Score At The Top Blog

School can be a challenging, scary place for students with dyslexia. Still, anxiety can be significantly reduced by teaching dyslexic learners to understand their strengths and by working with teachers who appreciate the specific ways that dyslexic students learn. Encouragement and the right type of support work wonders.

Topics: Tutoring, Florida School Choice, LD

There’s no other way around it when it comes to prepping for the SAT or ACT Tests. To properly prepare, you have to practice — and most importantly, practice properly. What we do mean?

If you were an actor, you wouldn’t show up on opening night without first having rehearsed the script and completely familiarized yourself with the play’s staging, lights, and sound issues. Similarly, by taking several practice SAT or ACT tests and simulating the testing environment and timing as closely as you can, you will walk onto the testing “stage” feeling more confident and prepared. Sure, there are always jitters on test day, but with proper practice, you minimize the unknown and maximize your chances for doing your best.

Topics: ACT/SAT, Test-Prep, Simulations

We understand that Return On Investment can go hand-in-hand with risk: no pain, no gain. But how would you respond to a proposed investment of $2,000 that could result in saving between $7,392 (a 370% return on your money) and $28,416 (a 1,421% return on your money) over roughly four years? While this investment isn’t risk-free, it is low risk, assuming you have a student willing to work hard and follow instruction. Simply put, this investment is in test preparation for the SAT and ACT! When paired with a motivated student (and the right test-prep tutor), the result is a hefty scholarship from Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarships (BFSs).

Topics: ACT/SAT, Test-Prep, Financial Aid, Investment

After scrambling last year to find ways to administer AP exams during the unfolding pandemic, the College Board has now had some time to review that experience and plan for this year’s upcoming tests. Realizing that every school district around the country has different needs and capabilities, the College Board is implementing several changes for 2021. Overall, they’ve added more options and additional support for teachers and students, hoping to accommodate the wide-ranging circumstances.

Topics: AP Exams, College Counseling

With news of the recent demise of SAT Subject Tests, many students were thrilled to find out they could scratch those additional test sittings off their long list of college preparation to-do’s. Ultimately, however, colleges still want to know that students have mastered academic subjects, so the College Board (CB) has merely shifted the emphasis to their other testing tools – AP exams. As a result, we are predicting that taking rigorous AP courses and scoring well on the exams are going to be more important than ever for students who hope to be admitted to top universities. Here’s what you need to know about AP exams and how they can impact your college planning process, as well as your college career. 

Topics: AP Exams, College Admission, Subject Test

Amid the sea of challenges that rocked the world of college admissions this past year, College Board is riding the wave of changing times. The organization announced on Tuesday, January 19, that it will no longer administer SAT Subject Tests and will drop the optional essay portion of the SAT.

Topics: College Admission, Subject Test, SAT Essay

As the months slip by during which virtually everyone has been affected and shaped by the pandemic, it’s wise to cast a critical eye on the college admissions scene. Our focus in this post is the entrance testing. Some testing information has remained the same during this fraught period, while some aspects of these two tests have changed. Let’s take a look.

We’ve gotten several questions from students confused about test-optional and whether or not to submit scores to schools with November deadlines. Keep reading to hear what we propose.

Topics: ACT, SAT, Test Optional, COVID-19

At this year’s virtual SUS Admissions Tour, admissions directors from Florida’s 12 public universities weighed in on testing, shared updates to applications, and offered tips for this year’s application cycle. In this article we've share some of their more interesting take-aways.

Topics: UF, FSU, UCF, SUS

In August of last year, our blog titled “When your GPA doesn't equal your GPA” discussed the varying ways in which colleges look at students’ grades – and the strength of the schedules that produced those grades – in making admissions decisions. In that blog, we noted that “When it comes to your GPA, the one that’s on your transcript is not necessarily the one that colleges will use!” That’s every bit as true now as it was then, and it’s also true, in spades, for the Florida State University System (SUS) schools that will be the focus of this blog.

Topics: College Admission, Application Essays, Person Statement