<p>OK, I ask people this all the time and no one seems to give me a straightforward answer...</p>
<p>Why do east coast schools seem to favor the SAT over the ACT?</p>
<p>It is just historical. The SAT's were originally created in 1901 only for use of the ivies in assessing only students in the prep schools. The following interesting stuff is from wikipedia.com:</p>
<p>The initials SAT have been used since the test was first introduced in 1901, when it was known as the Scholastic Achievement Test and was meant to measure the level achieved by students seeking college admission. The test was used mainly by colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. In 1941, after considerable development, the non-profit College Board changed the name to the Scholastic Aptitude Test, still the most popular name. The test became much more widely used in the 1950s and 1960s and once was almost universal.</p>
<p>The success of SAT coaching schools, such as Kaplan and the Princeton Review, forced the College Board to change the name again. In 1990, the name was changed to Scholastic Assessment Test, since a test that can be coached clearly did not measure inherent "scholastic aptitude", but was influenced largely by what the test subject had learned in school. This was a major theoretical retreat by the College Board, which had previously maintained that the test measured inherent aptitude and was free of bias.</p>
<p>In 1994, however, the redundancy of the term assessment test was recognized and the name was changed to the neutral, and non-descriptive, SAT. At the time, the College Board announced, "Please note that SAT is not an initialism. It does not stand for anything."</p>
<p>The test scoring was initially scaled to make 500 the mean score on each section with a standard deviation of 100. As the test grew more popular and more students from less rigorous schools began taking the test, the average dropped to about 450 for each section. Various attempts to balance out this decline led to complex statistical anomalies. For example, in certain years it was impossible to get a score of 780 or 790 on a section; one could only get a 770 or below or an 800. To combat the trend toward declining scores, the SAT was "recentered" in 1995, and the average score became again closer to 500. All scores awarded after 1994 are officially reported with an "R" (e.g. 1260R) to reflect this change.</p>
<p>In 2005, the test was changed again, in response to various criticisms. Because of issues concerning ambiguous questions, especially analogies, certain types of questions were eliminated (the analogies disappeared altogether). The test was made marginally harder, as a corrective to the rising number of perfect scores. A new writing section was added, in part to increase the chances of closing the opening gap between the highest and midrange scores. Other factors included the desire to test the writing ability of each student in a personal manner; hence the essay. The New SAT (officially the SAT Reasoning Test) was first offered on March 12, 2005, after the last administration of the "old" SAT, the 1994 revision, in January of that year.</p>
<p>The March 12th test was reported to have 107 perfect "2400" scores, above College Board estimates but at a far lesser rate relative to the old proportion of perfect scores on the 1600-point test.</p>
<p>Also, College Board is located in Princeton, NJ (just an extra fact), so it would make sense that a school like Princeton would endorse a test from its hometown. And ACT headquarters are in Iowa. I guess this partly explains why the northeast likes the SAT and the midwest likes the ACT.</p>
<p>I really think that the ACT just hasn't caught on in the east. I live in New Jersey, and I don't know a single kid from my school who took the ACT. It has a reputation of being harder than the SAT, so we just take the SAT.</p>
<p>I don't ever remember what the ACT score is out of. 36 or something, right?</p>
<p>Why do you say east coast schools "seem to favor" the SAT? Not anymore ... nearly every school will take either test and expresses no preference for one or the other. There is an accepted conversion chart for them to use if they get a score in the test they don't usually get. Ask potential schools of course, like I did, but I am willing to bet you will hear what I did -- we don't care, really we don't. Since colleges can have a preference for the SAT if they want (years of arguing about this has only yielded people pointing me to Princeton, Wake Forest, and Randolph Macon as places that do), I see no reason not to take them at their word.</p>
<p>Some people do better on one test than the other. So it is useful to take practice tests in each and see if you are one of them. My son did equally well in both tests and ended up submitting both. My daughter liked the format of the ACT better and performed much better on it; she also preferred its score choice feature (you pick the test date or dates whose scores you want to send, unlike the SAT where all scores are reported). For a number of schools, the ACT will also act as a substitute for SAT IIs. So even though we live in SAT country, she took only the ACT. She had plenty of company when she took the test, too. She's currently attending Brown, so obviously the lack of an SAT score didn't hurt her.</p>
<p>Here's what the Kaplan test prep company says about the subject:</p>
<p>People can take either or both tests anywhere in the country. Why don't more people avail themselves of this opportunity? Because they are sheep ... if a particular test USED to be required, people got used to taking it, and new people are led to believe they have to do it. I don't know how many people around here professed shock that my daughter would tempt fate by not taking the SAT! Why would the colleges lie about what tests they will accept, I would say. No one had an answer, but, gee, they wouldn't "risk" it themselves. Sigh.</p>
<p>You might go to the ACT board. This idea of a supposed east coast bias in favor of the SAT has gotten frequent exploration. </p>
<p>The basic scaling of the ACT was for a mean of 18 and a standard deviation of 6. Thus, a 30 would be the 97th percentile. I think the average score now is between 20 and 21. Just to give you a feel for things ... Traditionally there were four scores comprising the test (English, reading, math, and science reasoning), some of which have subscores, but an optional writing section was added at the same time the SAT added theirs. (The writing is optional as far as ACT is concerned; particular colleges have required it for applicants taking the ACT.)</p>
<p>that's funny, kayrlis. At my school (i'm in Missouri), NO ONE takes the SAT. Seriously. When I looke at my college apps, i thought "What? What is this?" Because my school had been pushing the ACT for years. That's just how it's done round here.</p>
<p>This question has been addressed again and again on these boards. Here's the absolute truth:</p>
<p>1) There are VERY few schools that only accept the SAT. Although I cannot precisely remember, I believe BYU may be one, but check on their specific website.</p>
<p>2) Even Princeton now views the SAT with writing and the ACT with writing on equal footing. If the college's website states that it takes both the SAT and the ACT, then they do and they view them equally.</p>
<p>3) Some colleges actually advantage ACT takers. For example, if one takes the SAT with writing, Yale also requires 2 SAT subject tests (SAT II). If the student takes the ACT, no SAT subject tests are required at all.</p>
<p>FYI, my D was accepted to her SCEA school on the ACT. She did not take the SAT at all.</p>
<p>Actually, quiltguru, I was discussing Princeton just the other day with someone. At one point on their web site they say they take either test. At another point they say they take the ACT if all other schools being applied to require the ACT. So I'm not sure about their actual position ... so anyone wondering about the school should doublecheck with them.</p>
<p>Princeton changed their stance this year with the ACT with writing option. Both are accepted equally provided the writing option is taken. We asked this question at an information session their last summer and received this answer from the admissions officer giving the session.</p>
<p>It was suggested in one or two college guides that I read that turning in a ACT score instead of a SAT score is something of a red flag if you live in the NE or an area where the SAT is dominant. However, I don't see this as a major issue. Actually, I think some people tend to view the system as being a little too predictable in the sense that if you do everything right, you will succeed, and if you do something wrong, you will be punished. Admissions like life has a large random element.</p>
<p>The SAT was created in the mid-1920's (not 1901) by a professor from Princeton who based it on prior military intelligence tests, which themselves had been based on the IQ tests which were created in the early 1900's. The College Board started in the early 1900's and there were some tests beginning in the early 1900's that some colleges used but those were mainly specific subject tests, somewhat akin to todays SAT II's. The SAT was used in the 1930's to 50's mostly in the East. In the late 1950's, the ACT was created in Iowa, and it spread througout the middle of the country and the two tests have been competing with each other since. The UC's started to require the SAT in 1960 (they now take either test), which allowed the SAT to gain market share in the west. Eastern high schools definitely favor the SAT as it is the test of choice there although many take the ACT. Almost all colleges now accept either test and neither is favored over another, but it is a fact that eastern colleges get a lot more SAT submissions than ACT mainly because far more people in the east who take the SAT apply to those colleges than those from ACT dominate states.</p>
<p>Here is some info on the 1901 test including some of the questions that were on the test (test your knowledge).
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/where/1901.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/where/1901.html</a></p>
<p>quiltguru,</p>
<p>How do you know Princeton changed their stance this year? Their Q&A's dated August 2005, true, say either test. <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/brief/5QandA.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/brief/5QandA.htm</a></p>
<p>However, information for people applying for September 2006, which is dated November 2005, says that the ACT is acceptable if all other schools require the ACT. <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/appl/05/#testing%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/appl/05/#testing</a></p>
<p>Is the change you are speaking of just operable for the class entering September 2007 -- or are you relying on the first web site or some other document?</p>
<p>I wrote the preceding before I saw quiltguru's edited reply. It is strange that someone at an informational section last summer would say both tests are equal, then several months later the school posts the information on the web indicating the contrary.</p>
<p>I know I was told some things in informational sessions for different places that weren't true and I've heard others report the same. So I guess if I were in the position of needing to know I would email them so I have something more official! Or do you have actual experience now of applying to Princeton with just the ACT?</p>
<p>Adcoms really exagerate the truth in the info sessions. At one of the Harvard sessions, just ask what the minimum SAT score you need in order to be considered. I am told that the answer will be that Harvard considers many factors beyond the SAT and anyone with a 1200+ will be considered. Rachel Toor wrote "Admissions Confidential" about being an adcom at Duke, and she talks about how the adcoms are trained to encourage everybody to apply no matter what.</p>
<p>I never took ACT. I read this on this board somewhere
(from Acceptedtocollegealready?):</p>
<p>One advantage of ACT over SAT is that you can take many live
practice tests as early and as late as you like. Unlike SAT,
you choose the ACT scores you want to report ... it's not like
"all SAT1's and SAT2's are reported when you report SAT scores".</p>
<p>These days some kids and parents start down this path ridiculously
early. I have a cousin in southern cal who claims she took full SAT's
in her 7th and 8th grades that were reported only to the Johns Hopkins program that she attends. Now that she's a Freshman, she can't
paractse SAT live any more, without affecting the score reports.</p>
<p>The truth has been parodied on TV about some parents trying to get their children into the right pre-school so that they can then go to the right elementary school, then the right middle school, then the right high school, and then the right college.</p>
<p>sometimes i wonder, why can't there be another method of judging one's intelligence or something like that...but if there was one quite as efficient it would probably be used by now. in my school (NJ), we had like 3 students take the test including myself. i did really well on act math over all the other act sections and sat sections. for those who are still judging which to take, i'd recommend trying the sat first, if ur lucky and get a good score, good, but if u don't try the act, or like someone said in this thread, u can take the act first, see how u do and attempt the sat if u like.</p>
<p>I think there are two issues related to any kind of test. First, plain intelligence is not that important when compared to a person's other qualitites. Second, applicants come from a wide range of backgrounds and high schools. You can't just reward affluent people who were sent to the best prep schools or the public high schools in affluent neighborhoods, and ignore everyone else.</p>
<p>Southern schools definitely have a huge bias towards the ACT; I'm the third person in my high school's history (1958-2006) to take the SAT.</p>
<p>IMO the SAT was way, way harder than the ACT (and my scores reflected that!. I'd recommend taking both, several times--my ACT score kept increasing the more I took it.</p>
<p>I grew up in Wisconsin - ACT all the way, baby! ;)</p>
<p>I took both, but I did <em>way</em> better on the ACT. You don't lose points for guessing, and they don't word the questions to try and trip you up.</p>