Your year-by-year guide to testing and prep.

Reading habits built now pay back tenfold on every standardized and school test you'll ever take. Fiction, non-fiction, magazines - anything counts.

If you're ready, take honors or pre-AP classes. Strong math and English fundamentals matter much more than any prep program.

There’s nothing to study for. Truly. Test prep this early doesn't improve scores and often does more harm than good.

The ISEE is taken in the fall of 8th grade for admission. If that’s on your radar, check out our ISEE classes.

Introduce yourself early. They’re your single best resource for everything from class selection to letters of recommendation later on.

Take classes that challenge you and do well in them. Your transcript is more important than any test score.

Carry a book. Your future SAT/ACT Reading score is being built right now, one chapter at a time.

Seriously, don’t. You're not behind.

Visit a campus if you can - even a local one. Get a feel for what “college” actually means to you. Something big? More personal?

Usually offered at your school. Don’t stress over the score; just get experience with the format and timing. Don't prep for this.

Compare results with your PSAT to see which test feels better. Most students do about the same on both, but use our score comparison tool to see if one stands out. Tossup? Pick the one you hate the least.

Only if you're close to National Merit recognition or have athletic-scholarship score requirements. Most sophomores should wait - prep is better done leading into the test you'll actually take.

This one counts for National Merit recognition. Worth prepping for if you’re close, but don’t lose sleep over it. National Merit is just one pipeline into school merit scholarship packages, and schools offer the same scholarships for excellent SAT or ACT scores.

Talk through your scores so far, target schools, and listen to their feedback - they've got years of experience getting students from your school into college.

If there’s a clear winner from practice scores, go that direction. Otherwise, pick whichever you hate the least and commit. Plan to take your selected test twice your junior year. And no, you probably don't need to prep for both the SAT and the ACT. Stick to the one you're best at.

Short, focused prep beats long, drawn-out programs. Plan dates ahead of time - they’re often around school breaks, and you'll want to be able to fit prep into your schedule.

Take your chosen test twice during junior year, plus the other test once just to confirm. Ideally, testing wraps up before senior year.

Compare each school’s requirements to your GPA and test scores. Build a balanced list - reach, target, likely.

Not happy with your spring score? Late spring or early summer gives you another shot before applications get serious.

Drafting essays now means a much calmer senior fall. Future you will be grateful.

Take the September ACT or October SAT if you still want one more shot. Be aware of admission deadlines - some schools won’t accept later scores.

Final review of your applications and college list.

Submit your FAFSA and any merit-based scholarship applications. Don’t leave money on the table.

Most apps go out between October and January, depending on each school’s deadlines and your decision plan, but getting applications in early is always better.

Final decision by the start of May. Some schools will accept additional scores after admission for scholarship consideration.