Neither or BOTH? More SAT / ACT Options

This time last year, many of my students were gearing up to take SAT on March 14, 2020.  But COVID-19 canceled that test, the one after, and the one after that.  In the wake of multiple cancellations, most U.S. colleges adopted “test-optional” admissions policies.  Last fall’s admissions cycle led many to wonder why the SAT and ACT were ever needed in the first place.*  Nevertheless, the number one question parents of sophomores and juniors still ask me as an online SAT tutor, online ACT tutor, and online college counselor is, “Should my child take the SAT or the ACT?”

Yesterday, I described which type of student is better for the ACT and which for the SAT, based on my many years of working as an online SAT tutor.  Today, I'll discuss who might want to forego BOTH -- and who might want to TAKE both.

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Your child might want to forego taking either exam this year ONLY if… they can answer “yes” to ALL of the following questions:

• Have you mostly scored in a higher percentile in your schoolwork than on standardized tests in the past?

• Were your grades throughout high school consistently good (e., mostly As, few Bs, no Cs, Ds, or Fs)?

• Was your coursework generally rigorous? (Did you mostly take the hardest courses that your school offers?)

• Do ALL of the colleges on your list still offer test-optional admissions for this fall (you can check that here)?

Most parents sense whether their child is a so-called “good” or “not-so-good” test taker.  However, this supposedly fixed characteristic alone shouldn't dissuade a student from preparing for the SAT.  With coaching tailored to their unique needs, teens can rewrite their past scripts.  For instance, as an online SAT tutor , I’ve helped students overcome formerly debilitating test anxiety through guided visualization, journaling, and meditation.  Since the SAT will likely not be the last test your child has to take, it makes sense to equip them with the tools to survive the process now.

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As Jeffrey Selingo argues in Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, grades and coursework play the biggest role in where students get accepted.  Respectively, the higher and the more rigorous, the better.  To be clear, neither Selingo nor I advocate taking five AP courses as a freshman in high school.  (In fact, as a longtime teacher AND online SAT tutor, I don’t think any high school student should ever take more than three in one year.)  Students’ academic performance in high school predicts how well they’ll do in college much better than a single test on a single day.  So, admissions officers weigh a student’s grades and coursework much more heavily than either the SAT or the ACT.

Nevertheless, if the college that you want to apply to will require the submission of a standardized test score (check here), you don’t have much choice other than to take one or the other.  But most students don’t finalize their college list until fall of the senior year.  This is exactly when they should focus their mental energies on writing application essays.  Juggling SAT prep, college essays, and senior year coursework is a recipe for disaster.  Therefore, I strongly recommend that your child take the SAT or ACT before the July preceding their senior year.   Doing so will allow them to apply wherever they want to go as seniors – and to keep their sanity while doing so.  (Learn more about college planning timing here.)

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Your child should take both exams if… YOUR CHILD SHOULD NEVER PREPARE FOR BOTH EXAMS! 

As an online ACT tutor and an online SAT tutor, I’ve seen an increasing number of students want to take both exams. Colleges that accept the SAT will also accept the ACT, and vice versa.  They view each test equally.  So why drive yourself crazy by preparing for both?

That said, rising juniors should take a practice ACT and a practice SAT to get a sense of which exam “feels better.”  I advise all the families with whom I work as an online ACT tutor and online SAT tutor to take the time to “try each exam on.”  Then, the child should make a decision – and not look back.  

From the sidelines, I watched one family equivocate for months.  The teen enrolled in SAT courses, then ACT courses, and then switched back to the SAT.  The junior who could have prepped in 8-10 weeks for just one exam spent 8-10 months preparing for both.  I’m not sure what impact this much (needless) test prep had on her junior year grades, but I doubt it was good.  (I also worried about the impact so much work and indecision had on her mental health.)

If your family’s like this one, my first piece of advice is: call me!  As an online SAT tutor and online ACT tutor, I offer families complimentary consultations and can help you make a sound decision based on your child's academic profile.  If you’d rather go it alone, my vote is for the SAT (you can read more about why here).  

Remember: make a decision to take ONE exam and stick to it.  Then, your child can dedicate himself to preparing for 8-10 weeks prior to the first exam.  They can take that SAME exam once more for good measure – and then be done with it!  Allow them to move on to the more important matters of getting good grades, choosing the right college, and writing a personal statement that’s meaningful.

Next month, learn about why and HOW that “personal statement” — the dreaded college essay — can be a meaningful and important step in adolescents’ journey toward adulthood!

*(I’ve written elsewhere about why these exams persist and how we might use them while they’re still here.)