Score At The Top Blog
The latest tips, tricks, and education to help you get into your top college.
ACT Changes in 2026: What the New Roadmap Means for Your Student
A guide to the ACT changes in 2026: free practice tests, section retesting, remote proctoring, and more. Here's what's real and how to plan ACT prep.
APUSH or Honors? How to Make the Course-Rigor Call
Should a top student take APUSH or Honors U.S. History? See how selective colleges weigh course rigor and strength of curriculum, and how to choose.
Is 1440 SAT Enough for Out-of-State UF Applicant? The Honest Math Behind a 60-Point Retake
A 1440 sits at the median of UF's fall middle 50%. A 1500 lands near the 75th percentile. What a retake is actually worth for out-of-state families.
Precalculus Over the Summer: What It Actually Takes to Compress a Year of Math
Compressing a year of Precalc into one summer takes more than picking a provider. What the realistic time commitment looks like, and what schools actually require.
Florida's New FACT US History Course: Should Your Student Take It Instead of APUSH?
Florida's new FACT US History course pilots in 2026-27 as an APUSH alternative. Here's what it means for college credit, admissions, and your transcript.
The Vanderbilt Case Study: What "Test-Optional" Actually Did to Admit Rates (2025–26)
Vanderbilt applications jumped 54% under test-optional while admits dropped 46%. What that means for SAT and ACT strategy.
What Students With Learning Differences Need to Know About the SAT and ACT
SAT and ACT accommodations, test anxiety strategies, and how students with learning differences can prepare smarter – not just harder – for standardized tests.
The ACT Science Section Is Now Optional – Here's What That Actually Means for Your Student
The ACT is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades by making the Science section optional and shifting the composite score to a three-subject average.
While this change promises a shorter, less stressful testing experience with more time per question, it introduces a complex strategic layer to college admissions. Though many universities have dropped the Science requirement, several elite institutions and specialized STEM programs continue to mandate or highly recommend it, creating a "mixed signal" landscape for families.
Navigating this new "Enhanced ACT" requires a careful look at a student's specific college list and academic strengths to ensure that opting out doesn't inadvertently weaken an application or limit future opportunities.
