Pittsburgh Prep

So many students come to me initially thinking they cannot improve on their reading section on their SAT exam. Let me tell you why you absolutely can.

Stay focused. You’re on your own timeline and will get to your destination. You got this.

Most families think essay composition is just editing.

It’s not.

It’s sitting with a student who doesn’t fully know how to explain who they are yet… and helping them figure out what actually matters… and then shaping that into something real without overdoing it.

A lot of people can give feedback.

But Very few can take a student from our blank page to something that conveys authenticity and meaning.

Here’s some inside baseball knowledge students should be aware of:

Attending big State Institutions as an out of stater may seem a bit awkward at first since the majority of students are from the state, but over time, everyone makes deep lasting friendships.

College admissions isn’t determined by one thing. Your rejection to colleges can be frustrating and its totally normal to ascribe the reason to the lowest hanging fruit like “im not low income” or “im not a minority” so take a holitic review of your application, and see why you were not a good fit for the campus instead.

Dear ACT, I don’t actually hate you. I despise you. We are done.

UCLA looks straightforward on paper. It’s not.

At University of California, Los Angeles, the out-of-state admit rate is 9%, with only 24% of seats going to OOS and international students combined. The waitlist sits around 15,000, with about 11% admitted.

The disconnect is that strong OOS applicants are competing for a much smaller slice, while in-state admits are evaluated under a different set of priorities.

Across the UC system, the picture is shifting. At University of California, San Diego, a 2025 admissions report found 12.5% of incoming freshmen testing below high school math readiness.

UC has been test-blind since 2020, and even with changes coming, decisions remain highly contextual.

If you’re applying from PA or the Northeast, UCLA is a high-reach and is made up of a different set of students than in the past. So? Plan accordingly.

If your reflexes are this sharp from watching reels, imagine what your SAT score could look like with expert prep.
Make your summer count. SAT classes filling up fast & now enrolling .

A large part of the SAT or ACT exam is based on the concept of “familiarity.” Without some prior knowledge of the topics, the exam becomes exponentially more difficult.

So theres a great importance to not only doing a lot of practice problems but also to just read a lot across disciplines to increase your general knowledge and gain an advantage versus your peers.

Also: Led Zeppelin is timeless!

Guys I visited University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and honestly it’s the definition of a college town.

~17% admit rate, much tougher OOS. Strong in business, journalism, public health, pre med. ~20k undergrads.

Campus revolves around spots like The Pit UNC and Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower. Huge basketball culture and Franklin Street celebrations.

Great balance of academics + social life. Definitely should be in your college list unless you’re looking for something smaller or an urban campus.

Guys I just visited today and it exceeded all my expectations.

Around a 5 percent admit rate and ~1540 SAT. Top tier in pre med, engineering, econ, CS, and public policy.

East Campus for freshmen, West around Duke Chapel for everyone else. Tight community with 3 to 4 years of housing.

Real research access early. Big advantage for grad school.

Basketball culture at Cameron Indoor Stadium is intense, and LDOC is a full campus concert.

Great for high achieving, driven students. Not for a laid back or big state school vibe. Its easily in the top ten of all colleges in the US.