What Test to Take When Applying to College

Yes, there is a choice. Though most students in the Delaware Valley (and all along the East Coast) instinctively start dreading the infamous SAT from the first day of high school, many do not realize that universities will also accept the ACT. Moreover, admissions officers evaluate the SAT and the ACT equally. This point is very important. No matter what any parent or family friend believes, there is no university, including the most competitive and most elite in the nation, that favors one test over the other. Students can call any admissions office to verify the fact. So what test should students take? The answer is simple: the test they score higher on. The SAT is scored out of a possible total of 2,400 points, the ACT out of 36. Find a score conversion chart online. There is no clear-cut kind of student who performs better on one test or the other. Some claim the ACT is better for students who like math and science. The math section covers a higher level of math. Only the ACT has a science section. The science section does not evaluate scientific knowledge, but rather graph analysis and reading comprehension. The best way to determine which test is better for a student is to try both.