It’s summer. School is finally out. And yet many students are still studying. Prepping for the big SAT test. Which is fine if you’re a rising senior and about to enter the final year of high school.
But if you’re a junior, there are better ways to prep for the SAT than signing up for a prep course.
A good thing to do over the summer before your senior year is to figure out which standardized test is best for you:
The ACT or the SAT
The ACT used to be used primarily in the mid west and Western and East coast colleges didn’t favor it. But that’s all changed and now every college admissions office considers it equally with the SAT.
The ACT used to stand for Achievement Test. But now it stands for, guess what: nothing! This past year, the college board announced that ACT no longer stands for anything.
However, the ACT did have its roots in “ACHIEVEMENT”. Meaning, that it’s the test for students who prefer to be tested on what they’ve learned.
It’s also broken into four parts (English, Math, Reading and Science) with an additional Writing component as opposed to the SAT which is only 3 parts (Math, Critical Reading and Writing)
It’s worth taking a practice test of both the ACT and the SAT to figure out which test suits you better. Why?
Well, 15% of the population scores better on the ACT. So if you’re in that 15% it would be good to know that and stop studying for the SAT.
More tips on studying for the SAT in the next blog.
Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York
