Should I retake the ACT or prepare for my first SAT?

Test Preparation
1

Hi guys! I recently took my first standardized test last month. I decided to take the ACT. I am going into my senior year.

I got my scores back and they are as follows:

Composite: 30
English: 34
Math: 28
Reading: 27
Science: 31
Combined English/Writing: 32

I know that June of your junior year is VERY late to start doing standardized tests, but I got sidetracked with school and other things.

I cannot decide whether to study for an ACT retake over the summer or study for my first ever SAT. I live in Virginia, so I did hear that the SAT was supposedly more common and “preferred” by colleges here. I decided to take the ACT because I thought that almost all colleges accept both. I read that they were both essentially the same test but everyone is better than one over the other. I did not think that colleges "preferred’ one over the other.

I feel more confident with the ACT. First off, there is no vocabulary which I’m horrible at. The grammar section is huge, and I love grammar. The math section is much more straightforward and has trig, which is fresh in my head because i just took trig last year. The science section was scary at first, but I guess it isn’t so bad after all.

I need your thoughts on this. Should I retake the ACT and try to get above a 32? I’m trying to get into Virginia Tech (engineering) or UVA if possible. My GPA is a 4.0 weighted 3.7 unweighted, but if I do well next year it will be a 4.2 weighted and almost 3.8 unweighted. I also would like to improve on my math, which is probably my worst section. Reading did not feel harder than math, but the time limit on the ACT really kills you.

I studied for the ACT a little bit using the book, and then studied the night before the test. I have done some SAT prep using the book, but halfway through I gave up and opted for the ACT because I felt much more confident in it. I believe my PSAT score was awful, something equivalent to a 1600-1700.

Any advice or thoughts is appreciated. Thanks!

2

Take a diagnostic SAT test. Your ACT score is equivalent to a 2120 on the SAT which is really good for being your first time. If you bomb the diagnostic SAT test, then study for the ACT. Good luck!

3

Can you show me the chart you used to convert ACT composite to SAT? I’ve heard from others a 30 is a 2000, while others have said it is like a 1900.

Can anyone confirm the fact that east coast colleges “prefer” the SAT?

4

http://www.act.org/aap/concordance/estimate.html
No, there is no preference. Either SAT or ACT is look as the same.

5

Your score is actually equivalent to a 2000 on the SAT (using the chart that @Jr12317 posted above - I think he just misread the chart). There is no preference for the SAT or ACT. Practice over the summer and take the September test. (Also, some colleges will superscore the ACT so you will have two sets of scores with which to do that.)

6

Indeed, sorry about that. You want to get 32. I thought you had that score. Yeah, @GossamerWings is correct.

7

Is there a certain ACT score I should be aiming for to get a full ride or close to full ride scholarship? I know there are colleges that give out scholarships if you have a good gpa (3.5+ or 3.7+ around there) and then a good ACT/SAT.

If anyone else has any advice or opinions I’d love to hear as well.

8

You have a good gpa unless your instate like me (average is 4.1 and 28 ACT but engineers have 30 for math). If your oos you could probably get in with a 29. UVA again if your in state it’s 4.3+ and 30 ACT but if your oos and thats lower than the engineering program requires. I can’t speak confidently about what UVA looks for in oos so I won’t try to guess

9

Yeah I am in state :(. Thats why I’m trying to get my scores up.