When a students claims Junior status in HS, we realize it’s not only a moment for discrete gloating but also a time for stress and scrambling for steady ground. Juniors have the most coursework. Unfortunately, this is just how things work. Juniors have to mark down the upcoming SAT dates, ACT weekends, and AP exam weeks. On top of that, they have to start looking at colleges and majors. College Board is responsible for all the SAT & ACT exams. Juniors have to get off their FB accounts for a couple min, stop Twittering, and get onto the College Board website, make an account, and register for tests. Once you register, the stress starts. We will do all we can to ensure students meet their deadlines and are ready for the exam. We provide SAT, PSAT, ACT, and ISEE diagnostic tests. We assist not only in the academic coursework but also in how to juggle the immense workload of stuydying for the SAT, AP, and midterms in U.S. Government. ACT is optional, but if students find themselves splattering over the SAT, they have to take the ACT. So, how do students know if they need to take one or the other if the SAT and ACT registration dates are so close? SAT diagnostics. Juniors, whether they are confident in their ability or if they are not even planning to study, have to test the waters and check where they stand. Once they know where they stand, everything starts growing clearer — set a schedule, take another SAT diagnostic every other week, and stay for extra time at Study Hut to ensure you will know what you are doing when the awful date comes. We have cereal so feel free to stay — but no overnights…obviously. With SATs done, Juniors should be ready for AP exams. What the — ? While studying for the SAT, Juniors have to stay on top of their AP courses in order to prepare for the AP exams. Unfortunately, this is how it is. On top of all of that work, Juniors have to start thinking about Senior status. Start volunteering in community events to rack up the minutes, join a writing competition, work your stress away in track and field, juggle your academic coursework with extracurricular activities — it will all come back not only when college apps are due but also when you gloat about it in interviews and over Christmas when you are starting on the 30s. While this may be an overwhelming academic year for Juniors, Study Hut is there to set a schedule, give diagnostics, comment, give quizzes on the functions of the mitochondria and the political reasonings of the English Civil War. We will assist in the year of cramming and if students start hallucinating from the stress — we are there with crunchy granola with dark chocolate — and then it is back to grinding out information, constantly editing the weekly schedule to fit their needs, and prioritizing work to make things just a bit less stressful.

Aside from taking challenging high school courses, an important part of getting ready for college is
taking a college prep test like the ACT or SAT. Both tests have changed over the years, but the main goal
is to score high enough for the colleges you’re interested in attending.

Many students take the test twice—once as a trial run and again after they’ve gotten a feel for the test
and have discovered their strengths and the areas in which they need some improvement. It’s a good
way to present colleges with your best and brightest academic face. Taking the ACT or SAT twice can
give you the advantage you need to land the college acceptance letter you want.

Test prep for the first time

Before taking either test, it’s important to find out if the school you’d like to attend prefers one test
over the other; for some, either test will suffice, while others have a preference. Once you’ve decided
which tests to take, you’ll want to invest in study guides or classes. Many companies like Study Hut offer both instructor-led and self-guided courses,
as well as free strategy sessions and practice tests. You can also reach out to your fellow classmates and
start a study group.

The second time around

Taking the ACT or SAT for the first time can be somewhat of a challenge, so it can be tough to get
motivated for a second round. But studies show that taking the test a second time can improve
your score: a study by the College Board revealed that while some scores dropped, 55% of high school juniors
earned higher scores the second time they took the SAT. If your first score isn’t as high as you
anticipated, taking it a second time could be worth the effort.

Once you’ve gotten the results from the first test, you can tailor your studying to focus on the areas
where you need improvement; work with your teachers and parents to find assignments that can help
you boost your score. Finally, stay in contact with your school’s academic counselor to make sure you’re
plotting a steady course with college prep classes.

The road to college

Even if you’ve earned low-to-middling scores on your college prep tests, there’s no reason to despair.
Remember that even though your ACT and SAT scores are important, they’re just one part of your
overall portfolio as a student. And traditional colleges are no longer your only option for higher
education: online programs offer the
same quality education as in-class programs and can offer benefits like scheduling classes around your
busy life and allowing you to work at your own pace. Online education is becoming more common
for traditional colleges and universities: according to the Pew Research Center, more than 3/4 of colleges and universities offer classes online.

Getting into college is just the first step in your higher education. And to make sure you afford yourself

the best chances, stay focused, ask for help when you need it, and concentrate on improving your scores
if you choose to take the tests a second time. Planning for the ACT or SAT should be taken seriously. If
you commit to doing well, you can lay the foundation for a quality college education.

We are proud to announce that next year, we will be offering our first ever Study Hut ACT Group Course.

With the growing popularity of the ACT, we are now offering a course to get your student ready for the test coming next Spring on June 9th. Here are the details:

The course runs April 30th through June 6th.

It meets Monday and Wednesday nights from 7-9 pm (24 hours total)

It includes two full-length practice tests, and assignments catered to your student’s weaknesses.

This course is very similar in structure to our popular small group SAT course, which has been showing excellent improvement in student’s scores across the board. This is NOT a huge classroom or an overwhelming environment. Our SAT and ACT group courses are conducted in a small office, with a maximum of 10 students. Our instructors are young, fresh, smart, and witty, and we all have one thing in common: we know how to dominate both the SAT and the ACT.

Please email rob@studyhut.com or call us at the Hut – (310)-546-2408 to sign up or get any questions answered.