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Welcome to Guide Excerpts

Convenient access to what matters most to you!

We often hear that college counselors who receive our guide have their “personal favorites”—the pages they rely on, share with families, and refer back to time and again. Now we’ve made it easier for you to find and use those sections. While we encourage you to explore every page of our book, we understand that sometimes you need quick answers or specific insights. That’s why we’ve extracted the most popular sections that address common topics you frequently encounter.

Counselors have permission to download, copy, and distribute these items to students and parents for non-commercial, educational purposes. We ask that you please provide attribution.

Where applicable, we include a link to “Further Reading” on topics that receive periodic updates or warrant deeper analysis.

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College Counselors’ Library of Popular Testing Resources

The Competitive Landscape

Find admission statistics for 400+ well-known colleges. (9 pages)

Popular Testing Timelines

Use this framework to guide students in defining their best testing timeline. (4 pages)

Early Action & Early Decision Deadlines

Keep track of deadlines for EA 1, EA 2, ED 1, and ED 2 at hundreds of selective colleges. (4 pages)

The New ACT

Share this succinct overview of the upcoming changes to the ACT with your class of 2026 and beyond. (2 pages)

SAT vs. ACT

A side-by-side comparison of the digital SAT’s and the paper ACT’s structure, timing, scoring, and content. (2 pages)

National Merit Scholarship

Look up state cutoffs and get an overview of how the NMS program works. (2 pages)

AP Fast Facts

Get AP-updated from our fact-filled mini-pack. (6 pages)

PSAT to SAT Relationship

Illustrate and explain vertical alignment and how PSAT scores predict SAT ranges. (2 pages)

SAT/ACT Concordance

Compare an SAT score to an ACT score to see if one is stronger. (2 pages)

Score Choice & Super Scoring

Find answers to FAQs about Score Choice and Super Scoring (2 pages)

Registration Fast Facts

Note upcoming test dates, current fees, fee waiver instructions, and score reporting information. (3 pages)

Securing Accommodations

Relay these clear, step-by-step instructions to students seeking accommodations. (2 pages)

A Testing Revival

Share this article to help families grasp the nuance of today’s test optional environment. (3 pages)

GPA & Test Scores

Understand how the distributions of grades and test scores differ. (2 pages)

Test Scores & Merit Aid

Review this summary of how test scores can tie to scholarship awards. (1 page)

Top 10 English Errors

Quiz your students on the 10 errors that account for nearly all English Conventions SAT/ACT questions. (1 page)

Math Topics on the SAT/ACT

See an organized display of the differences and prevalence of math topics on the SAT and ACT. (2 pages)

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