SAT/ACT test strategy

[Anonymous]

My DC is also a soph in honors Alg II/trig and we plan to do what others here have suggested: focus on prep this summer (between 10th and 11th) and take the SAT hopefully in August, or Sept. If a miracle occurs and it’s one and done, great. If not, that test gives info on where additional study should be focused. If it’s all around a huge struggle, DC might then take an ACT practice test to see if that format works better (there are also learning differences and accommodations involved).

DC does take the PSAT in school as a 10th grader this month (cold; not bothering to study because it doesn’t really mean anything - DC is using it as a test of digital platform and accommodation tools), so that may give some insight as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice is to have him prep this summer (more than 3 months of focused prep is unnecessary) - that way he is not juggling it with academic classes. The way to decide on which test is to take diagnostic practice tests of each - w/o any prep - and see which you do better on. If a tossup, I would personally choose the SAT, as it is digital and shorter. Then he can take the test for real in Oct or Nov of junior year, and has the opportunity to retake if necessary in December or March or May. I would not advise waiting until senior year to test.

This advice obviously comes from someone benefiting from unearned white / UMC privilege.

Still good advice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice is to have him prep this summer (more than 3 months of focused prep is unnecessary) - that way he is not juggling it with academic classes. The way to decide on which test is to take diagnostic practice tests of each - w/o any prep - and see which you do better on. If a tossup, I would personally choose the SAT, as it is digital and shorter. Then he can take the test for real in Oct or Nov of junior year, and has the opportunity to retake if necessary in December or March or May. I would not advise waiting until senior year to test.

This advice obviously comes from someone benefiting from unearned white / UMC privilege.

OP specifically asked about summer test prep, so all the answers are well in line with the question and not making assumptions.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea about the ACT but I would agree with your assessment that kid should study for SAT over summer between 10th & 11th, take the August test and then possibly the one in Spring - Feb most likely, or the following August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice is to have him prep this summer (more than 3 months of focused prep is unnecessary) - that way he is not juggling it with academic classes. The way to decide on which test is to take diagnostic practice tests of each - w/o any prep - and see which you do better on. If a tossup, I would personally choose the SAT, as it is digital and shorter. Then he can take the test for real in Oct or Nov of junior year, and has the opportunity to retake if necessary in December or March or May. I would not advise waiting until senior year to test.

This advice obviously comes from someone benefiting from unearned white / UMC privilege.

Everyone is dumping on you for pointing out the white privilege. I am curious how this is white privilege in the first place.

Test prep is not even close to being UMC privilege.

[Anonymous]

NP: If a student already has a high score for SAT, does it matter to colleges if they also submit a high score for ACT? Conversely, if score is high for SAT and student wants to take ACT out of curiosity, will it hurt the applicant if the ACT ends up being lower or is there the option to not submit it (will colleges see you took the ACT but chose not to submit)? I'm asking b/c DC (junior) already has a high SAT score but wants to take the ACT too "for fun"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice is to have him prep this summer (more than 3 months of focused prep is unnecessary) - that way he is not juggling it with academic classes. The way to decide on which test is to take diagnostic practice tests of each - w/o any prep - and see which you do better on. If a tossup, I would personally choose the SAT, as it is digital and shorter. Then he can take the test for real in Oct or Nov of junior year, and has the opportunity to retake if necessary in December or March or May. I would not advise waiting until senior year to test.

This advice obviously comes from someone benefiting from unearned white / UMC privilege.

Everyone is dumping on you for pointing out the white privilege. I am curious how this is white privilege in the first place.

Test prep is not even close to being UMC privilege.

DP but I’m assuming it’s the idea that the kid would have a summer to debate to test prep without needing to have a job, etc. That’s whether or not the test prep is through a paid organization. Those can be very pricey, at which point yes, that’s UMC privilege.

But also, it’s what OP asked about, so I don’t think anyone was making unreasonable assumptions that OP’s kid could afford to devote the summer to test prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP: If a student already has a high score for SAT, does it matter to colleges if they also submit a high score for ACT? Conversely, if score is high for SAT and student wants to take ACT out of curiosity, will it hurt the applicant if the ACT ends up being lower or is there the option to not submit it (will colleges see you took the ACT but chose not to submit)? I'm asking b/c DC (junior) already has a high SAT score but wants to take the ACT too "for fun"

Colleges don’t know what test you take unless you tell them and submit the scores. So if the ACT bimbs but SAT is good, just submit SAT, and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

^bombs, not bimbs. Why would my phone “autocorrect” to a word that’s not even a word? Duck that nonsense. 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP: If a student already has a high score for SAT, does it matter to colleges if they also submit a high score for ACT? Conversely, if score is high for SAT and student wants to take ACT out of curiosity, will it hurt the applicant if the ACT ends up being lower or is there the option to not submit it (will colleges see you took the ACT but chose not to submit)? I'm asking b/c DC (junior) already has a high SAT score but wants to take the ACT too "for fun"

No, you only need one test.

Colleges only see the scores you report to them, either self-reported in the application or by ordering official score reports from the testing agency, depending on which way(s) the college is willing to accept scores.

There is only one college that requires all scores to be reported, and that is for all test sittings of both SAT and ACT: Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Just adding to the chorus: prep summer before junior year for the August SAT or Sept ACT.

Test prep should not be very time-consuming. Plenty of time during the summer to also have a summer job and/or pursue other activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stronger at science than math (ACT removes half the math and puts in science, compared to SAT)

Near perfect 1570 SAT is actually perfect 36 ACT.

The concordance table indicates so, but I wonder if 36 with perfect 36 subparts is distinguishable - as in, maybe 1570 = 36 where the subparts are 36, 35, 36, 35, but 1600 is equivalent to the 36 with perfect 36 subparts achievement?

Maybe, but the official concordance has a 36 ACT as a 1590 SAT. I don't think anyone analyzes beyond that.

https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-SAT-Concordance-Tables.pdf

Anyway, my kid took two practice tests of each. He was 1500-1550 on SAT practice and got 36s in both his ACT practice tests. Feeling the ACT was more of a sure thing, and didn't demand prep beyond an hour or so refreshing his memory on math formulas, he took that exam. Some kids just do a little better on one or the other. A few practice tests should give you a sense.

Actually no. It's a range of 1570-1600. If your composite ACT score is a 35.5, it aligns with the 1570. If it is a 35.75, it aligns with a 1580. if it is a 36, it aligns with the 1590-1600.