Navigating the college admissions process can be exciting yet often overwhelming, especially when it comes to standardized testing. With the introduction of the new digital SAT last spring and the newly announced changes to the ACT, this blog will help you understand your options, how to prepare, and what to consider when deciding whether to submit your test scores.
Understanding the SAT and ACT
SAT:
The SAT transitioned to a digital format in the U.S. in March 2024, bringing several key changes:
Sections: The digital SAT is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section, totaling 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Scoring: Each section is scored on a scale of 200-800, with a total score range of 400-1600.
ACT:
Sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing section.
Scoring: Each section is scored on a scale of 1-36, with a composite score that averages the four test scores.
The ACT recently announced two major changes to the test. First, the Science section will become optional. English, Math, and Reading will remain required and will form the composite score. You will be able to choose to add the Science section, the Writing section, or both if you want. Here are the new choices:
ACT (core): English, Reading, and Math
ACT plus Science: English, Reading, Math, and Science
ACT plus Writing: English, Reading, Math, and Writing
ACT plus Science and Writing: English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing
The second change is that the new core ACT will take only two hours, instead of the current three hours. This is because the Reading and English sections will have shorter passages and fewer questions overall, allowing you more time to answer each question.
Both changes will be implemented starting with national online testing in April 2025. Beginning with the September 2025 test, all students testing on a Saturday, either online or on paper, will have these options.
Most institutions do not prefer one test over the other, and students should choose the test that aligns best with their strengths and the availability at their high school.
Test-Optional, Test-Required, and Test-Blind Policies
Colleges have adopted various standardized testing policies. Here are the main types:
Test-Optional: Students can choose whether to submit their SAT or ACT scores. Currently, around 80% of U.S. colleges and universities do not require standardized test scores for admission, giving students the freedom to decide whether or not to include these scores as part of their application.
Test-Required: Some schools continue to require standardized test scores for admission. Recently, several prestigious institutions like Harvard University and Caltech have reverted to requiring SAT or ACT scores after initially adopting test-optional policies during the pandemic. This trend follows a wave of other highly selective institutions doing the same. Always check the specific requirements of each school you're interested in.
Test-Blind: Test-blind schools do not consider standardized test scores at all, even if you submit them. This policy aims to create an admissions process that evaluates students based on other factors like high school GPA, extracurricular activities, and personal essays. Notable test-blind institutions include the University of California system.
Despite the shift toward test-optional admissions, consider taking the SAT/ACT anyway. Submitting strong test scores can strengthen your application, qualify you for merit aid scholarships, and may be useful for course placement or fulfilling minimum requirements at some colleges.
Superscoring: Your Best Performance Highlighted
Superscoring is a method that some colleges use to evaluate your SAT or ACT scores. Instead of only considering your overall score from a single test date, colleges can combine your highest section scores from different test dates to create a higher composite score.
For instance, let’s say you took the SAT twice. On your first test, you scored 700 in math and 600 in reading. On your second test, you scored 650 in math and 650 in reading. With superscoring, colleges would combine your highest math score (700) and your highest reading score (650) to create a superscore of 1350, even though this wasn’t your combined score from any single test date.
To see if the colleges you're interested in use superscoring, check their admissions website under their test score policy. This can make a significant difference in how your scores are evaluated and could strengthen your application.
Interpreting Middle 50% Scores
The middle 50% score range represents the scores between the 25th and 75th percentiles for a specific group, such as students enrolling in a given year. Imagine your dream college has a middle 50% SAT score range of 1200 to 1400 for admitted students. This means:
25% of admitted students score below 1200.
25% of admitted students score above 1400.
The middle half of admitted students score between 1200 and 1400.
If you score 1300, you’re in that sweet spot! It means you're competitive and in the same range as most admitted students. If you score 1150, you might need to boost your score to be more competitive. But if you score 1450, you're above the 75th percentile and ahead of most admitted students, giving you a strong advantage. Understanding where your score stands in relation to the middle 50% range can help you gauge your chances of admission.
Keep in mind that for test-optional schools, the middle 50% score ranges are skewed higher because only students with very high scores tend to submit them. This means the actual average scores might be lower than they appear, so you shouldn't be discouraged if your score falls below these ranges.
Additionally, the middle 50% might differ depending on the major you choose. For example, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the middle 50% SAT scores for admitted first-year students range from 1380 to 1530, but this range can vary significantly by college within the university. For instance, the Grainger College of Engineering has a middle 50% SAT range of 1460-1550, while the College of Education's range is 1220-1430.
To find the middle 50% score ranges, visit each school's admissions website. Look for sections titled “Admissions Statistics” or "First-Year Class Profile."
Some schools also provide data on the percentage of students who submitted standardized test scores. This information can help you gauge how common it is for applicants to submit scores and help you make informed decisions about your application strategy. For example, here are statistics from five well-known test-optional schools, showing the percentage of first-year students enrolled in Fall 2023 who submitted SAT and ACT scores, based on the latest 2023-2024 Common Data Set:
School | % Submitting SAT Scores | % Submitting ACT Scores |
Princeton University | 57% | 20% |
University of Chicago | 46% | 30% |
Tufts University | 35% | 18% |
Boston University | 30% | 10% |
New York University | 27% | 12% |
For information on other colleges, see this helpful resource from Big J Educational Consulting.
Preparing for the SAT and ACT
Start Early: Begin studying several months before the test date. Some students start as early as the summer before their junior year. If you’re a junior, take diagnostic tests for both the ACT and SAT as soon as you feel ready; this will help you decide which test to focus on. Good news: if you choose the ACT, the new version starting in April 2025 won't change the types of questions, so your current preparation will still be useful..
If you're a senior and haven't taken the ACT or SAT yet, consider scheduling it before school starts to lighten your future workload and reduce stress. Also, if you’ve been preparing for the ACT, continue with confidence since the format will stay the same for your fall test dates.
Use Free Resources: Use free resources such as practice tests from the College Board (for SAT) and ACT.org. Khan Academy and Schoolhouse also offer free SAT prep. Familiarizing yourself with the test format by taking practice tests can help reduce test anxiety and improve time management skills.
Fee Waivers: Check out the links below to check your eligibility for fee waivers:
Holistic Admissions: More Than Just Test Scores
Colleges today focus on a holistic admissions process, where test scores are just one part of your application. At test-optional schools, many successful applicants do not submit test scores. Admissions officers look at several factors, including:
High School Transcripts: The rigor of courses taken and grades earned.
Extracurricular Activities: Involvement in clubs, sports, arts, and volunteer work.
Personal Essays: Insight into your personality, experiences, and goals.
Letters of Recommendation: Perspectives from teachers or mentors on your abilities and character.
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Whether you choose the SAT or the ACT, remember that these tests are just one part of your application. Colleges care more about your transcript, what you include in your application, and everything you've accomplished over four years, not just a test you took for a few hours on a Saturday. So, don’t stress too much. Enjoy high school and remember—you've got this!
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