<p>Yes, the ACT measures more of what has been learned.</p>
<p>2100 is more like what is needed to be a match (meaning 50/50 chance) for “selective” (e.g., < 40% admitted) schools.</p>
<p>Took both cold and got equivalent scores. Took the ACT with about a week of studying and got three points higher composite. Taking the SAT on June 5th, hoping to start studying soon.</p>
<p>Right now I do, but that may change after June 5th.</p>
<p>I know my best friend got an 1880 on the SAT (only took it once) and a 33 on the ACT, so she never retook the ACT. On the other hand, another friend of mine got a 2300 on the SAT but only a 28 on the ACT. You never know.</p>
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<p>Everyone says this, but I don’t see how that’s true. The science section is based entirely upon what’s inside each data set and requires little if any outside knowledge. Sure, the math section tests HS material, but so does the SAT math section. The English and Reading sections are also based almost entirely on the passages/sentences they provide. You don’t need to have outside information like you do for the SAT CR section (vocab?).</p>
<p>Plus, saying it tests analytical/reasoning ability implies that those who don’t do extravagantly well on it are less intelligent, which is completely false. I got a 2080 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT, and you can’t just say that I’m less intelligent than someone who gets a 2300 on the SAT and a 28 on the ACT.</p>
<p>EDIT: I don’t even know if this is relevant but I did not study one second for either test, so I’m sure I could bring up the SAT score if I tried, but ehh…</p>
<p>^ The difference between the two tests is the reason both exist; we’d need only one if they measured the same thing. People are different; two tests let different strengths shine through.</p>
<p>Okay? You didn’t disprove anything I said.</p>
<p>Honesto - I agree with you about science - it certainly doesn’t measure any material learned in school. However, I think all of the other sections on the ACT certainly measure more of your curriculum than the SAT. For example, for me, at least, the SAT DIDN’T measure high school math. It measured math I hadn’t done since 8th grade (ugh…geometry). The majority of SAT questions involve basic math comprehension, but also involve a lot of reasoning; the way that the questions are asked, I know I always felt like they were tyring to trick me. The ACT adhered more closely to the curriculum I actually followed in high school - it went up through algebra II, which was my strong point - and the questions felt a lot more straightforward, like I was doing problems on a math test at school. That’s certainly not the way I felt when taking the SAT.</p>
<p>In addition, the reading/English sections, IMO, are MUCH closer to an actual English curriculum. The SAT tests on a lot of random, absurd vocabulary that you probably won’t ever need again, and often places it in obscure contexts. On the other hand, the ACT actually forces you to evaluate passages as a whole, which I think is more valuable in the context of high school english.</p>
<p>I don’t think either test means you’re “smarter” - I think that both test different types of reasoning, and both tests resonate differently with different people. I certainly wasn’t trying to imply that scoring higher on the ACT means you aren’t as smart as someone who scores a lot higher on the SAT, so sorry if it seemed that way…I actually did the same thing (34 ACT was higher than my SAT score…lawls).</p>
<p>2090 SAT <– skimmed a prep book
34 ACT <– prep in school, two practice tests</p>
<p>2100 SAT (800 CR, 660 M, 640 W)</p>
<p>35 ACT (35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 36 S)/ 36 ACT superscored</p>
<p>I did a little bit of prep for the SAT, moderate (but casual) prep for the ACT. Obviously, there’s a HUGE discrepancy between my ACT score and my SAT!</p>
<p>I took one practice and got 36 on ACT reading yet I score, on a good day, 730 CR (by some miracle I scored a 760 on real thing).</p>
<p>Does 2200 SAT and 34 ACT count?</p>
<p>^Not really…those are pretty close.</p>
<p>I’m glad I did no prepping at all for either test, but…</p>
<p>SAT- 1950, then 2040… 2050 superscored
ACT- 35</p>
<p>SAT: 2100 w/10 essay tons of prep
ACT: 32 w/11 essay little/moderate prep.</p>
<p>SAT: 1900ish.
ACT: 33. </p>
<p>No prep for either of them.</p>
<p>2140 on the SAT but only because of a 78 writing and a (wait for it) 6 essay. I’ll redo it, not so relaxed next time.
35 ACT.</p>
<p>1900s on the SAT and 33 on ACT with no prep.</p>
<p>2170 SAT, lots of prep
35 ACT, almost no prep</p>
<p>I MUCH prefer the ACT, except for the type of writing prompt but that’s only because I didn’t like my essay score.</p>