<p>As many of you know from my other posts, DS is a college sophomore. Now DD is a HS junior and we are just beginning the college search, etc. process. Totally different kid with different goals, interests, etc. We just got her PSAT scores. Not bad but not great. 60 CR, 57 math, 65 writing.<br>
Seems like she might be a candidate for the ACT, from what I have generally heard.
I know nothing about the ACT. DS took the SAT, score very well and was done.
Now I do recognize that DD has not taken the SAT, has not done any SAT prep yet etc. and I fully expect her SAT scores to go up. That said, math is obviously not her strong suit.<br>
Can parents whose kids have taken the ACT give me your take on it? Does it make sense for her to take the ACT in addition to the SAT?
She is looking at private schools in California and will not be looking at the top schools.</p>
<p>A lot of kids do better on the ACT than the SAT. Many schools still require SAT 2s, though. If your D is interested in schools that will take the ACT without SAT 2s and it won't cause a lot of additional stress it can't hurt. She should make sure that she takes the writing section (it's optional, for am additional fee on the ACT) if it's required by the schools she's interested in.</p>
<p>I know that my D did better on the ACT than the SAT. It was a different kind of test & it was more up her alley than the SAT. She didn't do badly on the SAT ... she just did better on the ACT. The best part was that she was able to skip the SAT II's & just use her ACT scores. Not all schools have that policy, but D refused to apply to any that required SAT II's with ACT. She figured there were plenty that didn't, and she didn't have to apply to every school out there! I think it's worth the money, if you can afford it (and if you can't, request a fee waiver).</p>
<p>thanks...I will make sure she takes the writing section on the ACT. She'll also take the SAT at least once. We can afford the testing fees.<br>
My son did not do well on his SAT IIs....I think our HS teachers are not the best in certain subjects. DD will probably look at schools that do not require SAT IIs.</p>
<p>Yes, I also vote for taking the ACT. Some kids just do better on one test than on the other. (DS did about the same on the 2). You can also wait until you see the scores before you send them to colleges.</p>
<p>fyi -re differences between the act and sat based on experiences of kids i know who took both--
act questions are more straight forward -- less trying to second guess what the questioner is trying to get at.
but act is more time rushed -- very important to have a sense of the pacing required to complete the various sections.
i also think the level of math required for each varies, but am not as sure about that.
just make sure your d takes practice tests of each to be familiar and comfortable with them.</p>
<p>also one nice thing about the act -- if you take it more than once, i am pretty sure you can choose which of the scores to have them send -- they don't automatically send scores for all tests you've ever taken unlike the sat.</p>
<p>Student here - I took the ACT last October, and got a 32. Now I have a lot less pressure on me when I take the SAT later (I'm a sophomore).</p>
<p>The great thing about the ACT is the score choice. Even if she totally bombs it, you don't need to send the score. Why not give it a shot?</p>
<p>ebeeeee - D#1 tests well, and she took SAT only. D#2 doesn't test as well. More importantly she gets tired more easily (health issue). So we planned for her to take ACT (with writing) before taking the SAT because the ACT is considerably shorter. That turned out to be an excellent decision because D#2 came out of the L-O-N-N-G-G-G new SAT and stated that she wouldn't be retaking. She did OK, but no better than her intial ACT. She retook the ACT and improved a point overall.</p>
<p>Kelsmom is right -- be sure to take the ACT with Writing, as you may need the Writing score at some colleges. My D did.</p>
<p>ACT Science Section - Besides test differences mentioned above, it's important to know that the ACT Science section contains a lot of chart/graph interpretation questions. We didn't realize this going in, and D#2's (relatively) low score in the Science section is what compelled the retake. D was better prepared for those questions on the retake and scored 4 points higher.</p>
<p>Have your daughter take a practice ACT and see how she does. Some students do better on this test but it's not for everyone. It's a quick moving test - great for those who like to motor through tests, but for those who are more deliberate it might not be a good match. The math covered on the ACT is a little more advanced than the SAT math, but the questions asked are more straightforward. The science on the ACT can throw many students - but it's not the knowledge base that's an issue (my son hadn't even taken Bio before taking the ACT), it's how to approach the questions. Students should be comfortable interpreting data from graphs, etc. Practice tests are key.</p>
<p>NewHope-
4 points is HUGE. Taking the sample tests is very helpfu,l because then you know what you're up against.</p>
<p>A LOT of colleges don't require 2 subject tests if you take the ACT instead. In other words: you can send the SAT and 2 subject tests, OR the ACT and no subject tests. So they somehow figure that the ACT meets both requirements, which is crazy (for them) but good (for us) because no way does the ACT equate with any subject test on earth. Always check to see which colleges want what. And be aware that applicants to highly competitive schools often take subject tests even if they have taken the ACT. </p>
<p>By the time I realized that I wanted to take the ACT it was too late. I was scheduled for subject tests and was worried about them. That's when I found out that lots of schools accept the ACT instead. But I couldn't count on scoring well on the ACT, which was coming up in a week. So I didn't take it. I did some practice tests from the REAL ACT book, though. My thoughts: </p>
<p>The reading and writing were equivalent to the SAT. The math was easier, for me, mostly because the questions were more straightforward and I could logic them out even if I didn't know how to do them. The science is strange, because it really doesn't test knowledge. It tests your ability to read and interpret charts and graphs. That's the one section that might take more practice -- just to get fluent with presentation of data.</p>
<p>The other thing I have heard is that the ACT time limit is rough. I never took a timed test, but I hear that it's crucial to be able to work well with time.</p>
<p>Also, schedule everything so that you have time to retest if you need/want to.</p>
<p>I can't imagine too many situations where I wouldn't encourage a child to take both tests. IMO that should be the SOP.</p>
<p>Does the ACT math also have the fill in the numbers section? Or is it all multiple choice? My younger son lost almost all his math points on the PSAT in the section that wasn't multiple choice.</p>
<p>Just want to let you know</p>
<p>The SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. The ACT is scored based on the number correct with no correction for guessing.</p>
<p>So try to answer all questions even if your not sure its right on the ACT.</p>
<p>Good point. This is often called a "penalty" for guessing on the SAT. It used to be that .25 of a point was deducted for each wrong answer, and 1 point was given for each correct answer. Perhaps the numbers are different now. So it only makes sense to guess if you can eliminate one or more of the 4 answers.</p>
<p>The ACT has no such penalty.</p>
<p>One of my kids did ok on his SATs (640/640/700), enough to get into the state universities that he wanted. He took the last ACT on a whim, without studying (in fact he played video games with his friends the entire night before the test), and got a 32. He took the ACT out of curiosity, and hadn't even had the scores sent to the schools where he had been admitted because he figured it didn't matter anymore. </p>
<p>Since he did well, I had his ACT score forwarded to the schools. His grant/scholarship letters were reissued by a few of the schools and he was offered signficantly more money. He was also offered two honors programs based on his ACT score. I will definitely encourage my youngest to take both tests -- and to study for both of them! You never know.</p>
<p>The Robert Byrd scholarship is awarded to a varying number of kids from each state, but some states base it primarily on ACT scores, others on SAT scores. If your kid is a high scorer, it may be worthwhile looking up your state's policies on this.</p>
<p>My son's strength is science. Does that automatically make ACT a better option? FYI, his sophomore PSAT score was 193, if that matters in your answer. CR was his lower section by far.</p>
<p>I always suggest that the kids take both. There is no predicting who will do better on which, IMO.</p>