​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

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.