SAT v. ACT
Find a Conversation
| Sat, 05-19-2007 - 3:11pm |
I personally don't agree with the SAT or ACT but its there and it has to be done. I think that the SAT tests more of how well a student can take a test while the ACT tests more of things learned in school.
Did your children take both or just one over the other?
How did they do?
If they did take both, which one did they do better on?
How many times are they going to take it?
Did they do the prep classes like Princeton Review or Kaplan?
If yes, did they help?
How do you feel about them?
Jennifer took the SAT twice and got a 2200 the first time and a 2340 the second time. She did not take any prep classes, just studied out of a review book. She also took the ACT once and got a 34.
Elizabeth has taken the SAT twice so far and both times recieved a 1950, which she is very frusterated about. She needs to get over the 2000 mark and has been taking Princeton Review classes. So far they have been working because she has been improving on her diagnostic tests. She will take the SAT again (hopefully for the last time) in June along with the ACT.
Julia

Only my boys, Gavin and Jacob, have taken the ACT and SAT so far. I think of it the same way as you do, but I understand that colleges need something more to make decisions than just a GPA and an essay.
Did your children take both or just one over the other?
Gavin only took the SAT, but when he took it the ACT was not as popular as it is now. Jacob took both and did a little better on the ACT.
How did they do?
When Gavin took the SAT it was out of 1600. I know that he got above the 1500s and I believe that he got a 1560 and a 1590. Jacob got a 1950 and 2180 on the SAT and a 32 on the ACT.
How many times are they going to take it?
I think that 3 times is a good amount even though you can take it as many times as needed. I know that colleges look at that though and if it was your like 8th time taking the SAT and you get a perfect score it means less.
Did they do the prep classes like Princeton Review or Kaplan?
No just the review books. I know that my daughter Brooklyn will need a review class though. She did not do very well on the PSAT. She does fine in class, but she is a horrible test taker because she second guesses herself.
Kate
Ugh, standardized testing. Tests that kids slave over just to get as close to the perfect score so that a college will even look at them. Am I a fan of the system? no, I think its horrible, but its there and it doesn't seem like it is going to go away anytime soon.
Connor took it and did well on it. He got just below 2000 his first try and got a 2240 his second time around. He never took the ACT because he did fine on the SAT. He did take a Princeton Review class because I knew that he would not have studied without one, and it went well. They are a little expensive though, but I think that it was worth it.
Madison is the one who is frusterated with the exam. Her brother naturally tests better than she does and she is having a hard time with getting a high enough score for Berkely, Stanford, and some ivys. She got a 1800 the first time, 1950 the second, and is taking it again in June. She took the Princeton review class after the first time and now has a private tutor. She is completely stressed out about it and after the second time she was devastated because her diagnostic exams were much higher. She does exceptionally well in school but is not doing as well on these exams.
Adelaide
DD19 took the SAT, twice, but different versions. She did the Subject testing the first time around and she did well on both, though I don't remember the exact scores. For the college she was applying she didn't need the SAT, but we thought it might be a good idea to have them on hand in case she wasn't accepted by the school of her choice.
DD17 too the ACT and I couldn't figure out how to read the scores! LOL - She did okay. Her plans right now are to attend community college or a technical institute so neither of these tests are required.
The standardized tests I loath the most are the state mandated tests - those really burn my bisquit because the districts that do the best receive more state funds and typically it's the districts with the lowest scores that need the funding most. It's all backwards to me. And I hate that our teachers are teaching to the test rather than teaching the students what they will need most in life, after all the state mandated testing is done and filed away.
Fortunately, the SATs & ACTs are American. Kids in Canada don't have to write such exams for acceptance to any university here. Their high school marks,on the required courses for the programs they have applied to, is all that is required. This is because all the provinces have standarized curiculums and standard marking rubics. There is also no essay writing either nor important placed on extra-curiculars. A couple of the "big named" ones require a Personnal Information sheet be filled out but tend to use the information provided for borderline kids.
American students applying to Canadian Universities do have to write the SATs.