--- title: College Admissions News and ACT / SAT Strategy | ACT prep description: ACT prep | Stay current with the latest college application and admission news, as well as proven ACT and SAT strategies. --- # COllege Admissions News and ACT / SAT Strategy Stay current with the latest undergraduate college admissions news and proven ACT and Digital SAT strategies. Browse by All ACT ACT/SAT sat prep ACT/SAT study skills college tips college advice sat tutoring ACT prep sat tutors college student College Admissions High School Test Taking SAT college education college questions study skills ACT test SAT study plan college freshman advice SAT test College Applications SAT online tutoring college entrance college timeline ACT overview SAT math digital sat sat online studying for the SATs undergraduate student common questions ACT study plan ACT-Math practice SAT study help SAT study tips college tips for studying for the SATs ACT Science ACT math Reading Comprehension SAT practice tests SAT self-study admissions essays applying to college college admissions process college tuition sat reading test taking strategies ACT concepts ACT study help ACT tutoring AP tutoring Choosing a College Digital ACT SAT reading comprehension SAT writing act online act reading ap classes ap test prep college admissions essay cost of sat tutoring math skills sat help sat tutor cost sat tutor hourly rate studying for the ACT ACT english COVID sat Campus bound College Rankings GMAT Managing Stress Online Reputation Management PSAT SAT classes SAT redesign Standardized exams Study plans Uncategorized Writing Section act coronavirus admissions data chemistry chemistry subject test college ROI college athletics college coach college essay writing advice college essays college freshman questions college prep college recruiting college resume collegebound admissions cost of college desmos extracurriculars improve academic performance interview preparation logs in ACT-Math math new student FAQs process of elimination sat chemistry test standardized tests study abroad study tips studying for standardized exams submitting test scores test anxiety test optional test prep strategies tips for studying for the ACT writing an essay This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ## Posts about ACT prep: [ACT/SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat) [ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act) [ACT overview](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-overview) [ACT test](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-test) [studying for the ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/studying-for-the-act) [ACT tutoring](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-tutoring) [ACT Science](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-science) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [Digital ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/digital-act) Over the past 8 years, as the SAT has undergone two massive updates, the ACT has generally remained static in the turning world of college admissions. Any changes to its format have been comparatively minor, making it relatively straightforward to prepare for. But, as of July 15th, 2024, the [ACT has announced some fairly extensive changes](https://leadershipblog.act.org/2024/07/test-enhancements.html) that will be rolled out in 2025-26. In this article, we will summarize those changes and consider how they might impact a student’s decision to take the ACT vs. the SAT. [ACT/SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat) [ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act) [SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [sat prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-prep) [digital sat](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/digital-sat) Earlier this spring, we at MyGuru declared that [test optional college admission policies were coming to an end](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/end-of-optional-acts-sats) for high school students applying to top American universities. As part of the upcoming 2024-25 application cycle beginning this fall, most of the Ivy League and a notable number of elite universities across the United States are once again requiring an ACT or SAT score. Now, [Stanford has quietly announced](https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/06/stanford-to-resume-standardized-test-requirement) (in a classic Friday news dump) that it too will be reinstating a standardized testing requirement for undergraduate applicants, but beginning in 2025, making this the final test optional application cycle for the Cardinal. This particular decision is important for two reasons: 1. It pushes the timeframe for application policy changes back a year 2. It puts Stanford in direct opposition to its California public university rivals [ACT/SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat) [ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act) [SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [sat prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-prep) [digital sat](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/digital-sat) With [Harvard](https://college.harvard.edu/resources/faq/which-standardized-tests-does-harvard-require) and [Caltech](https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/caltech-restores-standardized-test-requirement-for-undergraduate-admission) joining the ranks of selective colleges and universities requiring a standardized test once again as part of the 2024-25 application cycle, MyGuru is more than comfortable asserting that all high schoolers planning to attend college should once again plan to take either the [ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/high-school-tutoring/act) or [SAT](https://www.myguruedge.com/high-school-tutoring/digital-sat). While many applicants will see this as a negative (who wants to take a test on a weekend, right!?), this return to standardized testing requirements has been supported by each of the institutions reinstating the exams with data illustrating that test optional policies have actually harmed the at-risk and lower income students that they purportedly were intended to help. [sat tutors](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-tutors) [College Admissions](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-admissions) [ACT/SAT study skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat-study-skills) [college tips](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-tips) [college entrance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-entrance) [college timeline](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-timeline) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [sat prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-prep) [college](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college) If you really want to get a high SAT score, perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that “talent” or “IQ” matters far less than you think. There are not really “math people” or “natural readers.” What matters is the amount and quality of your SAT prep, which of course is influenced in large part by how passionate and genuinely interested you are in doing well on the SAT or ACT. So if you want to get a 99th percentile SAT score or a 34 on the ACT, it’s possible that you can do it. [sat tutors](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-tutors) [College Admissions](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-admissions) [ACT/SAT study skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat-study-skills) [college tips](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-tips) [college entrance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-entrance) [college timeline](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-timeline) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [sat prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-prep) [college](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college) ## ![sat and act prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sat%20and%20act.jpeg?width=278&name=sat%20and%20act.jpeg)What is the best way to prepare for the ACT or SAT? Well, it’s true arriving at a useful answer to this question does depend a lot on your timing and the context. If you are a junior with average grades, but aspire to get a high SAT score, and you take the SAT in 30 days, this article should be able to help adopt the right mindset and bring some calm and confidence to exam day. But practically, with only 30 days until the exam, you should be considering [online SAT tutoring](https://www.myguruedge.com/sat-prep/online-sat-tutoring) or an SAT crash course to get the best SAT score you possibly can. SAT tutoring and courses can and will help you get a higher score. [sat tutors](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-tutors) [College Admissions](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-admissions) [ACT/SAT study skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/actsat-study-skills) [college tips](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-tips) [college entrance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-entrance) [college timeline](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college-timeline) [ACT prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/act-prep) [sat prep](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/sat-prep) [college](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/actsat-and-applying-to-college/topic/college) ![sat tutor](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sat%20tutor-1.jpeg?width=177&name=sat%20tutor-1.jpeg)Since we are an SAT tutoring company, you might expect us to argue that hiring an SAT coach is almost always worth it. But we don’t believe that to be true. ### Follow this blog