Standardized Tests: SAT and ACT

Information may be out of date. The SAT is now administered digitally, and many selective colleges have changed or reinstated their test requirements since this guide was written. Confirm current test formats, dates, and each college’s policy on official sites.

Standardized tests can be very intimidating, but they don't have to be. The most important thing to note is that any score is obtainable with hard work and determination. Cliché? Maybe, but true nonetheless. Use this guide to learn about testing, its impact on the admissions process, and study timelines.

How Standardized Tests Impact Admissions

Now we come to the often-intimidating standardized testing. This part is challenging for many students as they usually must work very hard to get their desired score but doing so is completely possible. Standardized tests are obviously a vital aspect of the college application process, but they are not the most important. Colleges use standardized tests as benchmarks to compare applicants. High schools and education vary, but these tests provide a standard point of comparison. Therefore, they can and should be used to get an advantage over other applicants. Test scores do not have to hurt students’ applications — with hard work they can help them. To have a good chance of admission to a college, applicants should aim to get a score that is in the college’s 75th percentile or above, meaning they received a score higher than 75% of admitted applicants. College statistics are available on numerous websites, but it is best to get the score data directly from the colleges who issue online annual application reports. Getting in the 75th percentile is often very challenging, and if this does not happen it is fine. The chances of admission are not over. To have a realistic chance of admission students need to be in the 25th to 75th percentile, or the middle 50 percent. The higher end of this range, or above average, is best. Getting a score at or below the 25th percentile puts applicants at a significant disadvantage, but unlike with GPA they may be able to compensate with incredible extracurriculars. For some colleges this could be starting a club, obtaining leadership positions, and completing impactful community projects centered around one topic. For others, like top 30 colleges, applicants will need to have more impressive activities, especially if they have a lower-than-average SAT or ACT score, but more about extracurriculars in the next section.

Obtaining the Needed Standardized Test Score

Getting the score I wanted was the hardest part of the application process for me, so I understand many students who think that they will never be able to get the score they need, but this is not true. I improved my SAT score by 350 points from PSAT to my final SAT through many hours of studying — anyone can too. Although this took several years from 10th grade to 12th grade, improvement takes different amounts of time for different people. Students will usually improve their score quickly when they first begin studying, but improvements will take longer as the study process continues. So how does someone improve their standardized test scores?

Applicants Must Determine Which Test is Best for them

The SAT and ACT are both college entrance exams, but they are very different in terms of their layout and material. It is critical to determine which test is going to allow for a higher score. Although doing well will require studying, students will often do significantly better on one test than the other. Before studying for either test students should look over some practice questions in each of the sections of each test and compare them to see which ones they are more comfortable with. Students should then try to answer some questions and when they understand the tests and are acquainted with the types of questions, they should take both an SAT and ACT official practice test. When taking official practice tests students should follow both timing allowances and permitted material guidelines, such as calculator or no calculator. If students score significantly higher on one than the other, then they should consider studying only that test to begin with. After taking any official practice test, look at the subsection scores and determine what happened. Was understanding the concepts tested in the problems hard? Was it the timing? Questions like these should gauge confidence regarding the tests and what students need to study in the future.

National Merit Scholarships

Although this could be put into the scholarship chapter, National Merit Scholarships are completely dependent on standardized testing, specifically the PSAT. The PSAT is available to all sophomores and juniors in high school. The test does not count towards college admissions and will not be seen by colleges. The test is simply a pre-SAT, and a great way to gauge future performance on the SAT, and for creating study plans accordingly. The test is not reflective of the ACT. The junior year PSAT is used to award National Merit Scholarships, which are given to the top performing students on the test relative to other students in the state. The score qualifies students as semi-finalists while a subsequent selection process occurs to distinguish semi-finalists from finalists. The process includes an extensive application as well as other specific requirements. The scholarship for finalists is $2,500. It is a prestigious award and helps in the college application process. Information about the PSAT and the National Merit Scholarship program requirements and testing dates is available online and through guidance offices.