<p>I've noticed around here that when kids say they got a 2200, that doesn't always mean that they got the score in one sitting, but rather in multiple ones by mixing and matching different section scores. Most schools do not allow this practice for the ACT. Naturally, wouldn't it be more impressive (to adcoms) to get a 34 in one try than a 2260 in more than one? Am I missing something?</p>
<p>Not really. </p>
<p>Adcoms know about bad days and good ones. Its about potential and most adcoms don't care (and those on the east coast actually prefer the SATs).</p>
<p>what about the west? i want to apply to stanford but i dont want to take the SAT, just the ACT</p>
<p>You need 3 Sat 2's also, dont forget them. (2 for MIT, Stanford, JHU etc. and 3 for the Ivies)</p>
<p>Act and Sat are equal. The Coasts still prefer the Sat, while the midwest prefers the ACT. Don't worry. Almost all colleges will accept the ACT in lieu of the Sat. Just get those Sat subject tests in!</p>
<p>stanford -- 2 satii subject tests? i thought it was 3. BTW, does taking french and spanish count as 1 test ("since it's same subject)?</p>
<p>how difficult <em>really</em> is the science section on the ACT?</p>
<p>It all depends at how good you are at reading graphs. I sort of suck at it so I did really really bad. To other people it is really easy.</p>
<p>why would you read graphs in the <em>science</em> section? just curious...</p>
<p>because they give e'm to you to analyze. it's just testing how fast and well you can analyze graphs. period.</p>
<p>I don't think the ACT is more impressive at all. Most of the large schools seem to want to see the SAT. </p>
<p>According to some admissions officers I talked to last fall, the ACT is a test of what you know, while the SAT is a test of how well you've learned to take tests. The ACT essay portion looks very easy to me-- not nearly as good as the SAT essay section. </p>
<p>The best way to decide which to take is to look at the websites of the colleges you are considering and see which they prefer.</p>
<p>I hate that science section. It's a lot of getting around the crazy terminology and reading graphs, and I'm intimidated by it. </p>
<p>I'm in the midwest, and what bothers me is that our school has 0 SAT prep. No one takes it, and I didn't even know the SAT IIs existed until i saw them on an app. blah.</p>
<p>home2college: the majority of times it says sat or act. plus, i don't think adcoms "prefer" one over the other. (this doesnt apply to certain colleges that either require only sat or only act</p>
<p>The Science ACT is HORRIBLE!</p>
<p>(Ie- my scores were M30/R36/E32/S....24)</p>
<p>It's not 'Science' at all. It should be relabelled 'Graphs and Info Tech'</p>