What I’ll cover in this blog:
-Why should I take the SAT/ACT if it’s now optional in many colleges?
-SAT vs ACT
-Test prep options
– I don’t do well in tests
-How many times is too many?
-How Goal Admit can help
Why should I take the SAT/ACT if it’s now optional in many colleges?
Test scores have been a controversial topic in college admissions for many years. It is a fact that wealthy, privileged students who can afford expensive test prep do much better in the tests. How much weightage should be given to test scores when compared to GPA, essays and extracurriculars? Covid only magnified these questions when test taking in-person became difficult and formats and evaluations had to be changed to accommodate virtual test-taking.
Many colleges, including some of the top ones, decided to make test scores optional in recent years. Why then should a student even consider taking the SAT or ACT? Wouldn’t it be better to spend all those prep hours improving their high school GPA? The reasons to take the test even after it has become optional are:
1. If you’re good at taking tests (if you get above 1480 in your first diagnostic SAT test or if you did well in your PSAT), if you can afford test prep coaching, and if you’re planning to apply to top colleges including the Ivy League colleges, it is good to take the test at least once. You can always choose later to submit scores selectively to some of the colleges you are applying to.
2. If you have a GPA less than 3.7 unweighted, it would be good to boost your application by striving for and getting a good test score.
3. If you’re planning to apply to any of the colleges that still require test scores, you have to take the test.
4. If you’re planning to apply to some of the more competitive majors like Computer Science or pre-Med or Engineering, taking the test will prove that you can handle the rigor of those tough college majors.
5. If you cannot afford expensive college admissions consulting services (Goal Admit is not expensive!:-)) and are planning to complete your application and essays on your own, having a good test score could compensate for less than stellar essays.
SAT vs ACT
I touched briefly on this in an earlier blog.
The SAT has the following sections:
Source: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/whats-on-the-test/structure
The ACT has the following sections:
Source: https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf
If you leave out the optional writing part, both tests have similar overall times – 3 hours for the SAT and 2 hours 55 minutes for the ACT. But the ACT has a larger number of questions for the time allotted for each section, so students who take longer to answer each question have a better chance with the SAT.
The ACT is a more curriculum-based test, with an extra Science section. STEM students who are taking more Science courses in high school have an advantage with the ACT.
You can choose to do the Writing option if you want to highlight your writing talents. Although the college application essays are enough of a showcase for your writing.
Cost-wise they are both similar without the ACT writing option. SAT is $60, SAT (without writing) is $68, ACT (with writing) is $93.
The best way to decide would be to take an initial practice test with both, and check which test gives you a higher score. It is not necessary to take both tests since there is no preference of one over the other from the college perspective.
My older son took the SAT in October of his 11th grade. He got a 1520 after a summer of test prep coaching classes. It was a better score than all his practice tests so we decided he need not take the SAT again. But it wasn’t a great score so we decided to hedge our bets with him taking the ACT as well. He went for intense 1:1 tutoring classes for the ACT and took it in December of his 11th grade. He got a 34, which is equivalent to a 1520, so it turned out to be a wasted, redundant effort especially since the double test prep impacted his 11th grade first semester grades.
My younger son had the benefit of lessons learned from his brother’s experience. He started his Math pathway early so he had completed Algebra/Trigonometry by 9th grade. He took the SAT October of his 10th grade, after a summer of test prep coaching classes. He got a 1560 on his first attempt and we decided it was great for the colleges he planned to apply to, so he was very happy to not have to take the test again:-)
Test prep options
There are several test prep options available. I list here general options. Goal Admit can customize the options for you if you email me or schedule a 1:1 session with us.
1. Established coaching companies in your area that offer group coaching
Pros
a) Knowledgeable, experienced teachers who gear the classes to improve your score week-to-week.
b) Motivation from fellow students, especially if they’re high school classmates. “Gotta score higher than David and Aditya!”
c) More reasonably priced than individual coaching options.
d) Most offer summer coaching plans as well as fall/winter options.
e) Practice is the most important and all provide multiple practice tests included in the pricing.
Cons
a) Hit or miss with the success rate – do your homework and read reviews for the companies in your area. Go with more established companies that have been doing this for years/decades.
b) Tough to schedule the summer session if it conflicts with summer programs or internships.
c) Classmates and fellow students could demotivate you if they consistently score higher than you. You need to remember that you’re competing only with yourself – aim to improve your own score week-to-week.
d) More expensive than self-prep.
2). 1:1 Coaching
a) If you read the reviews and choose the right experienced coach, you can benefit from 1:1 input from a veteran.
b) The coaching would be tailored to your specific strengths and weaknesses. If Math is a breeze for you but Reading Comprehension is an issue, classes can focus more on the English section.
c) You can pick how many classes you want based on the progress as well as based on what you can afford.
d) No influence or distraction of fellow students.
3) Self-prep
a) If you cannot afford individual or group classes, this is a very viable option to get a good score.
b) All you need is discipline and organization – set targets and set aside 4-6 hours every week starting 3 months before your target test date.
c) Practice is the key to success so do as many practice tests as you can. Spend some time analyzing your scores to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
d) If one of your parents can coach you and keep you on track, this option will work even better.
I don’t do well on tests
I hear this a lot and the only way to combat it is with more practice. For students who feel this way, timing is usually the issue. They feel stressed to complete a certain number of questions in a given time. Practicing timed tests is important. Watch a clock constantly during the practice test and improve your timing with every practice test until you get comfortable with the format and the pace of the test.
How many times is too many?
I know people who want to take the SAT again even if they get a 1550 or 1560, trying to improve their score just a little bit. There are others who are satisfied with a 1480. If you’re applying to top colleges and Ivy League colleges, and your score is less than 1550, yes, you need to at least try once more to improve your score. If you are not applying to top colleges and most of the colleges you’re applying to do not even require the test, you can be once-and-done, whatever your score.
Fact is that there will be very marginal improvement beyond the second and third attempts, so there is really no point taking the test four or five times. And even for the second or third try, prepare strategically, focusing only on the weaker sections from your previous test. And try to take the second and third attempts soon after the first, to fully leverage the original prep.
How Goal Admit can help
We can suggest personalized strategies for test prep. And suggest local coaching centers and tutors near you with comparison score cards on them. There are a huge number of options for test prep help and we can help narrow down the choices for you. Because success in the SAT/ACT is an essential part of your goal to get admitted to the college of your choice.