More college-bound seniors than ever are taking the SAT—in 2012, 1.66 million of them. Up Your Score: SAT is the only guide written for students, by students. Filled with expert advice and proven strategies, it injects a feisty attitude into the dry business of test prep, fending off test anxiety with humor. Its four authors and guest editor achieved perfect or near-perfect scores and attended the colleges of their choice, and the book shows readers how they can do the same. Discover the eight core ways the test approaches math. Learn 600 key vocabulary words with proven tricks to make definitions memorable. Master the 13 most important grammar rules, and find out how to prepare your essay in advance. Plus, Up Your Score shows how to “psych out” the test. How to think like the SAT. The best ways to fill in answer circles and other strategies to save precious minutes. Tips for maintaining concentration. Why it’s always better to guess than to leave a question unanswered. And a recipe for energy-boosting Sweet & Tasty 800 Bars. Up Your Score is the inexpensive complement—and reality check—to the institutional tomes by Princeton Review and Kaplan. It’s the guerrilla guide that students recommend to each other—the only one kids actually want to use. But don’t take our word for it—check out these posts from Up Your Score’s Facebook page: “OMG, with this book, my second SAT score went up 220 points from my first score . . . thanks for the awesome tips. everyone should buy this book!:)” “Just bought the book for my SAT test . . . I’m already laughing and it’s making studying a little less terrible “I got a 1900 partly because of you guys, thank you SO much!”

Fully updated to reflect the most current version of the ACT, Up Your Score: ACT remains the test prep and survival guide that kids will actually want to use. Written by Chris Arp, a Princeton graduate and top ACT tutor—with the help of four students who aced the test (and went on to the colleges of their choice)—it’s a true insider’s guide, filled with effective strategies and tips, delivered with the attitude, smarts, and wit that make Up Your Score the bestselling alternative test-prep series in print. ▪ Crush the reading section by developing the Five Habits of Lean Forward Reading. ▪ Master the math section through techniques like “plugging in,” an amazing trick that simplifies all algebra word problems. ▪ Annihilate the English section by absorbing six key punctuation and nine essential grammar rules. ▪ Sail through the science section by understanding that it actually tests reasoning. ▪ Plus, the latest information on ACT scoring and the essay test, revised in 2015 to be more open-ended and analytical.

Because the real world is the best education. High school can be boring. High school curriculum can be frustrating and out of touch. So what is the answer for young people whose creativity, bright ideas, and boundless energy are being stifled in that over-scheduled and grade-driven environment? What would you do if you could go to college without going to high school? Would you travel abroad, spend late nights writing a novel, volunteer in an emergency room, or build your own company? What dreams would you be pursuing right now? College Without High School shows how independent teens can self-design their high school education by becoming unschooled. Students begin by defining their goals and dreams and then pursue them through a combination of meaningful and engaging adventures. It is possible to pursue your dreams, and gain admission to any college of your choice. Boles shows how to fulfill college admission requirements by proving five preparatory results: intellectual passion, leadership, logical reasoning, background knowledge, and the capacity for structured learning. He then offers several suggestions for life-changing, confidence-building adventures that will demonstrate those results. This intriguing approach to following your dreams and doing college prep on your own terms will be welcomed by students (and their parents).

After years of preparation and anticipation, many students arrive at college without any real knowledge of the ins and outs of college life. They’ve been focused on finding the right school and have been carefully guided through the nuances of the admissions process, but too often they have little knowledge about how college will be different from high school or what will be expected of them during that crucial first year and beyond. Written by an award-winning teacher, How to Succeed in College (While Really Trying) provides much-needed help to students, offering practical tips and specific study strategies that will equip them to excel in their new environment. Drawing on years of experience teaching at a variety of campuses, from large research universities to small liberal arts colleges, Jon B. Gould gives readers the lay of the land and demystifies the college experience. In the course of the book, students will learn how to identify the best instructors, how to choose classes and settle on a major, how to develop effective strategies for reading and note taking, and how to write good papers and successfully complete exams. Because much of the college experience takes place outside of the classroom, Gould also advises students on how to effectively manage their cocurricular activities, work obligations, and free time, as well as how to take advantage of the typically untapped resources on every campus. With candid advice and insights from a seasoned insider, this guide will leave students better prepared not only to succeed in college but to enjoy it as well.

THE OFFICIAL ACT® PREP GUIDE 2021-2022 The comprehensive guide to the 2021-2022 ACT® test, with 6 genuine, full-length practice tests in print and online. This 2021-2022 guide includes six actual ACT® tests – all of which contain the optional writing test – that you can use to practice at your own pace. To help you review test subjects and improve your understanding, this guide provides clear explanations for every answer. You’ll also get practical tips for boosting your score on the English, math, reading, and science tests, as well as the optional writing test. Additionally, you can access the six tests online through the access code provided in the guide. The code also provides access to 400 online flashcards to help you prepare for all sections in the ACT® examination. The test’s creators filled this guide with expert advice on how to both mentally and physically prepare for the exam. It will also help you: Review the entire ACT® test content so you’ll know what to expect on test day Understand the procedures you’ll follow when you’re taking the ACT® Prepare for the types of questions you can expect to find on the test Adopt test-taking strategies that are right for you The Official ACT® Prep Guide 2021-2022 is the best resource to prepare you for test day. By using this guide you can feel comfortable that you’re prepared to do your best!

The first practical guide of its kind that helps students transition smoothly from high school to college The transition from high school—and home—to college can be stressful. Students and parents often arrive on campus unprepared for what college is really like. Academic standards and expectations are different from high school; families aren’t present to serve as “scaffolding” for students; and first-years have to do what they call “adulting.” Nothing in the college admissions process prepares students for these new realities. As a result, first-year college students report higher stress, more mental health issues, and lower completion rates than in the past. In fact, up to one third of first-year college students will not return for their second year—and colleges are reporting an increase in underprepared first-year students. How to College is here to help. Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors’ experience teaching, writing curricula, and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students over decades.