Regarding SAT/ACT:
The Naval Academy counts your highest score in critical reading and mathematics and plugs those numbers into the Whole Candidate Score. There is NO PENALTY for multiple scores, and they seem to see all your scores anyway. USNA does not take score choice and, again, there is no penalty. They only care about your highest score. Anyway, take ACT and SAT and take them as often as you can stand.
Cut and pasted from an admissions document on the usna.edu website:
"The Admissions Board scholastic evaluation of a candidate begins with reviewing the candidate’s Rank in Class, SAT-Math and SAT-Verbal, but will also include other factors to view the whole person candidate.
One of those factors could be average SAT scores. Some reasons for not scholastically qualifying a candidate who has qualifying SAT scores would be
The candidate took the SAT exam multiple times (some as many as five or six times) before qualifying.
The candidate did not take a math course in 11th grade.
The candidate had too many grades of C."
jculligan,
1.) since you live in Illinois you will most likely take the PSAT for National Merit but then take the ACT for college aps. To clarify it is English (not reading) that USNA looks at on the ACT though math is weighted heavier. On the SAT it is called 'critical reading' on the ACT it is English. The other S.A.s look at all four+writing.
2.) The ACT is only score choice (unlike the SAT) USNA ONLY sees what you specifically send them, not all of your ACT scores (again unlike the SAT although the SAT is moving to score choice). You can/may get points taken away for too many tests, The words at the end of the admissions document state "before qualifying," so this can be interpreted many ways. However, do yourself a favor, just to keep it simple dont send until you have some under your belt and then dont send the worst ones. Wait until mid spring of you jr yr to start sending ACT tests. It will cost you about $80.00 more in the long run but less chance of a mishap.
3) I agree with NCdoc in that you should take them as many times as you can stand.
Good luck!