ACT & SAT
School Code: 164495
So what do college admissions offices look for when evaluating your test scores? Each college and university are different in what they look for when analyzing your results from the ACT and/or SAT. It is important that when researching colleges of interest you stay in close contact with their admissions offices to know what requirements, if any they have for scores and whether they require one test or the other.
*It should be noted that nearly all schools accept both tests as college entrance examinations.
So what are these tests?
The SAT and ACT are two competing examinations for college entrance. The SAT is more popular in the eastern half of our country, and the ACT is typically used in the western half. This is typically because of where their respective headquarters are located. Click here for a comparison of the two tests.
In addition you'll see some information regarding the PSAT which has some benefits for both the ACT and SAT, however is never seen by colleges and universities.
ACT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines
Register for the ACT in the Media Center on the following dates:
September 19, 2023
October 31, 2023
March 5, 2023
April 30, 2023
Test Date
October 28, 2023
December 9, 2023
February 10, 2024
April 13, 2024
June 8, 2024
July 13, 2024
Regular Registration Deadline
September 22, 2023
November 3, 2023
January 6, 2024
March 8, 2024
May 3, 2024
June 7, 2024
Late Registration Period*
September 23 - October 6
November 4 - November 17
January 7 - January 19
March 9 - March 22
May 4 - May 17
June 8 - June 21
*additional registration fees apply
SAT vs. ACT
When Should I take the ACT or SAT?
Freshmen and Sophomores- We typically do not recommend 9th and 10th graders to take the ACT. Exceptions to this rule are students who have taken advanced courses and have at the minimum taken Algebra II, Chemistry and (Adv) English 11.
Juniors- It is recommended that 11th graders take the ACT near the end of the of the school year. Typically, most 11th graders take the test during April. The biggest reason for this is that these tests need a good background in Chemistry, Algebra II and American Literature, which are courses students typically take their 11th grade year.
Seniors- If a student did not take the ACT during their Junior year or did not receive the score they wanted, we recommended that 12th graders test as soon as possible. Most colleges want scores by March at the latest.