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Northeastmom
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Posted: Sun Mar 16th, 2008 06:15 pm |
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I found this on tips for admission on the USNEWs website:
"So I encourage kids to take both the SAT and the ACT. The SAT is designed to trick you. So if you do well at puzzles, you'll do well on that. The ACT is a subject test. If you take both, you give the college admissions officer options. They can let you in based on your ACT score, if it is higher, and don't have to report your lower SAT score to U.S. News to consider in its rankings."
Assuming that a student will definitely score higher on the ACT than the SAT, is it a mistake to only take the ACT?
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:19 am |
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| Just bumpin this up to the top, so my question is seen.
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DesperateDad
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 03:20 am |
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| No. It is in the colleges' best interest to accept the highest score; and they do!
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 12:24 pm |
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| DesperateDad, thanks. My question might not have been clear. If I am certain that my son will score higher on the ACT, is it still a mistake not taking the SAT to give the college 2 choices to consider? My son is not going to get an amazing score on either of these tests, but will realistically score higher on the ACT. I say this because I know how he does, as well as results of the PSAT/PLAN scores. Is there a down side with respect to admissions by not taking both of these tests, and just focusing on the ACT?
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Chedva
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 12:44 pm |
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I know of several kids who took just the ACT (and we're in the Northeast, too), and did quite well in college admissions. I really don't think that there is a downside to sending only the higher test.
We also asked several schools if there is a problem sending only the ACT. (My d did equally well on the ACT and the SAT I, but did not have stellar SAT II scores. She was considering sending only the ACT to the schools that accepted it in lieu of SAT IIs.) They all said no. I'd take them at their word.
If your son will do better on the ACT, then he might as well take it first, see how he does, and maybe spare himself the hassle of prepping for and taking the SAT.
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:11 pm |
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| Chedva, the idea is to spare him the hassle of prepping for both and sitting for both of them. I am just wondering if there is such a thing as a school only using SAT scores for their rankings, or the reverse (only ACTs), and how that might effect admission outcomes. I just don't want to regret that he did not take the SATs because I did not understand the advantages/disadvantages. I am certain that his ACT scores will be higher. Last edited on Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:13 pm by Northeastmom
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Chedva
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:40 pm |
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Oh, I understand. Right now, every school says that they will accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT. As I said, I'd take them at their word. They set the rules; they could easily say, "We prefer the SAT, but will accept the ACT if we have to" or "We require the SAT." They don't; they say either will do. More and more students are taking only the ACT, based both on the test itself and the fact of score choice.
On the other board, I know there was at least one student who submitted only the ACT and is now at Brown. There are stories of others as well.
I think your son will be fine taking only the ACT.
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DesperateDad
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 04:06 pm |
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NEmom:
sorry, my response was not clearer. What I meant was No, it's not a mistate just to take one test if you know (with near certainty) that your S will do better on one. Since (nearly) all colleges accept the highest of the ACT or SAT, focusing on one of them and doing his best will not hurt in the admissions game. I agree with Chedva, and take them at their word regarding testing. Now, of course, that doesn't mean that an application reader might have a personal bias towards one test (or the other), just as they may might have a personal bias towards kids who take Calc or who have a theater EC, but officially, those biases are supposed to be left at the Admissions Committee door.
Good luck.
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bumpyroad
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 04:24 pm |
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My nephew is one who did dramatically better (35) on the ACT than the SAT, and based on that had a number of good scholarship offers from California schools, including Regents scholarships at a couple of UC schools. The only school he didn't get into was Stanford, and given his grades that wasn't a schock.
On the other hand, if you had asked whether he was likely to do better on one test I would have said the SAT, so you might want to try both anyway.
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 04:41 pm |
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bumpyroad, I do think that boys statistically do better on the SAT than ACT. My son has never been a good test taker. He took the PLAN and the PSAT as a 10th grader. I do realize that PSAT is an 11th grade test, though he was evaluated in percentages with 10th graders. The PLAN is a 10th grader test. He scored higher relative to his peers on the PLAN. I had a gut feeling that the ACT would be better suited to him.
As a person who is new to the ACT, I almost feel guilty having him not take the SAT.
Thanks everyone!
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Wendy (wjb)
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Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 04:44 pm |
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northeastmom:
I believe that there is no disadvantage to submitting only the ACT. Anecdotally, my son was admitted to Yale EA without submitting the SAT I -- just ACT and SAT IIs. Every school in the country now accepts either test (some even take the ACT in lieu of SAT I + SAT II, although many still require two or three SAT IIs whether an applicant submits SAT I or ACT). I think that any remaining institutional bias against the ACT has evaporated. ACT has an advantage -- score choice: Your son gets to pick which ACT sittings to submit. With SAT, the CB keeps track of all scores taken during high school and will report all of them to colleges your son applies to. ACT also has a disadvantage: Few colleges "superscore" ACT. Many colleges do "superscore the SAT I, i.e., they consider the highest subscores from among all submitted SAT tests to give a student a "superscore" -- the highest composite possible.
But if your son knows he'll do better on the ACT, I see no reason at all to take the SAT I.
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Tue Mar 18th, 2008 07:06 pm |
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Northeastmom wrote: As a person who is new to the ACT, I almost feel guilty having him not take the SAT.
Thanks everyone!
Northeastmom, you should know by now that guilt is almost always a wasted parental emotion when it comes to college planning. 
I say, let him focus on the ACT. If it doesn't turn out OK, he can still give the SAT a try next fall.
Just remember: most kids still only take one or the other, not both. So, there is absolutely nothing to feel guilty about!
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Tue Mar 18th, 2008 07:32 pm |
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Carolyn, yes, you are absolutely correct that my guilt is a wasted emotion. Son is in 10th grade now. I am getting ready to line up some ACT tutoring for the summer. I will plan on having him take the ACT in October, and I will have him forgo the SAT and PSAT (he won't be a candidate for national merit anyway). Glad you responded to my post. I just needed for you to reassure me that it is okay to forget about the SAT.
Thank you to everyone who posted.
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jrmom
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Posted: Wed Mar 19th, 2008 01:36 am |
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D got into Brown ED this year with just the ACT and 2 SAT II scores.
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Northeastmom
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Posted: Wed Mar 19th, 2008 01:48 am |
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| Congratualtions, to you and your daughter, jrmom. Thanks for letting me know.
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Momof3
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Posted: Wed Mar 19th, 2008 10:20 am |
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My son's school pushed the ACT in highschool as much as the SAT. Many of the students did well on it and it didn't hurt them in getting any scholarships,etc. There is actually a guide that puts the ACT score into SAT numbers. The down side is the "science" section. My son, since he barely studied for it, didn't do well on it and it brought his overall score down. It was mostly graphs and things like that and you have to be prepared for that and know the quickest way to read them.
He did like how it was straight-forward (like him) and wasn't trying to trick you or have you analyze everything.
I bought the book and they had an online course at the time. There was also a few test prep classes for ACT in the area, but not as many as there were for SAT at that time.
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