College Corner: No Downside To Taking Both ACT And SAT

Now I know that spring is here. It is true that there is more bounce in everyone's pace now and it feels good. Daffodils bloom and began spring cleaning. Even the weather cooperates like the drops held last week. College visits are much better without rain! I even finished my first round of golf. Most people love spring on Cape Cod.

In two weeks, May 6 there will be thousands of high school students in Cape Town and across the country taking the Academic Aptitude Test (SAT). If your son or daughter is one of them, let me explain why I recommend that you also take the American College Test, also called ACT. The registration process is the same as the SAT. The student goes on the ACT ACT.org website, and enrolled for May 5 for the test on June 10.

ACT is a completely different school admission test. Did you know that last year, the SAT has evolved to be more like the ACT, since the student was not penalized for guessing? This format has never existed with ACT. All universities accept the SAT or ACT, but it is little known in the ACT. Most Cape students take the SAT. But since all schools take the test, well, why not take it?

Today's article will be the first in a two-part series designed to examine the differences between the two tests, hoping to persuade parents and students to test the ACT. Next week, I will discuss the specific differences between the two tests. These differences will help students understand the additional reason for taking the two tests.

There is a general misconception that some universities do not accept ACT. However, the reality is that students can take any test because all colleges accept both tests for their admissions. On my favorite university information website Navigator, the tab displays admissions from SAT and ACT for this school. There is even a comparison sheet that reflects both test scores from coast to coast. You can find a scorecard by doing a Google search for "SAT vs. ACT diagram". This table shows you the comparison of the four-part composite score (English, reading, math and science) of the Law compared to the two-part (reading and math) SAT composite score.

As many students and parents know, there are two main pieces for admission to college: the average (GPA) and the SAT / ACT test results. Mentally, add the number of hours students have spent on their GPA. Often the total number of hours beyond 1000 hours. This 1000 hours is part of the two main criteria for admission. Would not it make sense to take a small percentage of the total time and see college admission tests and select the best one? Is there any advantage of limiting the student to take the SAT exam alone?

West of the Mississippi River, the main test used for admission to college is ACT. In this part of the country, students know very little about the SAT. East of the Mississippi, which is exactly the opposite. Since both tests are considered equal, all universities accept either.

In general, ACT test questions are considered simpler than SAT questions. ACT questions are not designed to deceive, but to test your understanding of the subject. The ACT test section is very similar to a regular test that a student would take in high school. You have a series of questions (50 for example) and the time to complete the test.

Comparing the two tests, my experience has been that about 25 percent. 100 of the students get a significantly higher score on the ACT. I really do not know exactly why this happens. The vast majority of students, however, have the same score when comparing the two tests.

Most East Coast students are better prepared for the SAT because they took the PSAT twice. Often, teachers often a matter of days sat down as part of their curriculum. Therefore, it is reasonable that with the same amount of preparation applied to the ACT, we can score higher. My recommendation, therefore, is to take both tests (SAT and ACT in May, in June). Use May to prepare for the ACT, and compare the results. During the summer, students could study the test they feel is best for them and then he / she takes the test in the fall.

The best reason to take both you

There are still two weeks (5 May) to register for ACT on June 10 at www.act.org. Falmouth High School is a test center of law.

Next week, I will review the specific differences between the two tests, which can help students decide if it is worth investing another 10 hours of preparation for their future.