act vs. sat

egeld

5-Year Member
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Jan 1, 2014
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Just wondering if there is a difference between the act and the sat as far as importance. Does one carry more weight than the other?
 
Just wondering if there is a difference between the act and the sat as far as importance. Does one carry more weight than the other?

Nope. You can take either one. Usually it is regional. In the SE, a lot of people focus on ACT, however in the NE, it is more SAT (from my experience in talking to other high schoolers). You should take both to see which one you are better at and go with that one though. Neither carry more weight than the other.
 
ACT/SAT

Take both the ACT/SAT tests as many times as you can. Remember, WP supersizes your score, in other words they take the highest test results. Some kids do better on one test over another. Typically ACT scores are higher. If you take the test several times it is normal to plateau after the 3rd or 4th time and you will need help from the dozens of programs out there.

Good Luck!!

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
Some score better on the ACT vs the SAT so probably good to take both. While it is probably good to understand the basic format and types of questions asked, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on any of those 'prep' type courses. Taking it a lot of times doesn't guaratee a better score. Perhaps some do better since they are more comfortable once they know how the overall process works.
 
Some score better on the ACT vs the SAT so probably good to take both. While it is probably good to understand the basic format and types of questions asked, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on any of those 'prep' type courses. Taking it a lot of times doesn't guaratee a better score. Perhaps some do better since they are more comfortable once they know how the overall process works.

I agree but would recommend practice though. You can get the college boards to send you a question a day via email. It really gets you used to the format and how to actually "read" the questions, which is key.
 
^^ Yes, that would be good preparation. Spending a large amount of $$$ on coaches or pricey programs that claim to be able to dramatically raise your scores is a waste of money.
 
Whoa...

Whoa..take it easy. This is a common practice for many families trying to get there kids into top level civilian schools. SA are no exception. There are some good programs, some are pricey-some cost nothing. It all depends on how motivated and willing the student is to excel in their own goals. Like the old adage "you can lead a horse to water...." To bring up your ACT/SAT score does take effort, you have to reach. Many programs will teach the technique of taking these test. You just have to do your homework and find a program that fits your needs. Not all are created equal.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
Whoa..take it easy. This is a common practice for many families trying to get there kids into top level civilian schools. SA are no exception. There are some good programs, some are pricey-some cost nothing. It all depends on how motivated and willing the student is to excel in their own goals. Like the old adage "you can lead a horse to water...." To bring up your ACT/SAT score does take effort, you have to reach. Many programs will teach the technique of taking these test. You just have to do your homework and find a program that fits your needs. Not all are created equal.

Push Hard, Press Forward

March2Success. It's free and it helped me tremendously.
 
The program that we had our DS take offered a money back guarantee if his ACT score did not improve. That was a no brainer for us. We had no issue spending the money if it meant it raised his score. His scores were exactly the same and they sent us our money back.
 
Both my sons smoked the Math SAT, but had problems with Verbal. We used a private tutor for each, spending about $30-40/hour for 6-8 hours. BTW, we didn't pay the tutor to watch them take the tests. He taught them the techniques which they employed while taking the tests at home. He then analyzed the results with them looking for consistent weaknesses, most of which were correctable.

In both sons' cases, it was intimidation by and dislike of the Verbal section feeding off of each other. Once they learned the "tricks", it became more of a game. There are general strategies for test taking, but also tactics for standardized tests. The SAT and ACT even have their own individual peculiarities. There is a specific way to read each question. There are tricks and tactics which allow you to eliminate answers almost without reading the question. The tactics are few and they are simple. Learn the skills and then employ them with practice tests. After doing that, you will walk into the test looser and with greater confidence.

Whatever you do, don't simply grind through endless practice tests. You'll only frustrate yourself. The best athletes arrive at the game with confidence based on an attention to detail during practices which he/she made meaningful. I know it sounds cheesy and I am totally unqualified to say so, but I assume the same applies to a soldier arriving at the battlefield.
 
I bought an SAT shower curtain online...it had 500 vocab words on it...DS called me passive aggressive for installing it w/ out his knowledge. Put an SAT book on the back of the commode...bought a plethora of books. Until he opened said books, nothing happened. Took it 3 times w/ very little change. Fourth time was the charm (books were finally opened). Score went up from "meh" to "WOW!" Whatever works.
 
There are merits to programs designed for increasing test scores, you just need to find the right one. It's the same way with the two tests, some kids do better on one or the other. The best thing to do is to try both (or at least practice on both) to see how well you can do.
 
^^^ I agree. There isn't any 'magic' you can buy that will guarantee an increase in score and some 'techniques' work better then others. Certain basic test taking skills apply in any test situation.
 
^^^ I agree. There isn't any 'magic' you can buy that will guarantee an increase in score and some 'techniques' work better then others. Certain basic test taking skills apply in any test situation.
This is so true. Take me for example: I had no tutor or program to help increase my scores. I am a self-learner and simply took multiple practice ACT tests and developed my own strategy to do my best. I was able to increase my composite score from a 24 to a 28. I think this is a pretty good improvement given that I self-motivated myself to do better on this test. It just depends on the person I would say.
 
Prep Courses

MY DD increased her ACT scores by 6 points as a DIRECT result of a paid prep course. We did the research and asked for references and were not disappointed. The LOE showed up within a week of the new scores. BTW - USMAPS first semester is basically a prep course also.
 
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