College Entrance Exam Information: ACT/SAT
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM INFORMATION:
What does “Test Optional Mean?” Test optional means that you are not required to provide SAT and/or ACT scores to the university as part of your admission file. You must check with the prospective college or university to determine admission requirements regarding test optional. Applying test-optional doesn't hurt your chances if you've got an outstanding application and are as strong as or stronger than the other applicants. If a school or program has a test-optional admissions process, each applicant gets to choose whether or not to submit their ACT or SAT scores. In other words, submitting your test scores is not a requirement for admissions. Usually, this policy applies broadly to all applicants. So, should you test or not? It is recommended that high school students in the class of 2024 still consider taking the ACT or SAT, but whether or not they submit their scores should depend on test availability and personal performance. Our advice is that: 1. Students should not sacrifice their mental or physical health to take a test; 2. If your test score does not fall within the upper 50% range of your desired school OR it doesn’t reflect your academic school performance, you have the option not to submit; 3. Remember, if you decide not to submit your test score, everything else will matter more in the admissions process. Rigor and grades continue to matter the most supported by a compelling story.
Students who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program can use a fee waiver for the ACT or SAT tests. This waiver is a one time use but you are allowed a maximum of TWO during your high school career.
SAT: Remember, you can only take either the SAT Reasoning test or up to three SAT subject tests in one day. You cannot do both in the same day. Find out from the college you plan to attend whether they require subject tests for college entrance. Some do and some don’t.
Test Date |
Deadline |
Late Deadline |
September 14, 2024 |
August 9, 2024 |
August 25, 2024 |
October 26, 2024 |
September 20, 2024 |
October 7, 2024 |
December 14, 2024 |
November 8, 2024 |
November 22, 2024 |
February 8, 2025 |
January 3, 2025 |
January 20, 2025 |
April 5, 2025 |
February 28, 2025 |
March 16, 2025 |
June 14, 2025 |
May 9, 2025 |
May 26, 2025 |
July 12, 2025 |
June 6, 2025 |
June 20, 2025 |
ACT: Students are encouraged to register online at www.actstudent.org. ACT Only-No Writing costs $66; ACT plus Writing costs $91.00. www.act.org has a complete list of colleges requiring the writing. Click on “Assessments”, click on “The ACT,” click on “Writing Test Option,” and then click on “What Colleges Have Decided . . .” To be safe, take the writing.
A Master Card or Visa will be needed to register online.
If you plan on pursuing athletics in college, be sure to send NCAA an official score report (9999) as they will not accept the sticker on the back of the high school transcript as “official.”
** 55% of students who retake the ACT improve their scores (22% score the same and 23% see their scores decrease).
2024-25 SAT Test Dates & Registration Deadlines - Register online at collegeboard.com
Test Date | Registration Deadline | Online/Phone Late Registration Deadline |
---|---|---|
Aug 24, 2024 | Aug 9, 2024 | Aug 13, 2024 |
Oct 5, 2024 | Sept 20, 2024 | Sept 24, 2024 |
Nov 2, 2024** | Oct 18, 2024 | Oct 22, 2024 |
Dec 7, 2024 | Nov 22, 2024 | Nov 26, 2024 |
Mar 8, 2025 | Feb 21, 2025 | Feb 25, 2025 |
May 3, 2025 | Apr 18, 2025 | Apr 22, 2025 |
June 7, 202 | May 22, 2025 | May 27, 2025 |
A Master Card or Visa will be needed to register online. The SAT Reasoning Test costs $64.50 and $93.50 for late registration. The essay is now OPTIONAL! The cost for the SAT test without the Essay is $49.50. SAT Basic Subject Tests are $26 per registration. Students are encouraged to register online at www.collegeboard.com
- ACT - Combined score of 40 on the English & Reading tests; A 22 on Math-no combined score
- SAT - Math 530, Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing 480
- You can test only once on a given ACT test date (National, International, State).
- You can take the ACT a maximum of 12 times.
- If you test more than once, you choose which test date or set of scores to send to colleges.
- All scores from a test date are reported as a set. ACT does not create new records by combining scores from different test dates.
- If you want to report your Writing score, all scores from that test date will be reported.
that are in addition to the activities we normally recommend:
1. http://march2success.com 2. www.khanacademy.org/
10 - 15 minutes a day; 5 to 6 days a week; can lead to a 2 - 12 point increase on ACT Composite [we have seen it] or 100— 350 point increase on the SAT Composite [we have seen that also].
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat — Online guided SAT practice, full practice exams, targeted math, reading, and writing practice with videos that show step-by-step solutions for each question. Can tie PSAT & SAT scores to guide practice (Khan Academy also has its own YouTube channel — www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy
https:/lacademy.act.org/ - ACT Academy provides free resources for students that are unique to their learning gaps. Access the best resources from top publishers, all in one place, and accurately aligned to standards
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-test - SAT practice exam directly from the College Board
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-questions — SAT practice questions directly from the College Board
http://collegeboard.org/QuickStart - use your PSAT Access Code for great SAT Preparation and analysis for SAT Prep
http://www.eprep.com/diagnostic#start - Diagnostic SAT Exam (timed with ability to pause, graded upon conclusion instantly, solutions provided with video and/or written explanation)
http://www.eprep.com/wordsmith/challenge - Wordsmith Challenge (SAT prep game designed to help prepare you for SAT verbal sections)
http://blog.pwnthesat.com — Tons of SAT practice and study guides from an SAT expert
http://ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com - Expert blog on how to tackle the SAT verbal section with exercises, grammar rules, critical reading tips, essay writing guide, idiom list, etc.
www.majortests.com/sat/ - Hundreds of SAT practice questions with step-by-step explanations of the correct answer for each question
http://www.proprofs.com/sat/ — SAT study guides, practice tests, SAT Wiki, practice questions, test prep videos, flashcards, and cram sheets
www.4tests.com/sat - SAT practice exam and questions (allows you to choose content sections to focus on)
http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/content_practice_tests.cfm — Multiple full SAT practice exams
www.princetonreview.com/college/free-sat-practice-test.aspx — Register with Princeton Review for free and get access to a free online practice test
http://www.kaptest.com/college-prep/getting-into-college/free-practice-test - Register with Kaplan Test Prep for free and get access to a free online practice test
http://www. youtube.com/user/PrepInteractive — Prep Interactive SAT tutoring videos
http://quizlet.com/subject/sat/ — Hundreds of online quizzes to help study for the SAT
http://www. freerice.com — Vocabulary practice questions (for each correct answer the website donates 10 grains of rice to help end global hunger)
http://www. youtube.com/user/2400Expert —- Webinars and videos outlining effective SAT strategies to maximize your score