<p>Hey, first of all I'd like to present myself. I'm a 17 year old student from Switzerland hoping to study in the USA in two years (2009). I'm not very aware of all these different tests I have to do, SAT, ACT,.... I think the SAT is the most important one...Anyway, I don't want to do everything at the last moment so could anyone help me a little with this, that would be great!
thanks in advance
cheers</p>
<p>Yes, you will most likely have to take the SAT (which tests your basic math, reading, and writing skills). Some of the most selective colleges also require that you take SAT IIs (these are multiple choice tests that cover specific subjects, i.e. Biology, Physics, Math II, US History, etc.). You may even have to take multiple SAT IIs (but no college requires more than 3). Some schools also require that international students take the TOEFL (a test to show your proficiency in English).</p>
<p>Most colleges accept both the SAT Reasoning and the ACT. You only have to take one of them; there's usually no need to take both.</p>
<p>The more selective colleges often require SAT subject tests, as noted above. </p>
<p>The most important thing is to check the admissions requirements for the colleges you're applying to.</p>
<p>Almost all colleges these days will take either the ACT or the SAT. </p>
<p>Many savvy students will get a copy of a real ACT and a copy of a real SAT (you can buy a real SAT book and a real ACT book from Amazon, or any large English-language bookstore), take both, and see which one they do better on. After all, you can pick which one to take.</p>
<p>Then you may also have to take SAT IIs, as bts7390 has said. </p>
<p>You are wise to get started early! I think your first step is to get a copy of both exams and see which one you prefer.</p>
<p>You will absolutely need to check out the requirements of the individual schools you may want to attend. But if you don't know yet which schools you are interested in, you can start with the SAT I/ACT prep and go from there, because you will need to deal with one of those two tests no matter where you end up applying. </p>
<p>The only other advice I have is that you should usually take the SAT II for a particular subject right after you finish the class for it. So, for example, if you are taking Bio this year, you should take the Bio SAT II in May or June.</p>
<p>So I can take either the SAT or the ACT, I didn't know that! I'll definitely start with a copy of these two tests to see which one I'll take. I don't know at all to with colleges I'm gonna apply. I play hockey so I'm going to wait a while to see if I can play for a college team.
Where can we do these tests? I've heard of people doing them online?</p>
<p>You can take practice tests online, but you have to take the real test at an authorized testing center.</p>
<p>Here are the websites for the differents tests:</p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://www.collegeboard.com%5DCollege">http://www.collegeboard.com]College</a> Search - SAT Registration - College Admissions - Scholarships<a href="SAT%20and%20SAT%20IIs">/url</a></p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://www.actstudent.org%5DACT">http://www.actstudent.org]ACT</a>, Inc. : A Student Site for ACT Test Takers<a href="ACT">/url</a></p>
<p>Thanks! Can I take the test already one of these days to see where I'm at? Or can I take it once a year?</p>
<p>You can take them whenever you want, as often as you want.<br>
Check the respective websites for testing dates, and when you sign up you can look for testing centers in your area.</p>
<p>Don't take an actual test at a testing center just to see how you do!! No no no. It's expensive and for the SAT, that score will show up whenever you report your scores (ACT has score choice, so you can choose which score colleges see, but you can't do that for the SAT).</p>
<p>There are some free tests you can take online to get an idea. There is one of each on review.com, but I am not sure which other sites have them too. You're going to have to get some prep books to study with. Do bookstores near you carry them?</p>
<p>My D just took the ACT. The REAL ACT book is good for all the general info, but we got the Barron's book which was much better in giving detail as to the specific areas the test covers. i.e. REAL tells you the type of geometry areas to know, Barron's gives you the formulas and graphs in a much better format. Note: Peterson's and The Princeton Review a;lso have extensive books out there for the ACT. All of these books have 3 or more full sample exams with answers and guide to scoring your results on the 36 point scale.</p>
<p>I would recommend buying SAT and ACT prep books, or visiting the websites, and taking each respective test. See how comfortable you feel with each, or which one you perform best in. I know I preferred the SAT because of its shorter test sections, however ACT is the shorter overall test. Good luck!</p>