<p>Is it useful to take both the SAT and the ACT? What is the difference? Why should I take one over the other?</p>
<p>Some do better on one than the other (and that goes both ways). ACT is somewhat more subject oriented toward what you learn in high school and tends to have fewer trick questions than the SAT but the ACT allows less time to answer questions. If you do well in one no need to take the other, although there are a couple exceptions to that rule. First, a minority of colleges require SAT IIs but a number of those that do will actually take the ACT in lieu of both the SAT and SAT IIs (examples: Yale, Penn, Brown, Tufts, Boston U, Boston College, Amherst) and thus you might want to take ACT as an option for those schools. Second, if you have qualified via the PSAT as a National Merit finalist, you will need to take the SAT to get a national merit scholarship award even if you have taken ACT.</p>
<p>Hypothetical situation:</p>
<p>You score 2370 on the SAT. Will your chances of admittance to a school improve if you also score a 35 on the ACT? (I understand that these scores are comparable.)</p>
<p>Second hypothetical situation:</p>
<p>You score a 2370 on the SAT. Will your chances of admittance to a school get worse (drunk, can't think of the right word :) ) if you also score a 30 on the ACT?</p>
<p>Yet a third:</p>
<p>You score 35 on the ACT. Will your chances get worse if you also score a 2100 on the SAT? </p>
<p>THANK YOU</p>
<p>I doubt it. Unless u go to a school without grades, or ur home schooled, i think one test is sufficient. Some people can't perform well on one test over another, i think they understand that. SAT owns me........for example</p>
<p>GodfatherBob: For the first situation, the general consensus I've seen here is that excellence on both tests would improve your chances, although not significantly. In your situation, chances would improve. For the second and third situations, submitting an excellent score and a so-so score is WORSE than submitting only an excellent score. </p>
<p>HOWEVER, you are never obligated to send both. There is an exception, however. If a school requires SAT subject tests, and you submit those scores, your SAT I scores will be submitted with it.</p>
<p>Generally it is preferable (and I will almost always recommend) to take both tests.</p>
<p>I received a 2160 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT. My ACT score is better, but because I got a 780 in Math 2 and a 750 on Chemistry SAT subject tests, I submitted all my scores to every school.</p>
<p>The tests are pretty different, and I think it's worth taking a practice test for each to see how they feel. The SAT is loaded with traps, but the ACT is more straight-forward (my personal preference). The ACT requires good timing skills, whereas the SAT requires more test-taking skills. So try each and see what you think. </p>
<p>Virtually all schools take both and all will consider your highest score between the two when they look at your app, so it won't hurt to try both (as long as you prep for them). You don't have to send any scores until you see them, so you can worry about it after you see the results.</p>
<p>I agree with BandTenHut.</p>