Latest College Prep News & Tips

Should I take the SAT or the ACT?  Do I need to take the SAT II Subject Tests?  Which Subject Tests should I take? While these choices may seem like challenges, they also create opportunities for students to position themselves with the best chance for success.  

Should I take the SAT or the ACT?

If you have taken the PLAN (Practice ACT), compare that to your PSAT or SAT scores using an ACT-SAT Concordance Chart.  Most likely, you should plan to take whichever test you ended up scoring higher on.  Another thing to consider is how you feel taking each type of test. There are differences between the two tests that make the answer to the question “Which one should I take?” a personal one.  Not every student does better on one particular test. At the end of the day, the best way to decide which test is right for you is to take a full length practice test of each test. Then, should look at not only your relative scores but also how you felt taking each test.  If one of the tests makes you much more anxious than the other, that might be a good reason to not choose that test.

Do I need SAT II Subject Tests?

The answer to this question depends on where you plan on applying to college.  First, the SAT IIs are one-hour long knowledge based tests. Highly selective colleges such as Yale, Harvard, Trinity, Bowdoin and Boston College require the SAT I Subject Test plus at least two SAT II Subject tests.  If you are applying to schools that require the SAT IIs, then you should think about when you plan to take them.

The best timing is typically at the end of a course that covers the particular subject matter. For example, a student in Honors Biology should plan to take the SAT IIs in June.  That way, they will have wrapped up the class material. Studying for the test will help them study for their finals. If instead they are enrolled in AP Biology, then they should take the SAT II Subject tests in May. The May SAT II test date is typically the start of the AP Exam week.  For more information on all this, check out this blog post.

Developing an Entrance Test Plan

One important decision that students should make as early as possible is whether or not to take the SAT II Subject tests in courses in which students are currently enrolled (Honors Biology, AP U.S. History, et cetera).  SAT IIs are offered on the same dates as the SAT I. This limits the options for students who want to get all their standardized testing done before the fall of senior year. If the PLAN test is available to your child, I would recommend taking it – it’s typically given in April.

You can then compare the PLAN score to the PSAT to see which test your child performs better on. Another option is to take the full-length practice tests in both the SAT and the ACT. You can then use those to build a plan and make decisions about which test to focus on. We run proctored practice tests in our office on every other Sunday morning. Many students find these to be extremely helpful in preparing for their standardized testing.