a decent GPA, odds are there are applicants with better qualifications. The key is to apply to colleges that see you as a top applicant. These colleges will be happy to award scholarships to entice you to accept their offer of admission. You can research colleges on College Navigator. Look at the statistics for their applicants and see if you will be at the top or simply in the middle. Top applicants earn top scholarships.

You aren’t playing the odds

This is a simple formula. The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of winning. The time you devote to searching and applying for scholarships will pay off if you leverage the odds. If you aren’t winning, keep applying using the right tactics. Your efforts will pay off.

test prep

7 Must-Have Tips for the New SAT

 

Many tutors are recommending students avoid the new SAT and focus on the ACT. But if your student wants to take the SAT, for whatever reason, here are some tips that should help. This article was originally published by The Tutoring Company and is used with permission. 

________________________

new sat

March, the College Board will officially administer the updated 2016 SAT. Whether you’re taking the SAT as a beginner or a veteran, these seven tips can get you on the path to a perfect 1600! Here are seven things you can do (starting now!) to prepare for this new and improved standardized test.

1. Master mental math: The SAT now include two types of math sections: calculator and non-calculator. Conquer the new, non-calculator section by making sure you have multiplication tables and basic arithmetic memorized. Technology has made this almost painless; apps like XtraMath can be used to practice your math facts anywhere, anytime on your cellphone. If you’ve got your basic facts down and want to learn some mental math tricks to speed up your test taking time, check out these Mathemagical Apps.

2 . Take time to review U.S. founding documents and other important works:  While the specific passages are unknown until test day, you will encounter one passage from U.S. founding documents or the global conversation they inspired. While it is not necessary to be familiar with the document ahead of time, it couldn’t hurt to brush up on the themes of major works, such as the examples given by College Board:

Along with these works, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with historically influential figures, such as:

  • Edmund Burke
  • Mary Wollstonecraft
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Mohandas Gandhi

3. Study for the ACT: Seriously. If you’ve been busting your butt studying for the ACT, you should be in great shape for this version of the SAT, which is now more similar than ever. Check out the specificdifferences to see how the two tests now compare.

4. Take advantage of the free, online personalized prep offered in partnership with the creators of the test: College Board and Khan Academy have worked together to create the Official SAT Practice site. This is free, easy to use, and includes diagnostics, personalized practice recommendations and can link to your College Board account. Looking for a quicker, more convenient way to practice? Check out theSAT Daily Practice App.

5. Learn how to make an educated guess: The new SAT features some significant scoring changes including one reason to celebrate: no more penalty for guessing. This means you should strive to answer every question on the test–even if you are guessing. Also, there will only be four answer choices instead of five for each question. You should guess on every question (no matter what!), but if time allows, you should try to eliminate at least one answer choice and guess the same letter pair each time.

6. Practice using context clues to figure out the meaning of a word: This year, according to College Board, there will be no need to cram vocabulary words by studying flashcards of arcane words. Instead, the SAT will test your ability to figure out a word based on a given passage. Be sure to practice using context clues to determine the meaning of a word.

7. Study from your PSAT/NMSQT results: If you are a ninth or tenth grader currently who is trying to prepare early, you can use the results of the new PSAT/NMSQT test (given in 2015 or later) to pinpoint exactly what you need to work on. Not only does your score report provide guidance for what skills you need extra help with, it also can personalize the free, official online SAT prep from Khan Academy. Watch this video to learn how to interpret your score report and link your report to your online practice account.

Using these tips and finding a skilled test prep tutor can help you reach your dream SAT score!

Helping parents navigate the college maze