Hot Takes on the October 2025 ACT and What Moving Forward Looks Like

Something wonderful happened! One month ago, ACT, Inc. announced a partnership with the National Test Prep Association (NTPA – of which Woodlands Test Prep is a Founding Member, and I ... Read more

When Should I Start Test Prep?

by Susan Powers Uncategorized

The return of PSAT scores in November gets lots of families thinking about college admissions testing. Deciding on when to start taking the SAT or ACT is an individualized decision. ... Read more

Changes are coming to ACT!

by Susan Powers From the Author SAT vs. ACT Tests

Updated July 8, 2025 Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water, now that the Digital PSAT and SAT are old news, here comes ACT with ... Read more

SAT vs. ACT?

by Susan Powers SAT vs. ACT Tests

Check out our Guide to PSAT scores! Need to compare an ACT score? We can help you take one at home any time for free! Click here for all the ... Read more

Your Journey to College: Foundations that Matter

by Susan Powers Daily Notes From the Author Inspiration Tests

When families think about college admissions, test scores often feel like the whole story. In reality, those scores are just reflections of something more manageable: steady growth in core skills ... Read more

The Great Test Score Comeback: Many Colleges Are Reinstating Standardized Testing

by Susan Powers From the Author News Tests Uncategorized

Updated February 20, 2025 After a brief hiatus during the pandemic, many colleges are reinstating standardized test requirements for admissions, and the reason lies in a surprising twist: equity. Colleges ... Read more

Why You Should Only Take the ACT on Paper

by Susan Powers Uncategorized

Should You Take the ACT on Paper or Digital? Here’s What to Consider Revised November 19th, 2025 The ACT now offers a choice between paper and pencil and digital formats. ... Read more

Is the new enhanced ACT a better fit for me?

by Susan Powers From the Author SAT vs. ACT

Now that our team has immersed ourselves in all things enhanced ACT (taken the October ACT, gotten our scores back to calibrate our experiences, become an official ACT affiliate, and deeply analyzed ... Read more

Tutoring Team & the October 18th ACT

by Susan Powers From the Author Inspiration SAT vs. ACT

We believe in something simple: You deserve tutors who don’t just know the ACT — but can prove it. So our whole team takes the ACT regularly to stay sharp and to ... Read more

How Much is a National Merit Scholarship Worth?

by Susan Powers Digital SAT From the Author Tests Uncategorized

Achieving National Merit Semifinalist status is a huge achievement for any student and makes any college application more attractive. Being a National Merit Semifinalist can also mean a ton of ... Read more

The Road to Becoming a National Merit Scholar

by Susan Powers Digital SAT From the Author Tests

What is “National Merit” and how do I enter? To enter, you must take the PSAT/NMSQT as a high school junior and either attend high school in the United States ... Read more

Congratulations to our THIRTEEN Class of 2026 National Merit Semifinalists!

by Susan Powers Digital SAT From the Author Inspiration Tests

Woodlands Test Prep congratulates all students who have achieved Semifinalist status in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. All of these students have worked hard to reach the top levels ... Read more

Where do you want to go to college? Find out the facts!

by Susan Powers From the Author SAT vs. ACT Tests

UPDATED for 2025! It can be confusing and overwhelming to keep all the facts and statistics straight with all your college choices. We’ve created a quick reference to put all ... Read more

How Mathchops and Grammarchops are designed to raise your SAT and ACT scores

by Susan Powers Classes From the Author News Tests

[Today we’re delighted to repost a blog from Mathchop’s Substack written by Mike McGibbon that explains WHY Mathchops and Grammarchops are so good at raising Woodlands Test Prep students’ scores. ... Read more

Great News for Families: 529 Plans Now Cover Tutoring and Test Prep!

by Susan Powers From the Author News

We’re excited to share an important update that can make a real difference for families planning their educational journeys. With the newly signed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” 529 college ... Read more

Can We Fix It? Yes We Can!

by Susan Powers Daily Notes From the Author Inspiration Tests Uncategorized

Remember Bob the Builder saying “Yes we can?” Well it’s true! By changing the way we think about challenges, we can change the outcomes we create! This way of thinking ... Read more

Empowering Educators: Insights and Innovations from the NTPA Winter Workshop

by Susan Powers From the Author News SAT vs. ACT Tests

Susan Powers, founder and CEO of Woodlands Test Prep, recently participated in the National Test Prep Association (NTPA) Winter Workshop held in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 16 and 17, 2024. ... Read more

Preview where you’ll be accepted in Texas!

by Susan Powers From the Author News

Simplify College Applications with My Texas Future’s Direct Admissions Texas students can now see which of the state’s public universities would accept them before submitting college applications. Wow! My Texas ... Read more

Congratulations Class of 2025 National Merit Semifinalists!

by Susan Powers Digital SAT From the Author Inspiration Uncategorized

Woodlands Test Prep congratulates all students who have achieved Semifinalist status in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. All of these students have worked hard to reach the top levels ... Read more

You want details about the ACT changes? We got you!

by Susan Powers From the Author News SAT vs. ACT Tests

We’ve been busy making sure we have all the up-to-date information about the big changes coming to the ACT. We have another blog post if you want the highlights or ... Read more

Perspectives on the Digital SAT

by Susan Powers Digital SAT Tests

Susan Powers, our Founder, recently served on an industry expert panel about the Digital SAT at the National Test Prep Association’s Winter Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 13th. ... Read more

How to Choose Between the Digital SAT and ACT?

by Susan Powers From the Author SAT vs. ACT

Now that college admissions is moving back into more of a test-preferred environment, students don’t have to struggle with the choice of whether or not to take a college entrance ... Read more

Congratulations Class of 2024 National Merit Semifinalists

by Susan Powers Classes From the Author

Woodlands Test Prep congratulates all students who have achieved Semifinalist status in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. All of these students have worked hard to reach the top levels ... Read more

The Truth About ‘Test Optional’

by Susan Powers From the Author

Test Optional: Does that mean I can skip taking the SAT or ACT? Nope. While it may be easier to apply, it is NOT easier to get in – at all. ... Read more

Test Scores Can Help Win Merit Scholarships

by Susan Powers From the Author

At Woodlands Test Prep, we understand that the cost of higher education can be a significant concern for students and their families. We believe that every student deserves access to ... Read more

Need Help Writing Your College Admissions Essay?

by Susan Powers From the Author

Need help writing your college admissions essays? Read on for advice!

The Digital SAT: A Brave, New Frontier

by Susan Powers From the Author News Tests

The PSAT & SAT are going digital and will be more student-friendly! Find out about the change coming THIS FALL!

Not Just One College Ranking to Rule Them All

by Susan Powers From the Author Uncategorized

Every summer, the well-known U.S. News and World Report releases its U.S. News Best Colleges List, ranking more than 11,500 schools, each vying for as close as they can get ... Read more

Unpacking the PSAT and Change to Digital SAT Seminar

by Susan Powers Uncategorized

Wondering what your PSAT scores mean? Watch our seminar from December 8th to learn more about your PSAT scores and what they mean. We also discussed the switch to the Digital ... Read more

Congratulations 2023 National Merit Semifinalists!

by James Bealer Uncategorized

Woodlands Test Prep congratulates all students who have achieved Semifinalist status in the 2023National Merit Scholarship Program. All of these students have worked hard to reach the top levels ofthe ... Read more

Susan Powers is Interviewed by MathChops

by James Bealer Tests

Woodlands Test Prep founder, Susan Powers, was recently interviewed by Mathchops. Mathchops is an online math software that allows students to practice in a manner specifically designed to increase their ... Read more

U.S.News features Woodlands Test Prep

by James Bealer News

For their recent article titled “What is a good PSAT score?”, U.S.News interviewed Woodlands Test Prep’s founder, Susan Powers. Make sure to check out their article to hear Susan’s thoughts ... Read more

Woodlands Test Prep celebrates 10 years of helping students achieve their test best

by Susan Powers News

Woodlands Test Prep is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2022! Growing from a solo tutoring practice to a full-service educational services company, Woodlands Test Prep has carefully put together a ... Read more

Our Goal 1600 Class

by James Bealer Classes

Learn what makes our Goal 1600 Class different from anything else offered in the Woodlands.

Tests and the Rest Podcast

by Susan Powers From the Author Podcast

Woodlands Test Prep’s founder and CEO, Susan Powers, was recently featured on Tests and the Rest podcast, a podcast devoted to the college admissions process. Tests and the Rest hosts Mike ... Read more

Time to Think About Test Prep

by Susan Powers From the Author

When Is It Time to Make Your Test Prep Plan? Parents and students often wonder: When should I start thinking about the SAT and ACT? To best position yourself or your student ... Read more

2022 National Merit Commended Scores Established

by Susan Powers From the Author

The National Merit Commended cutoff for the class of 2022 was recently unofficially announced at 207 – two points lower than last year’s class of 2021 level and the lowest ... Read more

The New PSAT Score Curve

by Susan Powers From the Author

After the return of the PSAT results last week, the reports of lower than anticipated scores began pouring in. We’ve spent some time analyzing this year’s PSAT scale in relation ... Read more

Changes to the ACT

by Susan Powers From the Author SAT vs. ACT

The momentous changes to the ACT announced on October 8th, 2019 will change how students choose between tests, how they view retesting, and how colleges look at superscores. We’ve spent ... Read more