The transition from high school to college is an intimidating journey, fraught with seemingly enormous choices that will go on life’s permanent record, directing the rest of your life. Will you work at a burger joint flipping patties and dunking french-fries, or will you get that degree that will take you to the top of your chosen career? For many students, those are serious questions, and which test to take, the ACT vs SAT might seem like a key component of the puzzle, making the choice of which test to take an intimidating one.
The good news is, this is one decision which can’t really go wrong. Test scores are important, to be sure, especially if you’re applying at the Ivy League colleges, which reject 9 out of 10 applicants. It’s important that you prepare, and put forth your best effort when approaching the standardized tests. Understanding how each test is formatted, and being aware of your strengths as a student can take the intimidation out of the process, and increase your chances of doing well on your standardized test score. Unless your school of choice has a preference, the choice depends on how you approach testing and what you’re looking to study.
What kind of student are you?
First, make an honest assessment of your approach to test taking. There are several factors to consider. This isn’t about intelligence; it’s about knowing what you’re best at and what test format will allow you to put forth your best performance. Some things to consider when choosing between the tests:
- Are you a strong writer? Are you capable of organizing and presenting your thoughts in a relatively short period of time?
- Do you plan to follow a curriculum heavy in science and math, like an engineering or accounting degree, or will you be pursuing a more intuitive career choice like art, writing, or education?
- Can you concentrate for long periods of time, or do you need to get up and move around frequently?
- Did you have to work hard to make the grade in your classes, or were you one of those shining stars who got through school hardly cracking a book?
- How’s your vocabulary? Are you a concrete thinker who does better with facts and figures, or more philosophical?
Factors to consider with the ACT:
All of these questions will help determine which test is the right one for you.
In general, the ACT will appeal to the more mathematical, scientific thinker whose strengths lie in solid, concrete, factual knowledge. The ACT contains straightforward questions. It contains a section on science, which the SAT does not. Don’t be intimidated, however. The science section is geared toward testing your reading and reasoning skills. You won’t need to remember the difference between an amoeba and protozoa.
More advanced math concepts, like trigonometry, appear on the ACT as well as algebra and geometry. Most students find that the ACT is not more difficult, however, because the questions tend to be very straightforward and easy to understand. If writing is not your strongest point, you might want to consider taking the ACT, because the writing section is not required. Or, if you are a concrete thinker who is confident in your writing ability, the optional writing portion of the ACT can provide an additional positive score for schools.
Overall, the ACT tends to be a “big picture” kind of exam, so if you’re weaker in some areas and very strong in others, you may do best with the ACT. The sections are laid out into smaller sections, grouping all the Math, all the English, all the Science at one time. If you’re the type of student who can concentrate on one subject at a time, the ACT might be the exam for you.
Sitting the SAT:
The SAT, on the other hand, is broken up into ten sections, beginning with the required 25 minute essay. The subjects come in small sections, and tend to be mixed, Critical Reading, Math and Writing. The SAT separates your score by subject, breaking down your score. College officials examine individual scores from the SAT, while the ACT gives more of an overview of your total proficiency.
In addition, the SAT offers chances to take Subject Tests. Some colleges may even require these Subject Tests to examine your proficiency in a given area. If you are strong in a particular subject like Math, Science or English, you may want to consider taking the Subject Tests, even if they’re not required. The more positive information colleges have to consider, the better your chances of admission.
Finally, college experts agree, students who had to work at achieving their high grades in school tend to excel on the ACT vs the SAT. Typically, those students are those who worked hard at memorization and factual knowledge. The students who didn’t need to work as hard, who got by on their reasoning skills and vocabulary rather than learning hard facts, will tend to do shine with the SAT vs the ACT; with its questions that need more rationalization.
Whichever test you choose to take, practice and preparation will help ensure you present your best side to your colleges of choice.
The best news of all? You don’t have to choose between one or the other standardized test. There’s really no reason not to take both tests, and submit your best scores to your college of choice. For students facing the time limit of the brief summer between high school and college admissions, practice tests, which can be taken at any time during the high school experience, are a great option, both for becoming familiar with the tests and for maximizing your score. You can even take the tests more than once, and choose your highest score to submit to the colleges on your list. In the world of standardized testing, there really is no wrong answer. Practice tests and opportunities to re-take the exams give students opportunities to put their best foot forward in the race to college admissions.
