ACT vs. SAT

Applying to College
1

I know that this is probably a dumb question, but do I NEED to take both the ACT and the SAT?

I have been told by numerous people that most colleges don’t look at just SAT scores anymore, and that they’re more concerned with your ACT scores.

If I take the ACT w/ Writing, is it okay if I do not take the SAT?

2

No you don’t. You’re fine. They take EITHER score.

3

However, the ACT frequently must include Writing.

4

It can be good to take both to see if you do significantly better on one than the other, but in the end you only need one and it is ok to focus on just one. One of my students rocked the ACT first time and never took the SAT. My oldest took both at a test center and scored equivalent of 300 points higher on ACT, when taking both tests with no preparation. So that one only did only ACT after that. Another just did SAT and did well on that.

A school counselor suggested to my student that scored a 34 on the first try of the ACT, that they also take the SAT to show top schools another aspect of their ability. My student said nahhhhhh to that idea and stuck with ACT only. I can see the point for certain top tier programs but in our case with other high scores/grades and a thorough application already, it would not be worth the stress it would have caused. It was not needed.

Not a dumb question at all, you would be amazed how many people (students and parents) are still confused about ACT v. SAT.

5

Unless you hit one set of scores out of the park it’s usually advisable to try both tests at least once. They are different, and students perform differently on them. Many colleges accept the ACT with writing in lieu of SAT Subject Tests, but the most elite colleges will want to see some subject tests, so that’s not a universal advantage.

6

Poetic justice or the revenge of the flyover states? On a serious note, that is pure hogwash.

7

My son planned on only taking the ACT w/ writing. But when he got the NMSF notification he had to take the SAT in order to apply for NMF consideration.

8

You don’t really need to take both real tests to see you would do better on which. You just need to do some practice tests and then you can choose one to focus on.

9

I agree with @billcsho‌

I had started preparing for SAT earlier and stuck with it. It helped me improve.

However, some of my friends shifted from SAT to ACT and performed poorly in both.

It is better to stick with whichever you have started preparing for.

True, some people may be better at the ACT, but that’s not as common as you may think. I have known LOTS of children who gave both the exam and scored equivalently. Which is exactly why the colleges give both the exams the same consideration. Yes, they are different, but for a large number of students, the difference is insignificant.

10

I still have to chime in on the side of taking both. My son’s composite scores were equivalent, but the individual test results varied. He did better on the English and Writing sections of the ACT, and better on the SAT Math. By submitting both test reports, he gave colleges a better picture of his abilities. As I said, if you really aced one test there’s no need to take any others, but practice test results have never gotten anyone into college. The actual results are what matter, and there are plenty of variables involved.

11

My D took ACT twice and did not score as high as she expected. She then took the SAT and it bumped her up the equivalent of 3 ACT points - and was good enough to get her into NU. So, in some cases it can make a difference - and some kids just do better on one test over the other.

12

Like others said, take the simulation exams for both SAT and ACT.

I did significantly better on ACT than I did on my SAT – and I found this out after agonizing so much on how to improve my stale SAT score.

13

You need only one. In fact, if you submit both, colleges usually choose the one they believe is higher to determine admisison. Possible reasons to consider taking both:

  1. If score on one is not what you feel you need for acceptance to your choice of colleges, you should consider taking the other to see if you do better on it.
  2. You may want to take the second test for scholarship considerations. For example, you can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship by a high PSAT and high SAT score, so if you have such a PSAT score and have taken the ACT, you will still need the SAT to qualify for that scholarship. Also, if you believe the score in one is good enough for admission to your colleges of choice but not for scholarships provided by the colleges, you should consider taking the second test.
  3. If you are looking at applying to colleges that require two SAT subject tests on top of the SAT or ACT, check the rules carefully because more than half of those accept the ACT in lieu of both the SAT and the two subject tests and thus you can either (a) avoid subject tests by taking the ACT, or (b) use the ACT to apply if you do not do well on the SAT or the subject tests.
  4. If you are intending to apply to Georgia Tech or Rose Hulman, you might consider doing both tests because those superscore the combined tests. Rose Hulman uses for admisison your higher math score from the two tests plus your higher English ACT score or SAT reading score. In other words, the score used to determine admission could, for example, be your math ACT score and your SAT reading score. Tech does the same but also considers the higher of your SAT writing and your combined combined ACT English and writing score (that is a score actually provided by ACT when you take writing).
14

You definitely don’t need to take both, and while you still could (and many people do), I don’t think it would be a fantastic choice time-wise because they are just very different tests. It would take a lot of time to study sufficiently for both, and that time would be better spent toward getting really good at one of them. I think you should take practice tests for both with minimal or no studying. That way you can see which one you do better at and have a better experience with before you make your decision. I did that this year, and the answer was clear.