Should I take the SAT or ACT?
If you are a sophomore or a junior in high school (or maybe if you're a senior), you are probably deciding whether or not you’ll take a standardized test such as the PSAT, SAT, or ACT for college applications. A lot has changed in the past few years, so let me take you through some of the basics.
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I don’t like standardized tests. I think they put students through a lot of unnecessary stress, and I am not persuaded that they are a good measure of a student’s intellectual ability or college readiness. They give an advantage to students who are good test takers to begin with, as well as students with the financial resources to make use of test prep courses and private tutors.
After decades of research, and in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities have been moving away from placing heavy weight on standardized test scores in their admissions process. Most schools appear to have settled on a test-optional or test-blind admissions policy. Of all the colleges and universities my clients are applying to this year, only Georgetown University and Georgia Tech require either the ACT or SAT.
What does this mean? It means that if taking standardized tests is unduly stressful for a student, or if it seems like a waste of time and/or money, there are plenty of schools that are test optional, and thus lots of great options for every student. That said, if you have your heart set on MIT or another school that requires standardized tests, you’ll need to take the SAT or ACT at least once.
What’s my advice? For most students, especially those who are undecided about where they want to attend college or at least want to keep their options open, I suggest taking the PSAT in the spring of sophomore year, and then either the SAT or ACT (or both) in fall of junior year. If you want to improve your score(s), you can retake the test in spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year. Since most schools are test optional, test scores in most cases will only help your applications. And they can help you qualify for scholarships and honors programs at colleges and universities that don't otherwise require them.
Should you submit your score? It depends. With test optional schools, I recommend submitting test scores if your score is at or above the average test scores of students the school admits. So if you’re applying to DePauw University, where the average composite SAT score among first-year students is 1260, and your composite score is 1280, I recommend submitting.
There’s plenty to consider here—and lots more to discuss when it comes to actual test-taking strategy and preparation. If you’d like assistance from a professional college counselor at any stage of the college readiness process, starting with freshman year, that’s what I’m here for! Schedule your free one-hour consultation today.
