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The SAT and ACT are standardized college entrance exams. In theory, they are designed to measure skills important for success in postsecondary education.
The SAT and ACT are considered equally by admissions offices.
SAT
SAT
The SAT includes a Reading Test, Language Test, and a Math Test. Each section of the test is scored between 200-800 points, with a maximum score of 1600 points.
Students wishing to take the SAT will need to register for a Saturday test date via their College Board account. Fee waivers can be requested from a counselor.
ACT
ACT
The ACT contains four multiple-choice tests—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and an optional writing test. The score range for each of the subject tests is 1–36. The Composite score is the average of the four test scores rounded to the nearest whole number
All juniors will take the ACT in the spring of junior year. If students wish to retake the ACT, they can sign up via their ACT account for a Saturday test. Fee waivers can be requested from their counselor.
Review full and updated list of colleges by testing policy at fairtest.org
Test Optional
Test Optional
Many colleges and universities across the country feature Test-Optional admissions policies. This means that you can choose whether or not to submit your SAT or ACT scores as part of your college application.
If you choose not to submit test scores, colleges do not view your application as "incomplete" or penalize you. Instead, the admissions committee will simply re-weight the other components of your application.
Without a test score, a college will look much more closely at:
Your GPA and Transcript: Your cumulative GPA, but more importantly, your grade trends (are your grades steady or improving?).
Academic Rigor: Did you challenge yourself with Honors, AP, Dual Credit, or IB courses based on what our school offers?
Your College Essay: Your voice, writing ability, and personal story.
Letters of Recommendation: What your teachers and counselor say about your work ethic and character.
Extracurricular Involvement: How you make an impact outside of the classroom.
Roughly 95% of Senn students apply to colleges without using test scores.
Chart from Fairtest.org
Why are colleges going test optional?
Why are colleges going test optional?
According to fairtest.org,
Standardized Tests don't Strongly Correlate with College Success
"Research for the test publisher shows that the ACT only provides a slight boost in predicting first year GPA [in college]. Further, according to research done by the tests’ publishers, high school grades on their own are consistently better predictors of college performance than either the ACT or the SAT. The combination of test and grades only add marginal increases to predictions of first year performance."
Requiring Standardized Tests is a Question of Equity
"The ACT consistently under-predicts the performance of females in college and over-predicts the performance of males. Although females earn higher grades in high school and college. Analyses of ACT gender bias cite several causes including the test’s emphasis on speed over sustained reasoning and its multiple-choice format.
African American, Latino, new Asian immigrant and many other minority test-takers score significantly lower than white students. Rigid use of the ACT for admissions will produce freshman classes with very few minorities and with no appreciable gain in academic quality. The ACT are very effective at eliminating academically promising low-income and under-represented minority students who apply with strong academic records but relatively low ACT scores. Colleges that have made the ACT optional report that their applicant pools are more diverse and that there has been no drop off in academic quality."
Information pulled from https://fairtest.org/act/
Should I submit my scores?
Should I submit my scores?
The answer may be different for every college you apply to.
Your score is at or above the college's average
Your score is at or above the college's average
Look up the college's "middle 50%" score profile for admitted freshmen (available in SchooLinks). If your score falls within or above this range, submit.
SUBMIT
Your score is a 25 or higher
Your score is a 25 or higher
In most cases for our students, an ACT score of 25 or higher is highly competitive and will help your application. Please use caution when considering highly selective colleges and refer to their middle 50%
SUBMIT
Your GPA is lower, but your test score is high.
Your GPA is lower, but your test score is high.
If your transcript has a few bumps, a strong test score can reassure admissions officers that you have the raw academic ability to handle college-level coursework.
SUBMIT
What if a school requires me to submit my test score?
What if a school requires me to submit my test score?
College admissions officers evaluate you within the context of Senn High School, not the entire nation.
While you personally might not feel great about a 22 or 23 on the ACT, that may actually be one of the higher scores at our school. Don't submit a score just for the sake of submitting it, but keep this context in mind.
Most colleges require scores to be sent officially through your student testing account.
Test Prep
Test Prep
Every year Senn offers ACT prep in the late winter leading up to the April ACT exam. You can find information in the Principal's Weekly Newsletter.
The Senn TRIO program provides online ACT tutoring and is open to any student part of the TRIO program. Stop by Room 217 and talk with Mr. Jesus for an application.
Anyone with a Chicago public library card has access to BrainFuse which provides free ACT practice tests and tutoring
Magoosh ACT Prep has an app with video lessons and flashcards. There’s a decent amount provided for free before you have to upgrade to a subscription. Also it has a suggested study guide based on if you are 2 months out from the test, 1 month out Etc
ACT.org Offers free test prep as well. On their website you can find practice quizzes, practice tests, and a question of the day
Though Khan Academy focuses officially on SAT, many of the test prep resources have strategies that are applicable to the ACT as well
Many teachers incorporate ACT prep into their lesson plans!
Superscore
Superscore
If you take the SAT or ACT more than once, many colleges will use your superscore when reviewing your application.
A superscore is a brand-new, customized composite score created by taking your highest individual section scores from different test dates and combining them into your ultimate highest possible score. Instead of looking at just one bad test day, colleges look at your best moments across all test days.
Because so many colleges superscore, we almost always recommend that students take the SAT or ACT at least twice (assuming your initial score is within the ballpark of submittable). It gives you a great opportunity to hyper-focus your studying on just one or two sections the second time around to boost your overall superscore.
PSAT & National Merit Scholarship Program
PSAT & National Merit Scholarship Program
Chicago Public Schools has contracted with the ACT for our standardized college readiness exams. Due to this shift, we will not be providing the PSAT/NMSQT at Senn and will instead offer a practice ACT in the Fall. We believe providing the opportunity to take a practice ACT will better prepare students for their official spring testing date.
Since we are no longer offering the PSAT/NMSQT, students will no longer automatically be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships. Students enter the competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT in their sophomore or junior year. Read more about the National Merit Scholarship Program here.
Please read below for alternate options to enter the NMSP if you are interested in doing so.
For more information, please review the PSAT guidebook (available in English and Spanish) or reach out with questions.
Option One - Alternate PSAT location
Students can look for an alternate PSAT testing site while the testing window is open ((October 1 to October 31))
Students should look for an alternate testing location through CollegeBoard and call their testing coordinator to see if they would accept outside students.
You can also call the College Board PSAT/NMSQT student customer support line at 866-433-7728
Important! In the 25- 26 school year, students and counselors were unable to identify an alernate PSAT testing location that would accept outside students. You will have better luck pursuing option two.
Option Two - Alternate Entry (via SAT score)
After the October window closes, students may apply for alternate entry. Alternate entry is where students take the SAT on a Saturday and submit those scores for consideration in the NMSQT.
Please submit a written request to NMSQT at ae@nmerit.net. They won't approve alternate entry until after the testing window closes on October 31.
Once your request has been received, you'll need to complete a form that they send you. This form needs to be signed by a school official, which can either be Ms. Rochelle or your school counselor.
Students will need to register for the SAT on CollegeBoard, and may request a fee waiver from their counselor if they qualify (read here for eligibility requirements)
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