<p>we are east coast staters…and my son took the SAT and did well twice…especially high Writing score. He then took the ACT another month…and got a really high math score. Here is the rub…he didn’t take ACT writing. Although we are not losing sleep over this, we now realize that he should have taken the writing on the ACT and the SAT…because some schools would have only seen his ACT if he had done this and it is much higher overall than the SAT…and no school overtly agrees to use the ACT…with the SAT writing…a la superscoring across Tests themselves.</p>
<p>In our situation, he is done with using up precious Saturdays this way, but perhaps I could encourage other students…spread out your tests and don’t avoid the writing ACT section. You might lose an opportunity to only show your “top scores” that way if the ACT is where you shine. We generally think his colleges will look at all his test scores anyhow, but each college committee is probably quirky enough to perhaps write down only his SAT with writing and his SATIIs on his folder for final review in some instances…who knows.<br>
OK< that is my advice. If you are too weary and SAT’ed to take the ACT WITH writing, don’t take it at all until you gather up the energy to do the whole thing…it could be a plus for you later.</p>
<p>The NE schools did prefer the SAT, but that was years ago. The west coast schools, including UC, have never had a preference. The UC computer takes the ACT and W scores separately and reconfigures them by weight (1/3 for ACT W) to an SAT equivalent based on UC “points” which is what a reader sees. Thus, the UC common data sets do not typically report ACT scores, not because they don’t exist, but bcos they are converted.</p>
<p>ellen is correct. No UC applicant is required to take a math subject test, but it is highly recommended for engineering applicants. IFF a UC applicant wants to take a math Subject Test, it must be Math 2. UC no longer accepts Math 1 since the same material is also covered on the SAT Reasoning Test (aka SAT I).</p>
<p>ditto faline’s comment. Every year on this board is a kid (or two or three) that really aces (34+) the ACT w/o writing, but has to retake just to add the essay. It’s always a good idea to take the W portion. If colleges don’t require it, they’ll ignore it. But, if they require W, a strong score can be one and done.</p>
<p>Is that change on the Math Level II recent? I was helping a family friend’s D last year (she’s in-state CA resident) and recall that at least of August 2007, she had to take a Math II. mea culpa…</p>
<p>UC changed it’s math requirement with the ‘invention’ of the New SAT, i.e., effective graduating HS classes of 2006. Under the “old” SAT which had two sections, UC required three SAT II’s: Lit, one of the maths, and a SAT II of student choice; total of 5 tests. Since the New SAT has three sections (and the SAT-M includes Alg II problems), UC decreased the requirement to two Subject Tests and dropped the math requirement; still five test requirement (ACT+W counts as three tests since subscores are used in the calculation.</p>
<p>My oldest son took both the SAT and the ACT and while he did “better” on the ACT the scores were not that different that it would make a huge difference to a college I don’t think. It becomes relative at some point. For S2 we are waiting to see how he does on the PSAT as he has already taken “practice” ACT which is administered sophomore year in our district. Whichever one he feels the most comfortable with we’ll go with. Although the east schools still seem alittle more focused on the SAT, I’m glad schools are moving away from them. The ACT is shorter, more closely related to what the kids have learned (according to my older son) and is a one-shot couple hour test. My S1 thought the SAT was a horribly long test.</p>
<p>oops, too late to edit earlier post. I shoulda wrote the former UC SAT II requirement was Writing; Lit was an option for student choice.</p>
<p>mom: your son must have selective memory. At 3.5 hours, the ACT+W is ~15 minutes shorter than SAT, but it really depends on the proctor and how fast they get thru the instructions.</p>