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Clark College Consulting Blog by Ryan Clark - expert college planning tips for families

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Why This Blog?”

Hi, I’m Ryan Clark. I’ve helped thousands of families reduce college costs and get their teens into schools they love. This blog is where I share what’s working now — so you can confidently navigate the process with less stress and more savings.

🎓 Explore Our Latest College Planning Tips

5 Test Day Tips for Taking the ACT or SAT

Ryan Clark

Published on: 06/17/2025

You are signed up and ready to take the ACT or SAT test! Here are five test day tips to help you ace the test by starting off on the right foot & reduce stress

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Prepping for Spring SATs/ACTs

Ryan Clark

Published on: 01/19/2023

Most students feel some anxiety about taking college entrance exams. A good test prep course or working one-on-one with a tutor can help alleviate some of this anxiety by allowing students to become familiar with the exams and test-taking strategies.

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Should You Take the SAT or ACT This Year?

Ryan Clark

Published on: 05/15/2020

Not sure if you should take the ACT or SAT this fall? Are the colleges you are considering test-optional? When should you plan on taking this test?

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Testing Updates

Ryan Clark

Published on: 03/29/2020

It’s likely that your spring test schedule (along with your other schedules) looks very different now than it did a week ago. Here is an update on spring test:

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SAT Subject Tests in Spring

Ryan Clark

Published on: 04/19/2019

How do you know if you need to take College Board SAT Subject tests? Some colleges require or strongly recommend that you submit subject test scores.

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Do I Need to Take the SAT Essay or ACT Writing Section?

Ryan Clark

Published on: 08/31/2018

Is it optional to take the SAT Essay and ACT writing sections? Should I take them anyway? What if I do not score well in these sections? Let's discuss it.

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