Historically, the SAT and ACT have served to “level the playing field” by objectively giving colleges information about each student’s academic performance in the areas of Math, English, Reading Comprehension, and Science (It’s really more of a reading/data comprehension test than a science test). The scores help colleges, because a 3.7 GPA at an easy-peasy non-challenging school means something different than a 3.7 GPA at a demanding, very challenging school. The idea here is that while GPAs may mean something different at different schools, a SAT or ACT score means the same thing, no matter what school you went to.
Ironically, the SAT and ACT don’t “level the playing field” in actuality all that much, because it is the families at the best schools or who can afford the best prep that often score the highest. Since Covid-19, many schools have remained test-optional. A growing number of selective schools have reinstated testing. If you are aiming for a great school – a top score helps.
Don’t fret high schoolers!
Many people predict the test might stay optional at many schools. And high schoolers, even if it doesn’t stay optional… don’t sweat it! Getting a good score doesn’t have to mean thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. With some focused work, you can improve your score dramatically. Feel free to reach out for a consultation to discuss a plan that might work for you.
If your entire school list is test-optional…
Figure out if it’s to your advantage to take it! For many of you, you will be off the hook! First step: take a practice test. How far are you away from a good score? (More on how to determine what a “good score” is later.) If you feel eons away from a good score, and you have plenty of other activities filling up your schedule besides ACT/SAT prep… consider yourself off the hook! But what if you’re actually not too far away from a “good score?” Or maybe in some or all of the test sections, you’ve already hit your target score! Well then… optional it may be, but for you, dear student, you should train and take the test to improve your chances at admissions.
Why not say to the school… hey, I know you said this thing was optional… but like, here, I took it anyhow for fun, and look at my score!
If you’re aiming for the big leagues…
If you’re aiming for one of the 63+ fantastic schools requiring the SAT/ACT, then you don’t have a choice. Take it you must! Where we come in is helping you score the highest possible score (often perfects and near-perfects), while respecting the fact you probably have a gazillion other activities on your plate.
ACT? SAT? Do schools care?
Schools do not care, and it’s silly to take both. We only need to master one test, and they are different enough that it’s not worth it to divide our focus. Take a diagnostic of each. Some students naturally score higher on one test. If that’s you, great. Stick to the test that you’re naturally good at. For many students though, the scores are comparable. In that case, compare the experience of each one. Having familiarized yourself with both styles and witnessed the difficulty level of each, one probably feels like a better fit for your skill set.
