​Without even realizing it, you may be doing things differently on test days than you have been while studying. Anxiety may have taken over and you may be rushing through your test and just panicking. In some cases, you may fall back to your old habits instead of what you learned for test prep. In other cases, you might forget time management and spend too much time on tough problems. And there could be many other ways how you maybe doing things differently—from not eating a good breakfast to not getting a good night's sleep.

In order to succeed on the test day, you will have to rely on your subconscious mind guiding you—the habits that you have built—because of the spontaneity of the test. You have to response to the spontaneity and the surprises of the test. Plus, given time and performance pressure, you are asking too much for your conscious mind to do. It can't and you then fall into your habits.

What can you do?

How are you doing? Physically and Emotionally.
Have you been stressed out before the test day? Are you tired? In either case, your brain will not function properly and at its peak. If you are stressed out due to work or family or health reasons, you will have to make some changes before you take the test. ​ 

Make sure that you are well rested and prepared for your test. Given the Smart Scoring System, there is no need to worry about your preparation. You will be able to learn faster, test smarter and score higher in your test--and you won't be anxious during your test, since you know you are well prepared.

​There are many students who have perfect scores on the SAT. These students come all walks of life and have taken test prep from various places, from the name brands to individual tutors. If you were to choose a test prep course, and there are lots and lots of choices today, which one should you choose? Of course, we will say choose us, but what really differentiates us from the name brands like Kaplan and Princeton and from the many test prep schools out there. In short, why would you work with Hillview Prep?

The short answer is the Smart Scoring System.

The Smart Scoring System is a learning tool. It can identify your academic strengths and weaknesses and understand your learning style. It is the ultimate guide for discovering the most effective methods and strategies that make you learn faster and succeed in less time.

​The ACT Science test contains passages on a variety of scientific subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, etc. According to the Official ACT website: “Advanced knowledge in these subjects is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses is needed to answer some of the questions. The test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content, skill in mathematics, or reading ability.”

We believe that reading comprehension is the key to be successful with ACT science. In addition, we believe that a review of definitions can enhance your ability to do well in the ACT Science portion. Again, we are talking here about background knowledge and not expertise.

Definitions are key in acquiring a sound background knowledge of any subject, and here is a list of concepts that you might encounter on the ACT Science section. Do let us know if you want to learn more about acing the ACT test. With our revolutionary Smart Scoring System, we can help you learn faster, test smarter and score higher on your ACT.

​Many students who are preparing for the SAT confuse or do not know definitions. Definitions are critical. They help you understand and differentiate a concept from others. They also help you retain the concept in a simple way. And finally, they help you answer the question on your SAT test.

Here are the most common SAT math definitions that you should become familiar with. You will see these words throughout the SAT math test, and you have to know how to use them.

You are an excellent student. You got good grades, but you bombed the SAT. You are disappointed and still want to go to a top school. What do you do now? Here are some tips.
​
1. Take the ACT!
This is a no-brainer. If you have not taken the ACT, you must. It will enhance your chances of getting into an Ivy league school. Prepare for the ACT with the Hillview Prep's Smart Scoring System and get a great ACT score. The Smart Scoring Systems can quickly diagnose why you failed to obtain a great SAT score and help you pinpoint your weaknesses. Working with one of our tutors, you can use the Smart Scoring System to lean faster, test smarter and score higher.

​According to The Institute for College Access & Success, seven in 10 seniors (68%) who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2015 had student loan debt, with an average of $30,100 per borrower. This represents a 4% increase from the average debt of 2014 graduates. Graduate students, for example, have a median debt of $57,600, and 1 in 4 have debts of $99,614 or higher, according to New America, a public policy think tank.

How do you pay off your loan faster?

Tip #1: Use Auto-Debit

If you sign up for auto-debit, which most federal and private student-loan lenders offer, you’ll get a 0.25 percentage point reduction in your interest rate and have your bill amount drawn directly from your bank account every month.

Federal student loans
The federal government uses 10 different federal student loan service providers, all of which offer the automatic payment option. These providers are as below.

1. Nelnet
www.nelnet.com
1-888-486-4722

2. Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.
www.mygreatlakes.org
1-800-236-4300

3. Navient
www.navient.com
1-800-722-1300

4. FedLoan Servicing (PHEAA)
www.myfedloan.org
1-800-699-2908

5. MOHELA
www.mohela.com
1-888-866-4352

6. HESC/EdFinancial
www.edfinancial.com/DL
1-855-337-6884

7. CornerStone
www.MyCornerStoneLoan.org
1-800-663-1662

8. Granite State - GSMR
www.gsmr.org
1-888-556-0022

9. OSLA Servicing
www.osla.org
1-866-264-9762

10. Debt Management and Collections System
www.myeddebt.ed.gov
1-800-621-3115

Private student loans
Sallie Mae is the largest private student loan servicer. Like federal student loan service providers, Sallie Mae offers the automatic payment option, as well as the .25% interest rate reduction. If you have a different private loan provider, check with them about the auto-pay interest rate reduction plan.
​
Tip #2: Refinance Your Loan

You can always refinance your loan. Refinance lenders generally look for candidates with a steady income, good credit and a few years of work experience, or a co-signer with those qualifications. NerdWallet recommends 11 companies to refinance your loan. Some of these companies are:

1. Citizens Bank
www.citizensbank.com

2. College AVE Student Loans
www.collegeavestudentloans.com

3. earnest
www.earnest.com

4. iHELP
www.ihelploan.com

5. CommonBond
https://commonbond.co/

6. lendkey
www.lendkey.com

7. purefy
www.purefy.com

8. SoFi
www.sofi.com/