SAT or ACT

Test Preparation
1

I’ll be a senior this year. I’ve taken the ACT twice, and depending on my scores (which I’ll get back some time next week) I’ll probably test one more time. The first time I took the ACT, I made a 32- 35 English, 34 reading, 33 science, 26 Math. I took the SAT in 7th grade and did pretty well (except for math, the only one I can remember, with a score in the upper 500s Old SAT-wise), but I haven’t taken it since. I’m considering taking the SAT instead of the ACT this time, but I can’t afford to take both (and I don’t qualify for the cost waiver, 100% certain) and I won’t really have the time to wait in between.

I have a 504 and I receive accommodations when testing. I’ve done this before with the ACT no problem, but the SAT requires me to contact my schools SSD coordinator to determine a test date, time and location. My SSD coordinator and I have had many many issues working together in the past, and they have the tendency to put things until the last minute or even switch things up last minute (with APs, I had my testing location changed 10 minutes before I was set to begin my test and they chose not to inform me of this).

 I'm also not quite so great with the math portion of the tests (to be clear, I'm not bad at math by any means and have an A+ in every math I've taken, I'm just not so great with long term retention of formulas and I'm really slow at working out problems). However, I'm very good at English.


  So, should I stick with the ACT, or take the SAT instead? Which one would I be able to do better on? If you took both, what were your scores for each test?

(Also, I’ve tried reformatting this post a dozen times and my paragraph spacing isn’t sticking, I’m really sorry y’all!)

2

Why don’t you do a practice test of each and see what you prefer? The new SAT is very different and many students find it is quite a tough test.

3

Alrighty, after looking more closely at each test I decided to retake the ACT one more time. I just got my most recent scores back, and I made a 32 aGAin - 36 E, 34 R, 27 M, 31 S.




I made a 10/12 on the writing, which is better than my first time but not as good as I was expecting. I’m very good at writing, do a lot of reading, I’ve taken a lot of writing courses etc. and my score was probably impacted because I took the test on a computer, finished my essay early, and then continued to write/ramble more than what was necessary.




I’m interested in schools like Emory/Oxford (first choice), Furman, Clemson, and Davidson, although I have several safeties/easy matches, and Princeton is my “in-my-dreams” school. I plan on retaking the ACT and rigorously prepping for the math and science (which I’ve never done before). Money is a little tight, especially considering the number of schools to which I’m reporting scores and the price of college apps, senior registration, cap and gown, pics, etc. Should I retake the writing portion as well, or is it not worth the money?

4

You need to check and see if those schools require the writing portion, which I suspect they do. You will have to take it with writing for any schools that ask for it, so it would be foolish to not do the writing section, unless you absolutely do not apply to a schools which require or recommends it.