SAT vs. ACT: Making the Right Choice for College Admissions Chris Brechtel clarus.tutoring@gmail.com 858-876-2783 November 8, 2017
Things You May Have Heard SAT/ACT scores are the most important element of a student s college application. Students should wait until their senior year to take the SAT/ACT. High schools will register students automatically for the SAT and ACT. Students can register for the SAT and ACT on the College Board website. Weak math students will perform better on the SAT. The SAT is easier than the ACT. If students prepare properly, they can expect a 3-4 point improvement on the ACT or a 100-150 point improvement on the SAT. Students shouldn t take the ACT/SAT more than 3 times. Students should take the official ACT or SAT cold (without preparation) in order to establish a baseline score. Certain SAT/ACT test dates are scaled more favorably.
Corrected myths SAT/ACT scores are the NOT the most important element of a student s college application. Students should NOT wait until their senior year to take the SAT/ACT. High schools will NOT register students automatically for the SAT and ACT. Students can register for the SAT on the College Board website and the ACT on the ACT, Inc. website. Weak math students will not necessarily perform better on the SAT. The SAT is not necessarily easier than the ACT. If students prepare properly, they can expect significant improvement on the ACT or the SAT. Students can take the ACT/SAT more than 3 times. Students should NOT take the official ACT or SAT cold (without preparation) in order to establish a baseline score. Certain SAT/ACT test dates are NOT scaled more favorably.
Factors for College Admissions Grades in College Prep Courses Strength of Curriculum Admissions Test Scores (SAT, ACT) Class Rank SAT Subject Test Scores SAT = Scholastic Aptitude Test PSAT = Preliminary SAT ACT = American College Testing PreACT = Preliminary ACT Extracurricular Activities Teacher/Counselor Recommendation Letters Personal Statement (Essay) Alumni connection (Legacy) Demonstrated Interest
SAT and ACT: Test Basics SAT College Board Top Score: 1600 (800 per section) Structure (min): Evidence-Based Reading (65 52Q) Writing & Language (35 44Q) Math without Calc (25 15+5Q) Math with Calc (55 30+8Q) Essay (50) Total Sections: 4 + Essay* ACT ACT, Inc. Top Score: 36 (36 per section) Structure (min): English (45 75Q) Math (60 60Q) Reading (35 40Q) Science (35 40Q) Essay (40) Total Sections: 4 + Essay* * Optional (sort of)
SAT vs. ACT: Differences SAT contains evidence-based reading questions. SAT still has a greater emphasis on vocabulary. ACT tests a higher level of math (Precalculus/Trig). SAT Math section provides formulas. SAT has grid-in questions and a no calculator Math section. ACT emphasizes speed (more time pressure). ACT contains a Science section. SAT essay prompt: discuss how author builds his/her argument ACT essay prompt: analyze 3 views and discuss your own
SAT Math Formulas College Board SAT Test #4
SAT Math Question Quadratic Formula College Board SAT Test #4 without calculator
ACT Math Question Trig Identity ACT 2006 61C
SAT Math Question 9 / 4 College Board SAT Test #4 with calculator
SAT Math Question 2. 2 5 College Board SAT Test #4 with calculator
SAT Evidence-based Reading Question College Board SAT Test #4
SAT Writing & Language Question College Board SAT Test #4
ACT English Question ACT 2006 61C
What s a good score? Stanford Princeton UCLA UCSD Pomona Percentile: 25th 75th 25th 75th San Diego State Freshman Class Statistics 2016-2017 RW M SAT ACT Harvard 1470 1580 32 35 MIT 1480 1590 33 35 1390 1540 32 35 1380 1540 31 35 1150 1440 25 33 1210 1450 27 32 1340 1540 31 34 Gonzaga 1180 1350 26 30 490 600 23 28 510 620 ACT SAT 36 1600 35 1570 34 1540 33 1500 32 1470 31 1430 30 1400 29 1360 28 1320 27 1290 26 1260 25 1220 24 1180 23 1140 22 1110 21 1070 20 1030
Choosing the right test Take a full-length practice SAT and ACT. Use an official College Board (SAT) or ACT, Inc. practice test. Convert the ACT score to an SAT-equivalent score. Consider how much study will be needed to reach the target score. Student preference is the deciding factor!
Recommended Study Materials SAT ACT College Board: The Official SAT Study Guide, 2018 Edition ($20, free download) Khan Academy online (free) ACT, Inc.: The Official ACT Prep Guide, 2018 ($28) ACT Online prep ($39.95* for 1 yr. access) The Princeton Review: Cracking the ACT with 6 Practice Tests, 2017 Edition ($14) * Free if student qualifies for a fee waiver
SAT/ACT Prep Timeline Sophomore year PSAT and/or PreACT Junior year October PSAT National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test SAT/ACT Prep + Tests (over summer or during school year) Determine which test is a better match for the student s abilities Consider taking SAT or ACT tests more than once SAT Subject tests (end of school year) Senior year Retake tests if necessary Start Early!
Test Dates for 2017-2018 SAT August 26 October 7 November 4 December 2 March 10 May 5 June 2 ACT September 9 October 28 December 9 February 10 April 14 June 9 July 14 Register no later than 5-6 weeks prior to the desired test date.
What are the SAT Subject tests? Administered by The College Board (same company that offers the SAT and AP tests) Selective colleges and engineering programs may require 2 Subject test scores. Subject tests are subject-specific, fund of knowledge tests. Math: Math Level 1 (Geometry, Algebra 1 & 2) & Math Level 2 (Precalculus/Trig) Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics Humanities: English Literature, U.S. History, World History Languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Modern Hebrew Test dates: same as SAT (except March); Language listening-version: Nov. only Duration of each Subject test: 1 hour Multiple-choice format, guessing penalty for incorrect answers Maximum score: 800 [650 = median score, 700+ is a good score, 750+ for selective programs] Take as many as 3 Subject tests in one day Subject matter tested does NOT necessarily overlap with AP curriculum
What s a good SAT Subject test score? Percentiles for 2017 Graduating Class Lit USH WH Math1 Math2 BioE BioM Chem Phys 800 99 97 95 99 79 97 93 91 87 800 790 98 94 93 98 75 96 90 88 83 790 780 96 92 91 97 71 94 88 84 80 780 770 94 88 89 96 67 92 85 80 77 770 760 92 85 86 95 63 91 81 76 74 760 750 90 81 84 92 60 88 78 72 70 750 740 88 77 82 89 57 86 75 68 67 740 730 84 74 78 86 53 83 72 65 64 730 720 81 70 75 82 50 80 68 61 60 720 710 78 66 73 79 48 78 65 57 57 710 700 74 61 69 76 45 74 61 54 54 700 690 71 57 67 72 42 70 58 50 51 690 680 67 53 63 70 39 68 53 47 48 680 670 64 49 59 66 37 64 50 44 44 670 660 59 46 56 62 34 60 46 41 42 660 650 55 43 53 58 31 55 43 38 39 650 640 52 39 51 56 28 53 40 35 36 640 The College Board website