Post Archive
Every Elite Prep blog post, grouped by the year it was published: college admissions advice, SAT, ACT and AP test strategy, and news from our centers.
2026 (19 posts)
- 306 MORE Vocabulary Words You Must Know for the SAT & ACT
- Engineering + Business: Combined Programs at Top U.S. Colleges
- How Your Major Choice Affects College Admissions
- College Essay Brainstorming: How to Find Your Best Story
- Are College Supplemental Essays Disappearing? Why They Still Matter for Most College Applicants
- What Should You Write About in Your College Essay? How to Help Colleges Get to Know You
- Frequently Asked Questions About the ACT
- Should You Take the ACT Science Test? What Students Need to Know Before Registering for the Enhanced ACT
- Could the SAT and ACT Return to UC Admissions? What High School Sophomores Need to Know
- Elite Prep Class of 2026: Record-Breaking College Acceptances and Expanding Opportunities
- Waitlisted vs. Deferred vs. Rejected: What Each College Decision Really Means
- How to Write a Strong Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) for College Waitlists
- How Many Students Actually Get Off the College Waitlist? Real Admissions Data Explained
- College Waitlisted? What High School Seniors Should Do Next
- Colleges Still Accepting Applications in March: What High School Seniors Need to Know
- How to Build Real Leaders: 5 Things This High School Volunteer Club Gets Right
- Deferred—but Not Done: What to Do If You’re Deferred from Early Decision or Early Action
- Early Planning, Early Results: Our Students’ Early Decision & Early Action Acceptances
- Why Public Universities Should Reconsider Requiring Standardized Tests
2025 (26 posts)
- A Guide to Accelerated/Straight Medicine Programs in the U.S.
- College Consortiums in the US: Connecting Students with a World of Resources and Learning Opportunities
- Choosing the Right University: Highly Selective Private University vs. Selective Public Research University
- University of Michigan's New Binding Early Decision Application Plan – Is It Right For You?
- The College Athletic Recruitment Process: Navigating Divisions I, II, and III
- Applying to Colleges and Universities in the United Kingdom, Part 3: The Admission Process
- Applying to U.K. Colleges and Universities, Part 2: Top 10 Colleges and Universities in the U.K. for U.S. Students
- Applying to U.K. Colleges and Universities, Part 1: Why U.S. High School Students Should Consider Studying in the U.K.
- Webinar Recording — The Dos and Don'ts of College Admissions: How Good Students Get Into Great Colleges
- Measuring Demonstrated Interest: How Interested Are You in Attending Our College?
- The University of California Under Pressure — Why the SAT/ACT May Be Coming Back, and How You Can Be Ready
- What High School Students Should Do Before the End of the School Year and to Plan for Summer
- Understanding College Costs: How Parents Can Use the Net Price Calculator
- Alternative College Pathways: What to Know About Spring Starts, Overseas Programs & Two-Year Affiliate Colleges
- The 6 C's of College Search: Finding the Right Fit for High School Students
- The 5 P’s of College Admission: A Guide for High School Students and Parents
- How to Choose the Right College After Admissions Decisions Are Released
- Navigating the College Waitlist: How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Accepted
- Why High School Students Planning to Study Engineering and Science in College Should Take the SAT and ACT
- College Admission Notifications for the Class of 2025 are Coming – What to do after Decisions Come Out
- More Colleges Are Requiring Standardized Tests – What This Means for Students Applying to Test-optional Schools
- What Is the NEWL Korean Exam (National Examinations in World Languages), and Why Should High School Students Take It?
- The ACT® is Changing — Here's What Students and Parents Need to Know
- The IB Diploma Programme: Requirements, Advantages, and Considerations for High School Students
- Making the Most of Summer: Impactful Activities for High School Students
- Developing a Growth Mindset: Empowering High School Students for Success
2024 (22 posts)
- What to Do if You’re Deferred in Early Decision: A Guide for High School Students
- How to Make a Good Impression on Your College Applications with Optional Introduction Videos
- College Interviews for High School Students: A Comprehensive Guide
- 16 Factors in College Admission Decisions
- Showcase Your Talents in the College Application Process with Optional Supplemental Portfolios
- Standing Out in the Activities and Awards Section: A Guide for the UC First-Year Application and the Common App
- The Role of Recommendation Letters in College Applications: FERPA and Tips for High School Students
- College Financial Aid: Unlocking Access to Higher Education
- Applying to Impacted Majors in College Applications: Strategies for Success
- A Guide to the 8-College System at UC San Diego
- How Colleges Recalculate Applicants’ GPAs for College Admissions
- Building a Well-Rounded College List: A Guide for High School Students
- Mastering the University of California Personal Insight Questions: Effective Strategies for Success
- Understanding Early Decision, Early Action, and Restrictive Early Action in US College Admissions: Pros and Cons
- Completing the AP Capstone Diploma Helps High School Students Stand Out On Their College Applications
- List of Colleges and Universities that Require Standardized Tests (Updated August 2024)
- Embrace your uniqueness–it's what makes you stand out
- Summer Reading List for 9th Graders
- What Rising 9th Graders Should Do During the Summer to Prepare for High School
- Navigating the College Application Process: A Guide for High School Juniors Starting in April
- Trends in College Admissions in 2024
- The End of Test-Optional Policies in College Admission?
2023 (1 posts)
2022 (1 posts)
2021 (3 posts)
2020 (21 posts)
- You’ve Been Waitlisted. Now What? (A 6-Step Action Plan)
- A Guide to Achieving a Healthier School-Life Balance
- I'm a Freshman. What should I be doing to prepare for college?
- 6 Great Ways to Stand Out as a Student (So Teachers Will Give You Strong Recommendation Letters)
- Applying Early to College: Your Questions Answered
- 6 Benefits of Online Learning: A Teacher’s Perspective
- 7 Things Sophomores Can Do to Prepare for College
- What You Need to Know About UC's Decision to Eliminate the SAT/ACT Requirement (Updated September 3, 2020)
- How to Work on Your Extracurriculars from Home During COVID-19
- 6 Great Questions to Ask a College Counselor
- Why It's Never Too Early to Start Thinking About Your College Application Essays
- How Long Do I Need to Study to Be Ready for the SAT/ACT?
- 12 Things Students Can Do At Home Right Now
- The June SAT Has Been Canceled… Now What?
- Virtual College Tours You Can Take From Home
- UC Temporarily Suspends SAT Admission Requirement in Response to COVID-19
- A Message to Elite Families About COVID-19
- 25 Tips for Having a Great College Campus Visit
- Is a "B" in an Honors/AP Course Better Than an "A" in a Regular Course?
- Colleges Are Looking At Your Instagram
- What If I Fail a High School Course?
2019 (32 posts)
- 12 Tips for Getting into Your Dream College
- You Can't Study All the Time: 6 Fun Study Break Ideas
- 7 Great Ways to Develop Your Leadership Skills
- 6 Ways to Show Genuine Interest in Your Intended College Major
- What if I Don't Have Any Extracurricular Activities?
- What to Do If You're Over the Word Limit on Your Admissions Essays
- What Changes to NACAC’s Code of Ethics Could Mean for College-Bound Students
- How to Write Your College Application Activities List
- Writing Exercises to Get Primed for College Admission Essays
- The Parent's Role in Preparing for the SAT or ACT
- What If My College Admissions Essay is Too Short?
- Elite Prep Celebrates Grand Opening of New Branch in La Crescenta
- How to Manage Academic Stress
- Gen.G x Elite Launches World’s First eSports International School
- 7 Inspiring TED Talks for Students
- 4 Tips for Finding Balance: How to Study and Still Have a Life
- 4 Benefits of Setting Academic and Personal Goals
- How to Spot a Sentence Fragment
- 10 Amazing Ways to Exercise Your Brain
- What High School Juniors Should Be Doing to Prepare for College
- If I'm Applying to an Art/Design school, Do My SAT Scores Matter?
- Word Choice and Diction Errors on the SAT & ACT
- 6 Things to Do After Taking the SAT or ACT
- How Many AP Classes is Enough?
- Creating a Great Study Space
- Elite Prep Celebrates Grand Opening of New Branch Office in Las Vegas
- Elite Education Group Founder and Chairman Jonghwan Patrick Park Earns 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor
- 8 Ways to Improve Your Speed on the SAT/ACT
- What Should I Study to Prepare for the ACT Science Test?
- 5 Myths About the SAT & ACT
- Do Colleges Really Care About the SAT Essay?
- Fighting Procrastination: 5 Strategies That Work
2018 (39 posts)
- 10 College Interview Questions and How to Prepare for Them
- How to Know if a Small College is Right for You
- Does Getting Less than a 1500 on the SAT Mean I'll Never Get into a Good School?
- Elite Refugee Education Project in Bogor, Indonesia Completes First Semester Successfully
- How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the SAT Essay
- 5 Ways to Avoid Academic Burnout
- 5 Techniques for Brainstorming Your College Essay Topic in 15 Minutes
- Before Submitting College Applications: A Quick Checklist
- 7 Tips for Answering the University of California Personal Insight Questions
- What Is Committee-Based Evaluation, and How Will It Affect My College Application?
- How to Avoid Being Generic in Your College Essays
- Are Some SAT Test Dates Easier Than Others?
- How to Build a Great Extracurricular Activities List
- How to Write the "Why Us?" College Essay
- Is the PSAT Easier Than the SAT? How Does It Compare?
- What Happened with the August 2018 SAT Security Breach?
- Logical Fallacies: The Uses and Abuses of Straw Men
- Social Media and College Admissions
- How to Develop Positive Relationships with Your Teachers
- Study Strategies for Final Exams
- How to Approach the Fiction/Literature Passage on the SAT & ACT
- Making Summer Count for College Applications
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Emailing College Admissions Officers and Professors
- When Should I Take the SAT?
- What Should I Do if I Got Waitlisted?
- How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension and Raise Your SAT/ACT Score
- The Problem and Appeal of the Slippery Slope
- How Important is Vocabulary on the SAT?
- 8 Things College-Bound Juniors Should Be Doing Right Now
- Can I Use “I” and “Me” in an Academic Essay?
- Pacing Yourself on the SAT and ACT
- Elite Education Group Provides Education for Refugees in Bogor, Indonesia
- Summer 2018 Test Prep at Elite
- 5 Reasons Why Group Study is Awesome
- Why Colleges are Looking for Students with Grit (and How to Be Gritty)
- How to Prepare for College Interviews
- 5 Ways a Test Prep Class Can Help You
- The Terrible Twos: On the Power and Pitfalls of Dichotomies
- Spring Test Prep at Elite
2017 (43 posts)
- Elite's Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017
- 14 Insightful Questions to Ask College Admissions Officers
- Understanding Arguments: The Rule of Three
- How to Deal with Procrastination and Distraction
- Elite Prep Branches Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- 5 Ways to Annoy College Admissions Officers
- Elite Educational Institute Celebrates 30 Years
- 5 Things to Do if You've Got a Low GPA
- What is Demonstrated Interest and How Can It Help Me Get into College?
- Elite Community Scholars Program Partners with New SoCal Schools
- The Past Subjunctive and Standard Written English
- Fall & Winter Classes at Elite
- Do I Need to Know My Major Before Applying to College?
- Elite Open School Learning Resource Centers Receive SEVP Certification from U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- How to Get Into an Ivy League School: Advice from a Harvard Graduate
- Am I Oversharing in My College Essays?
- Early Action vs. Early Decision: What's the Difference?
- Recommendation Letters: What They Are and How to Get Great Ones
- The Road to Success: A College Admissions Strategy Seminar
- Understanding Arguments: On Counterarguments, Concessions and Rebuttals
- What to Do the Night Before the SAT or ACT
- What’s the Deal with Dashes?
- 4 Great Techniques for Handling Test-Day Stress
- Fall Test Prep and College Consulting at Elite
- Mentally Preparing for Your Test-Prep Summer
- Why You Should Start Your College Admission Essays this Summer
- How to Tackle Vocabulary in Context Questions on the SAT & ACT
- What Is a Run-On Sentence?
- 6 Ways to Stay Engaged in Class
- The Road to Success: A College Admissions Strategy Seminar
- How to Improve Your Vocabulary for the SAT and ACT
- Sleep and Nutrition: What Your Brain Needs to Ace the SAT and ACT
- What’s a Good SAT Score?
- Dealing with College Decisions: Why Rejection Isn't the End of the World, but More Like the Opposite
- Why You Should Always Write in Your SAT/ACT Test Booklet
- The Science of Cramming, or How to Prepare for Standardized Tests
- How (Not) to Choose a College
- 7 Ways to Boost Clarity and Upgrade Your SAT Essay
- Should I Take the SAT or ACT?
- One Habit That Will Help You Raise Your SAT Reading & Writing Scores
- SoCal Weekend SAT & ACT Kickstart Programs
- Good at Math? Then You Should Ace the SAT Language Sections
- Does High School Prepare Students for the SAT?
2016 (14 posts)
- Identifying Main Ideas in SAT Reading Passages
- Boost Your Test Scores Over the Holiday Break!
- Writing About a Real-Life Event in Your College Essay
- The Value and Purpose of the New SAT Essay
- Learning to Love the Personal Statement
- How to Pick Your UC Personal Insight Questions
- 15% of California National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists are Elite Students
- When It Comes to Colleges, the Biggest Name Doesn't Always Mean the Best Fit
- What's Up with the New University of California Personal Insight Questions?
- Fall Test Prep and College Application Workshops are Here!
- Welcome Summer Boot Camp Students!
- Elite SF on SingTao TV!
- Summer Boot Camp in Shanghai
- New Branch in Fairfax, Virginia is Now Open!
2015 (20 posts)
- All About the Redesigned SAT: Systems of Equations
- Faculty Profile: Robert Utter – Elite of Rowland Heights
- Faculty Profile: Chieh Cheng – Elite of Laguna Hills
- All About the Redesigned SAT: The New Essay
- Faculty Profile: Kiley Albrecht – Elite of Rowland Heights
- Watch What Happened at the 2015 Elite Vision Expo!
- What's New on the Redesigned SAT?
- Here’s How Our Teachers Prepare for an Amazing Year...
- New Elite Redesigned SAT Practice Test Offered in Fullerton, CA on August 22!
- AoCMM Math Modeling Competition
- Elite of San Diego-Carmel Valley is Now Elite of San Diego-Pacific Highlands!
- Faculty Profile: Robert Nyenhuis | Elite of Fountain Valley
- Meet the 2015 Elite SoCal Students of the Year!
- The Sky's the Limit with Elite Summer Boot Camp
- Congratulations to Shanghai Student Hannah S. – Accepted to Harvard, Yale & Princeton!
- Elite Prep Apgujung Premier Center
- Elite Prep in Tokyo
- Elite of Westwood Grand Opening!
- Four Elite of Arcadia Students Score Perfect 2400 on SAT
- Dedication earns struggling student early admittance to Harvard
2014 (30 posts)
- Elite Spring SAT Prep at Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School
- New Elite Branch in Burnaby, BC
- Here's What Happened at the Elite Vision Expo 2014
- What's Up With Early Action & Early Decision?
- Elite Power Speech & Debate
- Video from Teacher Convocation 2014
- Elite of Laguna Hills is Here!
- Meet the Elite 2014 Students of the Year
- Elite SF at the Sing Tao Education Fair
- New Elite Locations in San Jose and Thousand Oaks Now Open!
- 2 out of 12 New UCSD Medical Scholars are Elite Alumni
- Ethan's Quick Reference Guide to the Eight Types of SAT Critical Reading Questions
- Elite SoCal Branch Scholarships – Apply Now!
- Summer Session Registration is Open!
- UC Admission Decisions Release Dates
- Here's What the New SAT Will Look Like
- How I Learned to Overcome Procrastination (mostly)
- Summer Prep in Corona, CA
- How Choosing Your Classes Ahead of Time Can Help You Get into the Right College
- 5 Reasons Why It Doesn't Matter What You Major In
- Top 5 Reasons to Go to College
- How to Choose Your Major, or How College is Like the Cheesecake Factory
- I’m a Junior and it’s February. What should I be doing right now?
- How Senioritis Can Earn You a “Fear of God” Letter
- Boost Your Scores this Spring!
- Five Common Myths About College Majors
- College Interviews: How to Prepare (Part 2 of 2)
- College Interviews: How much do they really matter? (Part 1 of 2)
- How Much Do College Admission Interviews Matter?
- Five FAFSA Myths – Busted
2013 (57 posts)
- 2013 Elite Year in Review
- 10 Ways to Get Creative in School, Business, and Life
- A Very Warm Welcome to All Our New Students
- How to Make Your Mediocre Extracurricular Essay Better (in about 30 minutes)
- Why I Keep a Gratitude List
- DOs and DON'Ts for Your "Why Us?" Essay
- How Much Do SAT Scores Matter? (A Paradox)
- How to Write Your 150-Word Extracurricular Essay (Six Techniques You Can Steal)
- How to Write a "Why Us" Essay for a School You're Not Super Excited About
- Why You Should Probably Set Your Facebook Settings to Private After Sending in Your Common App
- Racking Up Style Points: Two Tips for Revising Your College Essay
- How am I a Genius?
- How to Decide Which Extracurricular Activity to Write About
- Ten Tips for Writing a 1337* UC2 Essay
- And the Smartest College in the US is…?
- Mindfulness, Part 2: How Meditation Can Raise Your SAT Score
- Mindfulness, Part 1: Am I Breathing?
- How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 3 of 3)
- How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 2 of 3)
- How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 1 of 3)
- How to Create a Great College List
- Three 15-Minute Brainstorming Exercises for Your College Essay
- Common App Essay Formatting Update
- Two Spaces After a Period (And four other mistakes your making in you're college essay)
- How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses
- Applying to Cal State Schools
- Extended Early Action & Early Decision Deadlines
- Which Common App Essay Prompt is Best?
- Common App Responds to Glitches with "Statement of Commitment"
- An Open Love Letter to the Authors of UC Personal Statement Prompt #1
- UC Admissions Requirements
- College Application Essay FAQs
- 5 Ways to Make Your Activities List Awesome
- Common App & UC Application Essay Prompts
- The UC Application is Open! Now What?
- Elite to Open Texas Branch in Early 2014
- How to List National Merit & National Honor Society Recognition on the Common App
- Dispatches from Georgetown, September 2013
- Elite Vision Expo 2013 Keynote Address
- How to Create the Simplest, Best To-Do List Ever
- Elite Vision Expo 2013 Highlights
- Ruth's College Tips: How to Create an Annotated Bibliography
- Dispatches from Georgetown, August 2013
- Get the Elite Advantage with Fall Classes
- Say hello to Elite JinQiao!
- What DOESN'T work in college applications?
- Take a Look Behind the Scenes at Elite's Teacher Convocation
- Ruth's Top Ten Tips for Surviving College
- Some Stuff I Picked Up at Elite: Math
- Elite 2013 Students of the Year
- Carrie Zhou on Sing Tao TV
- UC Admissions Update
- Five Awesome Study Apps
- Possible Changes to the SAT
- Register for Summer Session Classes Today!
- Common App Releases New Essay Prompts
- Boost Your AP and SAT Subject Test Scores This Spring!
2012 (19 posts)
- Twenty-Four Elite Students Earn Perfect Scores on the October SAT
- Is a Liberal Arts Degree a Practical Choice?
- Winter Boot Camp Registration is Open!
- Director Profile: Jennifer Oh | Elite of San Diego
- Elite Vision Expo Success!
- College Application Essay Workshops are Here
- Registration is Open for Fall Session Classes!
- Elite Vision Expo - July 2012
- What makes Elite's curriculum special?
- Students and Teachers Honored at Convocation
- Elite Opens Branch Office in Shanghai
- Summer Session Registration is Open!
- Study music: to listen or not to listen?
- Mistakes that spellcheck won't catch | Pt. 2
- Mistakes that spellcheck won't catch | Pt. 1
- Can good writing get you a job?
- Elite Vision Conference Inspires Students
- What's the deal with SAT Subject Tests?
- Introducing a New Personalized Tutoring Program