<p>I'd appreciate hearing some of the pros and cons of taking the ACT at the end of soph. year given that unlike the SATs, students can select which (single sitting) ACT score to send to schools. Assume for purposes of this question that the student has completed all of the math topics covered on the ACT. Thanks.
PS - On an unrelated note: CONGRATS to all on the wonderful acceptances coming in the door!</p>
<p>FWIW, the college counselors at my daughter's high school advised against it--indeed, they advised against taking it until spring of junior year. Their reasoning was that: (1) the optimal number of tests to take was 2 each for the ACT and SAT because people don't improve much from the second to the third try; (2) taking the tests later has shown, at least empiracally at our hs, to produce the best results (maturity, curriculum, etc.); (3) there is plenty of time to take the tests the requisite number of times if you start in spring of junior year. Many of the kids at our school are compromising and taking it for the first time tomorrow--we're following the counselors' advice and holding off.</p>
<p>On a somewhat related note, I think the notion that people can "game" the tests, or somehow increase their scores exponentially by studying/taking prep courses/etc. is somewhat overblown. These kids have been taking standardized tests for close to 10 years--the notion that a kid who has been in the 80th percentile will suddenly get to the 95th percentile, or vice versa, seems farfetched to me. The counselors told us that from first ACT to second was an average improvement at our school of 1.2 points (0.9 nationally), which equates to about 50 SAT points. Small up from PSAT to SAT. The counselors also told us you could predict the junior PSAT score by figuring the average percentile your kid has scored on past standardized tests and checking a conversion table. Daughter got her scores yesterday--on the nose.</p>
<p>I'm sure there are kids who are/could be really helped by studying/taking courses, but I'm guessing that it's a relatively small percentage of the total.</p>
<p>There are no cons other then paying for the test and spending your Saturday taking it.</p>
<p>As a GC, I go to an ACT conference in the fall of every year, (19 of them so far) and ACT reps recommend that students take the test in April of the junior year for the first time. </p>
<p>A little caveat: I have noticed that students who wait till April to take the test and who have been taking advanced math, do their poorest scoring on the pre-algebra/algebra I questions. I think this is simply because they have failed to review their pre-algebra and early algebraic concepts: they appear to have forgotten some of the basics. </p>
<p>Some schools offer the PLAN in the sophomore year to give students a shorter version of the ACT, which can help guage what one might do on future ACT, give practice in a less stressful setting, and help in planning future courses. OP, does your school offer PLAN?</p>
<p>There are 2 things to consider:
Are you willing to pay to take the ACT several times?
Are you willing to sit through the test many times?
If the answer to both of those is yes, then it can only be an advantage to take it again. And, I sort of disagree with dadtimesthree. While my PSATs were similar to my SATs, my scores increased by a lot between the 1st time I took a practice test to the 2nd, 3rd, etc. It took quite a few practice tests before my scores became constant.</p>
<p>another approach.....S2 has taken both a practice SAT I and practice ACT. Since he did significantly better on the ACT, he will only be taking the ACT for real. First time in April, and then again as needed.</p>
<p>My S is doing pretty much what avoidingwork says. S took an ACT solely for practice as a Sophomore, and will take it "for real" tomorrow as a Junior. Our thought is that we'll look at this ACT score and the PSAT score from last October, and he'll then figure out what test to focus on and take it this Spring -- and that will give him time to take either test again as needed.</p>
<p>Since the math is more advanced on the ACT than the SAT, it is better to wait to take it for real until the junior year, I think. My D took one practice SAT at home, one practice ACT, scored better on the ACT, so took it for real late spring. Composite 35. Never took the SAT and isn't planning on it.</p>
<p>My S took the ACT as at the beginning of his sophomore year, then again early senior year for a 4 point difference (higher). He did a couple of practice tests before each, no other preparation. So, at least in his case it worked out well. His score was high enough such that he never took the SAT. He only sent the last score, of course. He got into his first choice school.</p>