ACT *instead* of SAT?

<p>I have heard it might be a good idea to take the SAT and also the ACT, as some do better on one than the other. Then one can have control over which to send the colleges.</p>

<p>Now, if one takes the SAT and ACT, plus two SATII tests, can one really choose? Is it true that if one needs to send two SATII test scores to a college, the SAT is mandatorily sent also? or is it possible to sent the SATII and not send the SAT?</p>

<p>If all the SATs get sent (SATII + SAT), that got me to wondering whether taking the ACT first wouldn't be a better strategy, and only take the SAT if one were not happy with the ACT score.</p>

<p>Am I thinking through this correctly?</p>

<p>The College Board is changing the reporting of scores for students who are taking SAT and SAT II - you should check out the new rules at collegeboard.</p>

<p>In terms of colleges seeing scores that you don't want them to see - I have seen no definitive evidence that any college holds a score against a student if there is a higher score that replaces it. So many factors go into a test taking day, and adcoms understand this.</p>

<p>I'm not sure I follow you littlegreenmom --</p>

<p>Suppose a student scores 32 on the ACT and 1320 on the SAT. The Condordance table for SAT-ACT equivalents shows the ACT 32 to map to a 1420 SAT.</p>

<p>If I were an adcom (thank goodness I am not, what a tough job!!), and I only have the 32 ACT in front of me, I automatically convert that to 1420 and the matter is over. However, if I have the 32 and <em>also</em> a 1320, do I convert the 32 into 1420, or do I use 1320? Or do I use the 32 in preference to the 1320 and forget about the 1320? The difference between 1420 and 1320 is substantial.</p>

<p>I ask because I've heard that more abstract thinkers do better on the SAT, and more concrete thinkers (and those who received thorough preparation in 9-10th grades) do better on the ACT.... Concrete camp here!!</p>

<p>P.S. I was on the collegeboard.com website earlier, but I cannot seem to find the rules about whether reporting SAT II automatically means the SAT I (if taken), gets sent automatically.</p>

<p>They will use the "highest" of the scores. Adcoms will look at your scores and will take the "best" score, whether it is ACT or SAT.</p>

<p>Some colleges will hyper-score for the SAT, which is they will take the highest Critical reading, math or written subscore and add them together. Other schools will use the best score taken overall.</p>

<p>It is definitely to your benefit to take both the ACT and SAT and see which one is better for you - then take that same test again. Students tend to increase their scores each time they are exposed to the test. Most gains cap at 2nd or 3rd try, however.</p>

<p>Another thing I have noticed - the students I have worked with often went into the ACT cold. No prep. Still, the concrete thinkers as you refer to them tend to do better on the ACT for some reason. I have seen it with my own students. No penalty for guessing on the ACT, which many students like.</p>

<p>Those who are good at problem solving tend to do better on the SAT. The SAT is coachable. If you guess and it is wrong, it is penalized. </p>

<p>Have you taken either test, yet?</p>

<p>No... 10th grade. PSAT in about five weeks.</p>

<p>That's great. You have lots of time to prepare. Do yourself a favor and take the practice test before taking the SAT for the first time. It really helps.</p>

<p>I am glad to hear you are taking the PSAT as a 10th grader. You will have an edge in knowing how the test works. Don't be shocked if your scores aren't high the first time. They will get better each year.</p>

<p>littlegreenmom, when you say the SAT is "coachable" do you mean to imply that the ACT is not? Or is it coachable in a different way?</p>

<p>HSN,</p>

<p>Sorry to confuse you. SAT is coachable more in the way of teaching students how to answer a question, especially ones that he/she isn't familiar with. Coaching seems to focus on pacing yourself on a test in terms of time management, not getting hung up on one question if you don't have the answer, and how to best guess if you are stuck. They also teach you how to know when NOT to guess, because there is a penalty for guessing. Typical college testing "prep" involves SAT although there are ACT prep classes, as well.</p>

<p>Every exposure to a standardized test teaches a student a skill in terms of learning the layout, what types of questions are asked and how to pace yourself. The differences in the scoring penalties are what make many students more paranoid about the SAT. </p>

<p>If you guess and make a mistake on the ACT, the response isn't quite so damaging. Most guesses would be "educated" guesses, but the main difference is that the SAT will ding you hard if you guess in a thoughtful process, and still miss. </p>

<p>Every student should do themselves a favor and do a practice test (or two) for each exam, in real world conditions. That is, no ipod, no distractions, etc - because part of the "coaching" is teaching students how to work through the time and stress issues. </p>

<p>The ACT is a different kind of test, in my opinion. It measures more knowledge about subjects a student may have just taken, and it breaks the score down into several unique and descriptive components that will give colleges a good assessment of what the student is capable of.</p>

<p>There is no way to know which test is better for a student. It may be the SAT or the ACT. Take each - then see which is "better" for you!</p>

<p>Dunnin:</p>

<p>I might turn your conclusion around: Concrete thinkers (your term) have a more difficult time on the SAT bcos it requires more spatial-temporal thinking/reasoning than does the ACT.</p>

<p>I disagree with lgm that the SAT is necessarily more coachable, and that it measures "more knowledge" (yeah, I know, the makers of the ACT say the same, but I disagree with them too!). Reading comprehension and sentence structure/grammar is similar -- sleep-inducing, boring passages on both tests.
With speed practice, however, the ACT math problems should be even easier for spaital thinkers sinc they are more straightforward that SAT math. IMO, practicing SAT-type math problems makes the ACT math problems easier (for spatial types), as long as one can work quickly, and knows trig (ACT contains four trig problems). ACT math does contain reasoning math problems, just fewer than the SAT. The bulk of the reasoning/logic on the ACT is the so-called science section which really places a premium on speed reading.</p>

<p>Just my $0.02 and experience working with my kids over past four years.</p>

<p>
[quote]
The Condordance table for SAT-ACT equivalents shows the ACT 32 to map to a 1420 SAT.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think that is utter BS.</p>

<p>^^what you "think" is irrelevant. It's what adcoms think that matters!</p>

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I was wondering if Colleges consider the SAT more "valuable" as a testing tool than the ACT. Looking at some 2012 stats, a lot more high scorers on the SAT got in than high scorers on the ACT. Given that it's harder to get a perfect score on the SAT than the ACT, how will adcoms view this?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>einstein:</p>

<p>If you look at the 25%-75%, you will find little difference between the SAT & ACT acceptees' at colleges. I believe them when they say they don't care which test you take, so, no, the SAT is not more "valuable." Heck, it is in THEIR best interest to use your highest scores because it makes their numbers look better.</p>

<p>@bluebayou,</p>

<p>Eh... I was looking at some top schools, and it seems to me that they accept a lot more folk with good SAT scores than good ACT scores... Can you link me to some of those "equal" statistics?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>^You also have to consider that in most cases, the majority of people applying have taken the SAT...not ACT. Although the ACT is catching up. Still, I see the SAT being used more often.</p>

<p>einstein:</p>

<p>check the common data sets of the colleges. They'll post the % ranges and number of matriculants who submitted each test. Of course, some schools on either coast will be mostly SAT (Holy Cross or Wake Forest, for example), and some schools in the midwest (like WashU and Northwestern) are closer to 50:50. In Calif, ACT is accepted at the UCs, but all test scores are converted into a UC-SAT so that's what they report.</p>

<p>attraxis: nationally, a little over 1.5 million seniors took the SAT and a little under 1.5 million seniors took the ACT. But, the ACT has experience ~3-5% growth over the past few years and the SAT number has been relatively flat. If the trend continued, ACT testers would probably exceed SAT testers in a few years. But, CB saw the trend as well, and opted to add Score Choice.</p>

<p>Yea, it seems that colleges like the SAT scores more than ACT... </p>

<p>o well... What's Score Choice</p>

<p>thnx.</p>

<p>Vocabulary for the SAT is what really sets it distinct if you ask me. </p>

<p>It's still equally hard to get a 32 on the ACT than a 1400 on the SAT. So about 200 or so get 2400 and 400 get 36, but they still shouldn't look way down upon it.</p>

<p>Historically, SAT tended to be used more in the West and the East Coasts, with ACT being more commonly used in the midwest and the South.</p>

<p>I don't think it is a matter of a college preferring one or the other, or that they look down on an applicant for using a different assessment test. They are different tests that are both useful for an adcom to assess an applicant.</p>