Application Process

I received my letter on July 20th and since then I have completed everything except my medical exam and CFA, this will be completed by the end of the month. The only area that I am not deemed competive in is Critical Reading where I was 10 points below the SAT score range. Should I retake the Sat's again? Maybe take the ACT? I also received a perfect score on the essay part of the SAT, should I send admissions a copy of that essay? Thanks

Definitely take the SAT again and try the ACT at least once. They are quite different tests. Admissions uses the candidate statements to assess writing ability. My ALO stated that the Academy does not even look at SAT writing and physically crossed it out on my resume then circled reading and math during my interview.

You should take the SAT and ACT as many times as you can afford to. Your scores can ONLY GO UP. The academy superscores; which means they always keep the highest score from each section, from each time you took the test. So it's not possible for a score to go down. it can only go up. So if you can afford it, take it as many times as possible. Best of luck. mike...

AVT said:

Definitely take the SAT again and try the ACT at least once. They are quite different tests. Admissions uses the candidate statements to assess writing ability. My ALO stated that the Academy does not even look at SAT writing and physically crossed it out on my resume then circled reading and math during my interview.

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I have studied SATs all my years in high school, not even a peek at the ACTs. On the SATs I score 550/750/700 (R/M/W). Planning on re-taking it on October. Still take the ACTs once?

Reading is my weakness on the SAT also, 600R and 700M.
I took an official practice test for ACT and on the reading section I got a 34 which is about 770 on SAT. They are different as you are not tested on vocab during ACT.

Our DS took both, only 1X for the ACT because it beat his 2 tries on the SAT. He had a 1390 out of 1600 for the SAT, and it was a 33 or 34 on the ACT. The ACT is different. Our DD also took both, but for her the SAT (1290) was a much better score than her ACT (25)(she didn't apply to the AFA), just illustrating the fact that 2 kids in one family performed differently on each test. The main reason why the ACT hurt her, but helped her brother is IMHO the ACT is really more geared to the Math and Science section. It is a composite score, so if you bomb one section it can hurt you. She bombed the science portion, if that one portion was not included she would have had a 29. The science portion is a lot of graphing and spatial awareness.

Additionally, google the class of 14 and you will be able to see what the median scores were for each. You always want to be in the median, if not above it. I know a few yrs back it was 680M and 650 CR

if you can afford it; a 1 on 1 SAT preparation tutor is a big help. the SAT is about strategy: learning to take the test. if you answer too many questions incorrectly you hurt your score. learning what questions you have problems with and choosing not to answer those questions can only help you. ACT does not penalize you for incorrect responses. my son raised his SAT's into the median and above median range for the air force academy after we spent the money for a tutor. the higher score also puts him in the running for merit based scholarships at several of the colleges he is looking at so my husband and i feel the extra money was worth it if it means partial or full scholarships for 4 years of college if the academy doesn't happen.

Some people respond differently to the SAT vs the ACT. It's all preference, really.

Too bad you have to pay in order to find out which one you prefer.

AFA Admissions

This question is directed to ALO Steve:

Do you like a candidate to contact you to set up an interview or is it usually the other way around? Thanks.

Sorry to sort of budge-in on your topic, but it is pretty related. Do you need to take SAT's AND ACT's or just SAT's?

You can take one or the other or both. Some people do better on one than the other, but taking each test multiple times or multiple tests can only help you.

PDub said:

You can take one or the other or both. Some people do better on one than the other, but taking each test multiple times or multiple tests can only help you.

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K thanks, (I take the PSAT Oct. 16th and SAT Nov.)