Tyler Hakes

Tyler Hakes is the former Director of Marketing at College Raptor. He writes about topics related to the college search, admissions and financial aid. He's always looking to tell great stories about students discovering their perfect school.
Refinancing your student loans could save you a lot of money. You may be wondering when to refinance your student loans
student loans

When to Refinance Your Student Loans: 5 Signs Now Is the Time

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
Many students go through similar experiences with their student loans. When you’re in college, it all seems like some sort of distant reality. You know you’re accumulating student loan debt, but you haven’t considered how much you’ll ultimately owe, or what the payments will look like. Understandably so, because school is your main focus. But, …
Here's our guide to refinancing your student loans.
student loans

Student Loan Refinancing 101: 5 Steps to Start Refinancing Your Student Loans

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
If you’re like most students thinking about student loan refinance, then you’re probably feeling a whole lot of anxiety. You know that you could save money by refinancing (maybe?) but trying to unravel the process is like untangling your headphones after you’ve carried them around in your backpack all day. Consolidation? Refinance? Income-based repayment? What’s …
A teacher reading a book at a sandy beach during summer.
ACT & SAT

ACT Reading Test Prep: What You Need to Know to Crush It

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
Students reading this guide to test prep for the ACT Reading portion are probably asking themselves (either literally or rhetorically), “How the heck do you study for a reading test?” Of course, this is a common issue. Many students struggle with how to properly prep for the ACT Reading section. Should students just read more to prepare? …
Studying for the ACT English section
ACT & SAT

ACT English Test Prep: What You Need to Know to Crush It

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
The ACT English portion will test your reading and writing abilities. Students will be asked to read and make corrections to a number of passages. Sometimes no changes will be needed, other times there will be subtle grammatical or syntax errors that need to be addressed. When preparing for this portion of the test, it’s important to …
Here are some key concepts you need to know for the ACT science section
ACT & SAT

ACT Science Test Prep: Key Concepts You Need to Know

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
The ACT science section can be an interesting test of skills for students. While some may expect that it’s focused on the specifics, like the bones you learned in Biology or the elements you learned in Chemistry–and there is some of that–the bulk of the science section is actually focused on applying scientific thinking and scientific principals to …
average ACT score
ACT & SAT

Average ACT Scores – What Does the Average Student Score on the ACT?

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
Many students wonder about average ACT scores–but, what does that mean, exactly? The answer can really take two distinct forms. First, there is the question of what an “average” ACT score might be for all students. In this case, students generally just want to know how their score compares to everyone else who took the …
Graph showing the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores at University of Tennessee.
ACT & SAT

SAT Score Percentiles and Rankings: What’s Good

By Tyler HakesLast updated on March 28, 2023
The answer to “What is a good SAT score?” isn’t always straightforward. There is no single answer; it depends on what you mean and your own goals! One way to define “good” is to see how your score compares to your peers and other students at the colleges you’re hoping to attend. Many schools will …
Check out our ACT and SAT conversion chart.
ACT & SAT

SAT / ACT Conversion Chart – How to Convert SAT and ACT Scores

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022
The SAT and ACT are incredibly important for college-bound students. Why is the ACT/SAT so important? Well, not only can they determine whether a student is accepted to their college of choice, but they could also qualify them to receive huge scholarships depending on their score. SAT Scoring As of 2016, the new SAT is now scored …