Act < sat ?

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>Is the ACT looked down on by HYP? I go to an NYC private school where nearly everyone takes the SAT. Someone said that only dumb kids take the ACT is that true? Colleges say that they look at both equally, but is that real or just a lie?</p>

2

<p>It’s true. They are equal. And more students took the ACT this year than took the SAT.</p>

3

<p>Nononono they are not equal at HYP. It goes unsaid, but if you look at the admissions statistics for these schools, around 90% of the admits submitted the SAT. 30% to 40% submitted the ACT. There are other threads that back up what I’m posting. Not saying the ACT is easier or that you will get rejected if you submit it to these schools. I’m just saying that there is an unstated imbalance</p>

4

<p>That does not mean they are looked down upon. There are quite a few states in which taking the SAT is just an anomaly, Illinois for example. Yet I have had quite a few ACT-only students matriculate to HYP. Correlation does not imply causation.</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC Glacier using CC</p>

5

<p>SAT is historically more popular in the coasts areas where most of the Ivies and top schools are. That’s why more students are taking SAT particularly from these areas if they are applying to these schools. ACT was originated in the mid-west and is still most popular in that region. All schools would look at both or either score although even school may have a different emphasis in certain section scores and a different conversion chart.</p>

6

<p>Many people where I live have barely heard of the SAT at all and almost no one takes it. I think which test you take (if you only take one) is mostly a regional thing.</p>

7

<p>@amissy14 is “missying” the point! :)</p>

8

<p>so it doesn’t look bad?</p>

9

<p>@kldat1 very clever lol</p>

<p>But I know about the regional discrepancies. A point to add, though, is that just because the ivies are in the northeast does not mean that 90% of their admits are from the northeast. Meaning, not all of those who submitted the sat are necessarily from areas where the sat is popular. And like I said, it probably does not make a difference in terms of real admission chances. It is just interesting to view some of the large discrepancies in the data at some of the top schools. My personal view is that it just merely indicates a very slight favorability</p>

10

<p>1158 of the 1177 who enrolled at Princeton for the class of 2016 and submitted SAT scores lived in SAT dominant states or internationally. So there’s no reason to believe that the SAT is preferred; more people just live in SAT dominant states.</p>

<p>Sources:</p>

<p>[Admission</a> Statistics - Princeton University | Admission Statistics](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/admission_statistics/]Admission”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/admission_statistics/)</p>

<p><a href=“http://studypoint.com/ed/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/SAT.ACT-test-takers-map.jpg[/url]”>http://studypoint.com/ed/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/SAT.ACT-test-takers-map.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2011.pdf[/url]”>http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/common_cds2011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>Here is the map of SAT/ACT dominate states.
[File:SAT-ACT</a> Preference Map.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SAT-ACT_Preference_Map.svg]File:SAT-ACT”>File:SAT-ACT Preference Map.svg - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>In addition, most students enrolled a school within 200-300 miles from home (median and average distance between 50 and 100 miles). <a href=“http://www.thecollegesolution.com/sticking-close-to-home-for-college/[/url]”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com/sticking-close-to-home-for-college/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Putting these 2 pieces of information together and you see the answer.</p>

<p>In other words, it is the students’ preference, not the schools’ preference anymore.</p>