<p>I'm from NYC and I'm wondering if I should take the ACT or the SAT. Do most colleges prefer the SAT? I'm more of a math and science person and my vocab isn't so good so I feel like I'll do better on the ACT. Any ideas on what I should do? Thanks.</p>
<p>I’m unaware of a college that accepts one test and not the other. At least all the schools my twin sons considered (about 40 colleges) accepted both. </p>
<p>You may want to take both and then, based on your results, take the one you did better on at least once more to adjust for standard error.</p>
<p>SAT - Reasoning
ACT - Logical</p>
<p>Take both, if one doesnt work out, do the other.</p>
<p>I took the SAT twice, didnt work out (1680), so im banking on ACT. (and SAT for the last time)</p>
<p>Personally I feel that the ACT is better because you only get credit for what’s right versus the SAT which takes points off for wrong answers, meaning there’s no penalty for guessing, which, at least in my case, yields a higher score.</p>
<p>@HuxleyAlum, I know all colleges accept one or the other but I believe some colleges prefer the SAT over the ACT. What are your twin sons doing if you don’t mind me asking?</p>
<p>Zhanglshi:</p>
<p>We live in Michigan so the ACT is much more prevalent here. In fact all HS juniors take the ACT as part of required school evalutation testing. Furthermore, the SAT is given in fewer locations making it less convenient.</p>
<p>Mys sons both took the ACT three times, including the in school required one; both had identical composite scores the first two times, but both increased their scores, one by two points and one by three points, on the their third attempt.</p>
<p>One of my of sons is applying to schools that require SAT II tests, so my other son went along to see if he would do better on the SAT than the ACT. He didn’t. His final ACT score was much better.</p>
<p>In all the schools we’ve researched none say they prefer one test over the other. It’s possible that some schools, or some individual Admission Counselors, privately prefer one. But I’ve never seen it explicitly expressed.</p>
<p>@Zballsunsimms</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>They are both normalized so this is nonsense.</p>
<p>Whether someone does better on the SAT or ACT varies from person to person. The SAT is a trickier test, but the ACT covers some more advanced material. The ACT has a Science Reading section that is very coachable. </p>
<p>Both tests should be taken once, and then one of them should be taken at least once more.</p>
<p>Thanks! I read from another thread that some colleges state it on their website. For example if you google “Reed College C Section 8” or something. Under “SAT or ACT”, it says “SAT preferred”. One more thing, how did your sons prepare for the ACT?</p>
<p>I heard that coast schools prefer SAT but I’m pretty sure ACT would be fine as well. ACT, to me, is easier to prepare for and isn’t as tricky as the SAT is. But if you can’t decide, I say take both and then just send your higher score :)</p>
<p>From everything I’ve read - there is no preference, this may have been true in the past - but it’s not now. I’m not aware of one school that has a preference. Take both … you may find that you score better on one than the other - take that one again. Maybe take both again. But you will figure it out.</p>
<p>@ HuxleyAlum
Thanks! I read from another thread that some colleges state it on their website. For example if you google “Reed College C Section 8” or something. Under “SAT or ACT”, it says “SAT preferred”. One more thing, how did your sons prepare for the ACT? </p>
<p>@ unflawless and MaterMia
Thanks!</p>
<p>Unless a college explicity states a preference (e.g. Calpoly prefers the ACT) either is accepted equally.</p>
<p>zhanglshi:</p>
<p>I replied private message but must have screwed it up. My apologies. Before they took the ACT the first time, my sons took a four day ACT prep class from a local community college that cost $66 each. </p>
<p>After that they simply used the free materials supplied by the ACT (through our high school) and a Princeton Review ACT prep book checked out of the local library.</p>
<p>My son that improved his score the most is convinced that the section tests vary greatly in difficulty. For example, the first time he took the test he got a 24 on the reading segment, the third, and last time, he took the test he got a 34 on reading. That large of a variance probably shouldn’t happen on a standardized test. Just one more reason to take the test more than once.</p>
<p>I read the SAT has a higher percentage of the math component in your overall score compared to the ACT.</p>
<p>SAT if you’re going for National Merit Scholar!</p>
<p>My observations of the students at our HS has been that the “math / science” kids tend to score higher on the SAT…“reading / writing” kids score higher on ACT. I think it is just as someone else has said…on SAT math is 1/2 of the test, on ACT reading comprehension is a big factor on the Science section so reading effects a greater % of the test than on the SAT.</p>
<p>I took the ACT this past June coming out of my sophmore year and I scored a 24, so even without Chemistry and Algebra II, I still got a very good score. Its doable. Just take which ever you think you would do best on.</p>