Question: Does it make a difference which standardized test my daughter takes? All of her friends are taking the SAT’s and she is hesitating, thinking she’d do better on the ACT. - Joanne, Boston
Answer: The biggest difference between these two long-established, and widely-used standardized tests is where they are “most popular.” Simply for historical reasons, the SAT has been used more extensively along the East and West Coasts, while the ACT has been the preferred “test of choice” in the Midwest and the South.
Substantively, there are minor differences: the ACT includes a “science” section. It is not hard-core chemistry or biology, but more like a reading comprehension test. Conversely, the SAT has a required writing section while the ACT’s writing piece is optional.
Here is the big difference: tradition and expectation. Colleges typically expect a student living in the Northeast (or on the West Coast) to be taking the SAT. And when they don’t, it can raise a red flag. It might not, but it could. And the last thing an applicant wants to do is give the admission office a reason to doubt, question, or reject her. So, stick with what is the norm from your high school.
One final thought – if you’re from an area where both are widely used, take a practice test in both early in the process. Unless the ACT is significantly higher, stick with the SAT. Our tutoring experts tell us it is much more difficult to improve your ACT scores.
