<p>Hi everyone, I'm completely unfamiliar with the nature of the ACT. All I really know about it is that is have 4 sections, and a writing prompt at the end. </p>
<p>I'm planning to take the ACT in September and I have a few questions:</p>
<p>For those of you who took both the SAT and ACT, which did you like better and why?
How should I prep in order to finish all of the sections on time?
What is a good target score if I am considering top-tier schools (Duke, Penn, JHU) and only want to take the ACT once?
Does the ACT writing response have the same structure as the SAT's? (quote w/prompt that asks for an opinion; intro-body-conclusion)</p>
<p>I appreciate any responses and additional advice :)</p>
<p>Also, how long after the test date do scores come out? I know for the SAT it is about three weeks, is it the same for the ACT?</p>
<p>For those of you who took both the SAT and ACT, which did you like better and why?
I liked the ACT better since I was/am awful at vocab, but many of my friends say the SAT is easier, specifically the math section.</p>
<p>How should I prep in order to finish all of the sections on time?
My overall advice for the ACT is always to take one practice test and then grind practice tests in the sections that you did poorly in rather than just wasting your time studying things you already know.
As far as finishing on time, for the ACT, most people struggle with the science section. My advice is to get some practice books and work on only reading the questions and then inferring the answers from the graphs, reading background info only when necessary. That shouldn’t take more than 3 practice tests to get used to.</p>
<p>What is a good target score if I am considering top-tier schools (Duke, Penn, JHU) and only want to take the ACT once?
I would say somewhere between a 32-35 would be the score to shoot for if those are your target schools. Of course, getting the highest score possible can’t hurt. </p>
<p>Does the ACT writing response have the same structure as the SAT’s? (quote w/prompt that asks for an opinion; intro-body-conclusion)
Pretty much, but the SAT has much better prompts. The ACT prompts are usually stupid things like “some people think that we should get rid of grocery bags is this a good idea” blahblahblah. Just don’t forget to support you position by addressing not only the pros of your side but also the cons of the other (the SAT doesn’t need the counterargument but the ACT does so don’t forget to do it).</p>
<p>I have taken the ACT before and personally I hated it. I hated the harsh time limits and the science section. I have not taken the SAT yet but it seems a lot easier for me according to the practice tests I took. Unlike the SAT, the ACT does not have a guessing penalty. The ACT has harder time limits for each section. The ACT is a much more straightforward test. It does not try to trick you.<br>
There are some more differences. Here is a link [The</a> SAT vs. the ACT | SAT ACT Comparison](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act.aspx]The”>SAT vs ACT: Which Test is Right for You? | The Princeton Review)</p>
<p>The average ACT scores for the schools you mention are somewhere around 32 and 33 out of the perfect score 36. Of course, the higher the better. This can tell you some other schools’ ACT score ranges <a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/[/url]”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/</a></p>
<p>The ACT writing test is a little different than SAT writing test. The ACT writing test asks your position on an issue in your life. You should use the same structure as the SAT writing test.</p>
<p>The earliest you can get your ACT score online is about 2.5 weeks after taking the test.</p>
<p>Can we send in both ACT and SAT scores?</p>
<p>^ I think we can, I think there’s a section for both on the CommonApp and you have options to send scores for both</p>
<p>I didn’t take the SAT, but I took the PSAT as well as the ACT. As far as difficulty level, I found both to be about the same and when comparing my scores on an equivalence chart, my scores were about the same.
The ACT is based more on what you learn in school, but timing is crucial. The SAT is more of a test of reasoning skills, but people generally find that there is less pressure when it comes to finishing on time. I have heard many people say that they find the SAT harder than the ACT, but it depends on what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you are generally a slow test taker, you might consider taking the SAT. Take both just to see which one you are better at. Keep in mind, however, that colleges can see how many times you have taken the SAT, and they may consider that during admissions. Most people take the ACT these days and it does not matter how many times you take it, so you may want to focus on that first.
Sections on the ACT (Score out of 36):
75 English questions in 45 minutes
60 math questions in 60 minutes
40 reading questions in 35 minutes
40 science questions in 35 minutes</p>
<p>Sections on the SAT (score out of 2400):
[SATTest</a> Format - SATTime Breakdown](<a href=“studybeans.com”>studybeans.com)</p>
<p>As far as preparation, go out and buy yourself a prep book. I recommend Kaplan and Princeton Review books with practice tests in them. Don’t just look/read over the material. Take practice tests every once in a while and time yourself, just like the real ACT. That way, you will know where you are at and where you need to improve. </p>
<p>Since you are taking it in September, you still have 2-3 months to study. Spend at least an hour a day studying and focus on the areas you struggle in. I’d say you should shoot for something in the 30 range for the ACT, but it really depends on which college you want to go to and how much weight they put on test scores.</p>