Stop Guessing,
Start Studying.
Student Compass is a focused operating system for the U.S. high-school path - SAT prep, APUSH mastery, GPA & course planning, and the school-system guide international students actually need. Built clean. Built complete. Built today.
Studying isn't magic. It's a system. Compass turns scattered prep into a dependable daily loop - drills, flashcards, GPA, and the school context international students rarely get explained.
The modules.
Every page does one job. Pick a module, run the loop, repeat tomorrow.
SAT Prep
Full practice tests, timed strategy drills, and a vocab flashcard deck. Built around the digital SAT format.
APUSH Practice
Stimulus-based questions across all 9 periods with detailed explanations for every answer.
Vocabulary Flashcards
A focused deck of high-yield SAT vocabulary. Flip, mark known, repeat.
GPA & Course Planner
Calculate weighted/unweighted GPA, plan a balanced courseload, see how AP classes compound.
U.S. School System Guide
The orientation international students actually need - credits, transcripts, counselors, college list.
University Selection
Build a smart university list, learn what admissions readers value, and search U.S. schools by fit, cost, selectivity, and academic strengths.
Student Profile
One dashboard for your name, picture, college list, GPA, SAT score, and question accuracy across the app.
Built like a tool, not a textbook.
Always know the next step
Every module surfaces the most useful action. No infinite syllabi, no scrolling to find what to do.
Drill, don't graze
Short, focused practice sets that actually move the needle on SAT and APUSH scores.
For international students
The American school system explained without assumptions - credits, GPA, transcripts, college path.
No login required
Open the page. Use the tool. Progress saves locally. Free forever, works offline.
What's inside the Compass.
Built to cover everything a high-school student navigating the U.S. system actually needs - without any filler.
Across all 9 periods
SAT words + word roots
Milestone unlocks
Complete tools
Questions span every tested SAT domain: vocabulary, grammar, evidence, rhetoric, algebra, advanced math, geometry, and data analysis.
Full coverage from Period 1 (1491-1607) through Period 9 (1980-present) with stimulus-based questions and detailed explanations.
No account. No paywall. No ads. Progress saves locally in your browser. Optional sign-in syncs across devices.
Three steps to get moving.
Open the Compass
No signup. The full app loads in your browser - quizzes, flashcards, GPA, school guide.
Pick your track
Jump into SAT drills, APUSH periods, GPA planning, or the U.S. school-system guide.
Build the streak
Daily quiz loops + flashcards. Achievements track real mastery, not vanity metrics.
Common questions, direct answers.
No. The full app works in your browser with zero sign-up. Progress, XP, and achievements are saved locally. If you create an optional account, your progress syncs across devices.
Completely free - no paywall, no ads, no data collection. It's a student-built tool. The only thing you pay is the time you put into studying.
The full digital SAT: Reading & Writing (vocabulary in context, grammar, text structure, command of evidence, rhetorical synthesis) and Math (linear equations, advanced math, data analysis, geometry & trig). 120+ drills per section plus a full adaptive practice test.
Yes - it was built specifically for students learning the U.S. system. It covers K-12 structure, class levels (Regular / Honors / AP / IB), credit systems, testing timelines, classroom culture, and what colleges actually look at.
Like the real digital SAT, Module 2 adapts based on your Module 1 performance. Score >=65% on Module 1 and you get a harder Module 2 with a higher score ceiling. Estimated section scores and a personalized study plan are generated at the end.
Yes. The app is fully mobile-optimized and can be installed to your home screen as a PWA for offline use. Flashcard swipe gestures also work on touch screens.
Still have questions? The best way to answer them is to open the app.
Start with one
clear action.
Open the Compass and run one quiz. That's it. The system does the rest.
Know Your
History.
9 periods - stimulus-based questions - detailed explanations for every answer. Drill periods individually or run the full timeline.
All 100 questions available
Your student
dashboard.
Name, profile picture, college list, GPA, SAT score, and question performance together on one page.
Use the GPA calculator to save your latest GPA.
Complete a practice test or use the SAT score explorer.
Based on answered APUSH + SAT questions.
Reach, target, and likely schools from University Selection.
Achievements.
Your progress across Student Compass - XP, levels, and unlocks tracked locally.
Why this
site exists.
Student Compass is built to help students understand school, practice for major exams, plan stronger applications, and move through the U.S. education system with less confusion.
Share how the website helped you, what changed for you, or what you would recommend to other students. These comments save on this browser.
Suggest fixes
and additions.
Use this page to report problems, confusing parts, missing tools, or ideas that would make Student Compass more useful.
Master the
SAT.
Choose a section, pick a unit, and drill the concepts that move the score. Built around the digital SAT format with full practice tests and timed strategy drills.
The SAT tests Reading & Writing and Math - the two areas most predictive of college readiness. Fully digital and adaptive: module 2 adjusts to your module 1 performance, raising or lowering the score ceiling.
What does your score mean?
Drag the slider to see what any score means for college admissions.
Two sections. One score.
Each section has two adaptive modules. Doing well in module 1 unlocks harder questions - and a higher score ceiling. No penalty for guessing.
How to actually do well.
The SAT rewards pattern recognition, not raw intelligence. Tap any topic to expand.
SAT
Flashcards.
Flip - mark - repeat. A focused deck of high-yield SAT vocabulary and word roots, built for short daily reps.
The U.S. School
System.
The orientation international students actually need - credits, transcripts, counselors, and the path from K through 12 to college.
American education runs from kindergarten through 12th grade - called K-12. Most students start at age 5 and graduate at 17 or 18. After that comes college, community college, trade school, or the workforce. Understanding how the system works gives you a real advantage from day one.
Three stages before college.
After 12th grade, students can go to a 4-year university, a 2-year community college, or enter trade school or work directly.
Four years. Every one counts.
Each year has a name. Colleges and teachers use these terms constantly - know them.
Not all classes are equal.
The level you choose signals to colleges how hard you're pushing yourself. Colleges expect challenge in your strongest subjects.
How the year is structured.
The school year runs late August or early September through late May or June - roughly 10 months. Most high schools use two semesters of ~18 weeks each.
What's different here.
If you studied in another country, some things about American classrooms will surprise you.
When to take what.
American students take several major standardized tests throughout high school.
Specifically for students new here.
Coming from another country adds an extra layer of complexity. These are the most common things new students don't know.
Choose the
right university.
Understand what universities actually evaluate, build a balanced list, and search U.S. schools by fit, cost, location, selectivity, and academic strengths.
Admissions starts with the transcript.
Across four-year colleges, grades in college-prep courses, total grades, and strength of curriculum are consistently the top admission factors. Essays, recommendations, activities, character, and demonstrated interest can decide the outcome once your academics are in range.
Build a profile that makes sense.
Reach
Your stats are below or near the middle range, or the admit rate is very low. Apply only when your story is unusually strong.
Target
Your grades, rigor, and scores are in range. Still not guaranteed, but your application has a realistic path.
Likely
You are above the typical admitted range and can afford it. A likely school should still be a place you would be happy to attend.
Find universities by fit.
Search the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard database, filter by selectivity and region, then add schools to your reach, target, or likely list. Admission data changes every cycle, so use each card as a planning snapshot and verify on the university's official admissions page or Common Data Set before applying.
GPA &
Course Selection.
Understand, calculate, and strategically manage your GPA. See how AP and Honors classes compound - and what colleges actually look at.
GPA stands for Grade Point Average - a single number representing your academic performance across all classes. Most US schools use a 4.0 scale, where A = 4.0 and F = 0.
Colleges treat GPA as one of their primary filters. A strong GPA shows consistency - not just that you can do well once, but that you perform reliably across every subject over multiple years.
Not all schools use +/- grades. Some only use A, B, C, D, F. Check with your school counselor.
There are two types of GPA - and both matter.
A in AP = 4.0
A in AP = 5.0
Add your classes - select grade received and course type. Your weighted and unweighted GPA will update automatically.
General templates - talk to your counselor before finalizing. Your school may not offer all courses listed.
Class rankis your position relative to other students in your graduating class by GPA. Ranked 15th out of 400 = top 4%.