Peter Peng

First Full-Length PSAT Reading Test: Post-Mortem

If you’ve been following me recently, you know I’m doing a short series on the recently released official new PSAT, which is slotted to roll out in late 2015. In Part 1, I unveiled my general impressions about the test. Click HERE if you missed it. This is Part 2, the nitty gritty about the new reading section, which will continue to be one of the toughest section to improve. As promised by the Collegeboard, the test didn’t directly test […]

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The First Official New PSAT Released: Post-Mortem Report

Test Prep General

So I must be crazy. Guess how I just spent my first full day off in a very long time? Did someone say taking a practice test? We have a winner! The Collegeboard has finally released its first full-length, official new format PSAT, which will roll out on October 14, 2015 (for most schools, or October 28, 2015 as an additional test date). I sat down and decided to take the blasted thing, timed, for fun, and for your education because

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What Ashley Olsen Taught Me About “Sounds Strange” vs. “Actually Wrong”

SAT Writing

When I was 13–the legal age when I could go on the Internet, open an email account, and really surf the Web–I discovered the world of online chat rooms. I especially loved Yahoo Chat. I could connect with people I never would have had a chance to meet. As a huge bookworm who spent all his free time at the library devouring Christopher Pike vampire stories (shame on Twilight! These were the original vampire tales) and the Goosebump series by R.L. Stine, I was

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Someone I Care About Has Been Kidnapped!

Test Prep General

Imagine this for a moment: you’ve just been kidnapped, and your captors want to play a game. If you can solve a logic question, they’ll let you live. Otherwise, well, they won’t. It doesn’t really matter what the logic question is, but let’s just say you don’t know how to work through the logic or solve the question the “real” way. Are you just going to sit there and wait to die? Heck no, right?! So what are you going

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Perfectionism is the Voice of the Oppressed

Test Prep General

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a perfectionist. This is not a good trait. My friend likes to say I have an “extreme reach barrier,” which simply means I become paralyzed, unable to act, because I have all these lofty goals. Reaching or aiming so high actually causes inaction because the greater the ambition, the greater the intimidation. I get overwhelmed. The lesson is, the vast majority of students (except the ones who have a realistic shot at

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The Verdict is In: You’re Sentenced to 30 Minutes!

Study Hacks

We all do things that are highly unproductive. We tell ourselves we need this downtime to unwind. After all, it’s been a long day at school. You had a long sports practice or after school music rehearsal. You just broke up with my boyfriend/girlfriend. Whatever reason you have…listen, I get it. I was the same way myself. In high school, I procrastinated like crazy, often only starting my homework at midnight. It’s no wonder I was up till 7am more nights than I

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