<p>Good morning everyone. I am Italian and intend on applying to several American colleges next year.
However I am very concerned about what tests to take. I am a hs junior and this fall I am taking both the PSAT (next week) and the TOEFL (in December).
To be honest, I don't know what college tests to take though. This summer I took both practice SAT tests (1800+) and practice ACTs (32+). In your opinion, should I try to take both? Since here no teachers prepare students for the ACT, should I take SAT classes instead? Or are they a waste of time? Plus, ACT essays seem easier than SAT ones because their assignments are very similar to those of the TOEFL.
Let me know and give me some tips please!! I am so confused. </p>
<p>American senior here. Honestly, sat vs act doesn’t really matter. Go with whichever you’re better at If you’re below 2000 on the sat, I would recommend you to do ACT instead. Its really much easier in my opinion. PLus, easier to practice for. 32+ act is way better than 1800+ sat.
however, some schools don’t take act scores. Most do but check the school’s website first. For ivy league, they require 2 sat subjects test along with the sat or act with writing. Taking ACT would just be a lot easier and more convenient.</p>
<p>MOST colleges don’t prefer one over another. </p>
<p>Take the test that suits the best for you. SAT 2000, if you are applying to top schools, won’t be competitive enough.</p>
<p>If you are good at managing time limit, I recommend ACT; it has relatively more straightforward reading question, math questions that aren’t convoluted like SAT 1 math, and it is a bit easier to prepare. </p>
<p>ACT isn’t heavy in vocabulary COMPARED to SAT, so it should be fine as long as you have decent knowledge about
vocabs.</p>
<p>I’d like to second lelou168:</p>
<p>A 32 ACT score is waaay better than a 1,800 SAT score. So I’d suggest you go ahead with the ACT!!!</p>
<p>It’s not uncommon for non-native speakers to do better on the ACT. The ACT is more straight-forward and the language section emphasizes grammar over vocab. Most international students have been drilled on English grammar but not advanced vocab. </p>
<p>Also, if you’d be able to score 32 points on the ACT without prep, you don’t need a prep class. You already got the important concepts down. Now it’s a matter of filling any remaining gaps in your knowledge and optimizing your test taking strategies (e.g. the pacing on the reading section - it’s really easy to run out of time if you’re not a quick reader). The easiest way to do that is to buy a book with former ACT tests and work through those. After a few tests, you’ll see what all the exams have in common and where your weaknesses are. Work on those. Don’t waste your time reviewing algebra and geometry in a general prep class if you’re solid on that.</p>
<p>Ok thank you!! I’m taking the PSAT next week to see how it goes! However I just finished my third SAT test and got 2000! However what really tricks me is vocab because SAT vocabulary is “gruesome”!!! I’ll be taking SAT classes for free for two months from now on at school. Since the ACT test in on April 18th and the SAT is on May 2nd, I am taking the ACT first and if I score high (32+), I won’t take the SAT because it would be a waste of time.
Thank you for your thorough answers, I really appreciate it 
.</p>