Do colleges care more about SAT or ACT??

Applying to College
81

<p>@notjoe - Don’t forget the ACT, which has about 1,000 that score 36 in a given year. Also while Harvard accepts 2,000 students, the entering class size (which is what the person referred to) is about 1650. So you are right they couldn’t quite fill the class with people that had perfect scores, but pretty close. A possible confounding factor might be that they report the number of perfect scores in a calendar year, but people take the test, potentially, in two different years for the same admissions cycle, so it is possible that you might be able to fill a class, depending on how much that influences the process. Still, your point that it isn’t a huge number is well taken.</p>

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<p>Actually . . . </p>

<p>In 2013, one thousand one hundred sixty-two (1,162) students scored a perfect 36 on the ACT: <a href=“http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2013/pdf/profile/National2013.pdf”>http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2013/pdf/profile/National2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
In 2013, four hundred ninety-four (494) students scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT: <a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Percentile-Ranks-Composite-CR-M-W-2013.pdf”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Percentile-Ranks-Composite-CR-M-W-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>So, @notjoe, I’ll amend my statement: As Harvard has about 1660 beds, they could fill all but 4 of those beds (1162 + 494 = 1656) with perfect test takers, if all perfect test takers accepted a spot at Harvard. But they don’t! </p>

<p>Again, I’ll direct you to the scattergram in the article: <a href=“The Harvard Crimson | Class of 2017”>http://features.thecrimson.com/2013/frosh-survey/admissions.html&lt;/a&gt;. Based upon this survey, Harvard fills more than half their beds with students who have perfect unweighted 4.0 GPA’s from their high school. So, it would seem Harvard prefers perfect GPA’s over perfect test scores.</p>

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<p>Maybe if we cut out the “fake” 36’s that wouldn’t be true.</p>

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<p>^^ Maybe, but the ACT lumps kids who scored a 35.5 into the 36 category and doesn’t break it down, so it’s an unknown. </p>

<p>My point in all this is that many students think test scores are the most important part of an application at Harvard. But, the data seems to indicate that a student’s unweighted GPA is given more weight – or equal weight, depending on how you interpret the data – with test scores.</p>

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<p>gibby,</p>

<p>I agree that Harvard (and most other highly-selective schools) weigh GPA somewhat more heavily than test scores. In fact, if I recall correctly, Dean Fitzsimmons has been pretty clear about that. Academic performance over four years is considered a better window into the academic abilities and habits of a student than a day or two or three of testing.</p>

<p>It’s just a pet peeve of mine when folks say, “College X could fill their class with perfect scorers.” It just isn’t so. For Harvard, not even quite theoretically. The first time I heard this was from a Johns Hopkins admissions officer. “We could fill our class with kids with perfect scores on the SAT.” It came across so arrogantly, that I went home, checked, and in that year, fewer than 400 students had accomplished perfect SAT scores, while Hopkins has a freshman enrollment of around 1300.</p>

<p>I suppose I shouldn’t quibble about a bit of hyperbole, but i can be a bit of a literalist. ;-)</p>

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<p>^ Did you include superscore 2400s in those numbers?</p>

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<p>That’s a good point about superscores. One has to define a what one is counting as a perfect SAT or ACT up front to know how hyperbolic those statements are or aren’t. But of course the last few posts are correct. Hyperbole aside, there is plenty of evidence that most schools balance test scores and GPA, and usually several other factors. But just for those stats, it is silly to worry about if this school is 60-40 and this other is 40-60. By the time the other factors are taken into account, worrying about something like that is really not so useful.</p>

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<p>Seems like grades are way more important and that to really be competitive for
HYP you need a 3.90-3.95 gpa for an unhooked applicant at least, not the 3.8 we usually hear.</p>

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<p>I am absolutely shocked at the disrespect shown by Jewishboy1975 to some of our long-time members like T26E4. Jewishboy1975 – there are many of us parents whose kids have already gone through this process and we try and stay on this site to help other students. We try and use facts and avoid hyperbole and rumors that so often run rampant among stressed-out teenagers. Whoever is feeding you BS about the SAT being more valuable than the ACT is about a generation in the past.</p>

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<p>Geez, @Momof2back2back‌ - JewishBoy1975 was booted a while ago already. We don’t put up with that kind of thing. Ever. Relax. :smiley: </p>

<p>BTW, you can’t curse back. OK?</p>

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<p>Definitely take both. I took both without any prep or studying, got a 2020 on the SAT and a 35 on the ACT (which is about a 2330 in SAT terms - SO A TON BETTER). I think thats the case for the majority of people, they do wayyyyy better on one. I am a more quick thinking and logic-oriented person so the ACT is a way better fit for me as opposed to the SAT which I find requires more analysis and in depth thinking. The difficulty that comes from each is that the ACT has a huge time pressure (or so I’ve heard, I haven’t really had a problem with it because I’m quick) and that the SAT is tricky in that you can easily misinterpret questions and answers.
So whichever of these sounds like a better fit for you, take it.</p>

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<p>@theshins -

That’s confusing.</p>

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<p>It makes sense to take the PSAT/SAT first (to at least have a shot at National Merit) and then, if that doesn’t suit you well, to make an attempt at the ACT, no? I mean, I guess it makes sense to prioritize the one that “sounds” like a better fit for you, but the best way to figure it out is either a) take the tests or b) take practice tests – for both of them. Unless you score 2200+ on the SAT first try. Might as well put the SAT first so you can see if you have a shot at some money. </p>

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<p>@fallenchemist
Ah sorry, the logical flow of my argument got lost during when writing it.
Change the take both to consider both.
I actually wish I never took the SAT because just a 35 on the ACT looks better than a 35 ACT and a 2020 SAT.</p>

95

<p>You guys are overthinking this.</p>

<p>The OPs question about which is “cared about more” is moot. They need higher scores by either retaking the SAT or taking the ACT.</p>

<p>If they have the money and time, study for both, take the SAT again and take the ACT too.</p>

<p>If they don’t, study for the ACT and take it, and don’t report the scores unless you do well.</p>

<p>Or find out what community colleges have a relationship with the SUNYs and go to one of them for a year or two, and transfer.</p>

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<p>Nope. Colleges do not favor the SAT over the ACT or vice versa.</p>

<p>I don’t know why people still take the SAT. You can get a relatively higher ACT score in half the studying time.</p>

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<p>National merit scholarship, or maybe they happen to be better suited to the SAT than ACT, as (barring vocab) there’s not much to study for the SAT other than getting to know the format of the test. </p>

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<p>Some people just do better on the SAT than the ACT (and vice versa).</p>

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<p>I bought the Princeton Review ACT or SAT? book and it really helped me in choosing which one I’d do better on. If you really just can’t decide I’d say take both
or just the PLAN and PSAT before you make any decisions</p>