<p>I'm going to be a junior this coming year and that means losts of work, AP exams and SATs. My concern is if I should take the ACT. I'm worried about the SAT(considering my PSAT score was a little scary). It is one hard bogus test and I'm afraid my school may not be as impressive as my grades. Should I also take the ACT? Can I send them both the SAT and the ACT just in case I don't as well on the SAT?</p>
<p>Right now for this summer I'm starting to study for the SAT. So it would be nice to know if I should start prepping for the ACT. </p>
<p>Key things: I live in California and I'm planning on applying to mostly UCs. From what I heard form my appears in this case, not too many high schoolers even take the ACT....</p>
<p>Someone please clear this up for me. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>well, according to some of the UCs, a lot of them want an SAT score. however, i suggest you taking the ACT. A high ACT score never hurts. BTW, the ACT and SAT are alike in many ways. The Sat is just a little bit trickier. </p>
<p>yes you can send both ACT and SAT. Most collages accept both. </p>
<p>it's kinda weird how I'm also becoming a junior next year but my situation is completely opposite from yours.
i have to take the ACT (studying for the ACT this summer) and I'm debating weather i should take the SAT later. lol. </p>
<p>lol, i live in Kansas. =D (where you see airplanes instead of birds)(inside joke)</p>
<p>well you should try and focus on one of them rather than try to cram everything in at once. if SAT is really that important, you should focus on SAT and get a score you want in October and then study for ACT and take the test in the Summer or next year. If you can score High on the SAT, the ACT should be no problem. remember, you still have a lot of time left to get BOTH your SAT and ACT up. </p>
<p>make a plan of how you are going to do what, and in which order. here are the website for the testing dates. </p>
<p>If you have time to watch TV or go on CC, then you have time to prep for the ACT. The ACT doesn't require as much prep as the SAT anyway.</p>
<p>I wouldn't think the UCs would favor an SAT. They were in part responsible for the change of format in 2005 when they said the SAT wasn't a good measure of ability.</p>
<p>lol, you're going to have to cut down on some of that T.V. and sports. (no one said it was going to be easy. =D )</p>
<p>you should study for ONLY one, take the test, and then study for the other one. otherwise you're going to be cramming both of the test in, and you might not do as well as you should. </p>
<p>also you don't really have to start studying for your APs until the second semester.</p>
<p>I would take both the ACT and the SAT. Although most students score about the same on each test, a smaller percentage do considerably better on one test than on the other. It all depends on what you're good at. The SAT is reputed to be more of an "aptitude" test, whereas the ACT is supposed to be more a test of what you have learned (note that I don't necessarily buy into either one of these labels). The SAT tends to have more trick questions, while the ACT has more time pressure. The ACT tests some areas that the SAT doesn't cover (e.g., science) and tests other areas at a higher level (e.g., math). Most colleges superscore the SAT, but do not superscore the ACT. The ACT is sometimes regarded by critics of standardized tests as a "fairer" test than the SAT.</p>
<p>Honestly, form my experience, the SAT is a test you really can't prep for and get a better score. Unless, of course, you take it the first time without any prep, most people generally don't improve. Then again, this is from my own xperience. Other CC'ers might have improved their scores tremendously, idk. The ACT, however, as I've noticed while prepping, is a test you can study for and do considerably better on. It tests your knowledge on math and english, not whehtere you can solve this tricky problem (that's the SAT department's job). Reading and Science are usually easy, it's just the timing that's the big pain for those sections.</p>
<p>As to which one you should take, base the decision on the type of person and thinker you are. If you're a naturally smart kid with a good IQ i suppose, take the SAT. You'll probably do excellent in that. If you're not, then take the ACT. :)</p>
<p>If you do not want to take the SAT at all, you do not have to. My friend took ONLY the ACT Plus Writing and got into all the top UC's (not to mention a couple of Ivies). The UC system does not favor one test over the other, so do not feel as though you will be a less competitive applicant if you decide to forget about the SAT altogether. Like other members have been saying, look through practice tests for both exams and see which one you think you will do better on. Then, focus your energy on studying for that one test instead of both of them.</p>