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<p>No they don’t. Right on the application/the college’s website it says they practice Affirmative Action. They are not saying they won’t practice AA and then secretly practicing it.</p>
<p>This whole debate is pointless.</p>
<p>^Exactly right, 1253729. AA is easily distinguised from the official position of virtually every college and university in the United States with regard to their acceptance of the ACT and the SAT. No college or university is going to risk its reputation by stating on its website that it accepts either test, while it harbors a secret preference for one test versus the other. To think otherwise is just stupid. And this debate is not pointless, jamesford. Applicants rely on these forums for advice and cooljazz’s posts on this subject are just plain wrong.</p>
<p>Institutionally, they probably don’t have a bias. But plenty of people on this forum are biased one way or the other. And admissions officers are PEOPLE with their own sets of biases.</p>
<p>^This is like telling the tide not to come in. One more time: virtually all colleges and universities state in writing that they have no preference between the ACT and the SAT. If they didn’t mean it, they wouldn’t state it. Adcoms know how to evaluate applicants and they do so in accordance with the stated policies of their institutions. It’s as simple as that.</p>
<p>This thread has completely deviated from the original topic, which was about the difficulty of Barron’s ACT questions versus that of real questions.</p>
<p>Speculating on the supposed “biases” of colleges will get you nowhere. Why just study for your tests, get the best possible scores you can, and then focus on other areas of your application? Now there’s a thought.</p>
<p>^ I’m done testing, lol. It’s a sunday and I’m bored.</p>
<p>^I agree regarding going off topic. I’m responding to other posts in this thread that introduced erroneous information. As to the original question, I agree that Barron’s ACT questions are considerably more difficult than the real thing.</p>
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<p>It’s a suggestion for the entire thread</p>
<p>Just wanna say this-</p>
<p>Everyone who says sat and act are valued equally by top colleges-<br>
Upenn says they prefer the sat on their website. </p>
<p>I know they accept both…
I know that upenn is one of several elite colleges…
I’m just trying to say to see which one the school prefers…
And nobody here can say that a 2400 and subject tests 800s equals a 36 ACT (colleges require act with writing in lieu)</p>
<p>And now this thread should die</p>
<p>^From the freshman admissions section of Penn’s website:</p>
<p>Required Tests</p>
<p>The American College Test with Writing, may be used in lieu of the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests. Penn requires that applicants submit all testing results from each administration of the ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests. We evaluate only the highest of your ACT Composite scores, the highest score on each section of the SAT, or the highest single testing result from multiple sittings of any SAT Subject Test. </p>
<p>The SAT
•Freshman applicants must take the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests.
•Candidates to the School of Engineering and Applied Science or the Wharton School are encouraged to take a Mathematics Subject Test.
•Students interested in science-related fields, and especially applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Nursing, are encouraged to take a science Subject Test.
•Registration materials for the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests may be obtained from your guidance office.</p>
<p>The ACT
The American College Test with Writing, may be used in lieu of the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests. </p>
<p>When to Take the Tests</p>
<p>•Early Decision candidates should take these examinations either during the junior year or in the summer before the senior year, but no later than November 2009. Early Decision candidates who opt for November examinations must rush their test scores to us.
•Regular Decision candidates should complete all testing by December of their senior year. First-time testing delayed until January will place the applicant at a disadvantage in our evaluation process. Tests retaken in January will be accepted.
•Please Note: Using the score suppression option may result in scores not being received by the applicable deadline.</p>
<p>Perhaps I missed it, but where does it say that Penn prefers the SAT over the ACT? Doesn’t it actually say that an applicant may substitute the ACT with writing for the SAT I and two SAT subjects tests?</p>
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<p>Link please?</p>
<p>And they accept the ACT w/ writing in lieu of BOTH the SAT AND subject tests, so obviously it’s a valued test. I don’t favor either test, but all this speculation needs to stop.</p>
<p>Lol I can’t find where I read that.
It could’ve sworn I read that (on upenns website not a Quibbler-esque place)
But I think I’m wrong.</p>
<p>I’ll post it if I find it.</p>
<p>There’s another lesson- double check stuff because some people are on LSD. And CC users on LSD see college info when they hallucinate. Not fluffy shiny unicorns</p>
<p>back on track…</p>
<p>ACT is easier
I got a 35 on ACT and 2190 on SAT.
and for me, it didn’t feel nearly as long as the continuous SAT</p>
<p>Although some of my prep/experience with the SAT probably carried over, I think that I could’ve scored well on the ACT without much prep. I going to be a freshman in college now, but I took a practice test the other day in order to help my sister prep for it. I got a 35 cold. It felt like it was more like the easier questions at the beginning of the corresponding SAT sections repeated over and over again -this time, there were more questions and a shorter time length. </p>
<p>To be honest, the time can get to you, though, especially in the science section if you actually try to read everything they include (which I realized, during the test, you don’t have to do in order to get the questions right). I think it depends on whether you let your nerves get to you too much.</p>
<p>ACT is academic = if you succeed in school, you will have no trouble with it.
SAT is reasoning = for those that like to reason. lol</p>
<p>ACT measures what you learned in school, and doesn’t really test anything that will indicate how well you’ll do in college. SAT tests reasoning, and can -somewhat- measure how well you’ll do in college.</p>
<p>BARRONS IS HARDER??!!! Wow someone could have told me that when I bought the book. I have been getting compostites scores of 25s and higher but no where close to where I want to be and was worrying. Well atleast I know now. How is Barrons harder though it seems close to the ACT to me.</p>
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<p>Most studies agree that high-school GPA can predict college success better than any standardized test. If the ACT shows what you learned from going to school, i’m pretty sure that’s a really good thing.</p>
<p>This must be one of the most enjoyable threads i’ve ever read. I simply have to state my beliefs toward the matter at hand. </p>
<p>Well, first of all, we should all try our best to be unbiased. Statements like the “ACT is essier than the SAT” and " a 36 ACT doesn’t equal a 2400 SAT" without any proof to back up such statments emmidiately shows how you guys “feel” and tells me that you aren’t percieving things the way thigns are. </p>
<p>We must also look at this matter clearly. The ACT does not test the same skills as the SAT. But this goes both ways. The SAT also doesn’t test some skills in the ACT. </p>
<p>Colleges “paint a picture” of you based on your GPA, rigor in highschool, standardized test scores (ACT & SAT), letters of recommendations, Outside activities, ect. They treat basically each of these considerations for admission as a “color”. Get the right colors and shades to form the best “picture”. Thats about it. </p>
<p>Now i’m not saying that your “picture” or “portrait” should be what you think colleges want you to be; you should be yourself.</p>
<p>So your SAT or ACT needs to work with the rest of your application.</p>