When Should You Take the SAT or ACT? (2024)

FAQs

When Should You Take the SAT or ACT? ›

Many schools begin considering applications (and scholarships!) July 1 or August 1, so you may prefer to test earlier than your friends, primarily during your junior year and the summer afterward (though save at least one try for the fall of senior year).

“No college has a preference between the two tests,” says Ginger Fay, a consultant for Green Apple College and Guidance, a college admissions consulting firm. “They're like two children. They love them both the same. They just want them to be good."

See the current SAT test date schedule for the exact dates. We recommend taking the SAT for the first time in the spring of your junior year and again in the Fall before college application deadlines. Most students who retake the SAT raise their scores, and some take it more times.

The SAT is not harder than the ACT. Both tests vary slightly in terms of subjects covered and structure. These variations can affect each test taker differently, making one exam more challenging than the other. Taking full-length practice tests of each type can help you determine which may be best suited for you.

While you can start taking the ACT or SAT test for college admissions as early as 8th grade, we typically recommend that students wait until 11th grade to take the test for the first time. These college admissions tests evaluate your knowledge of everything you should learn throughout high school.

It's a good idea to take it for the first time in the fall or early spring of your junior year. Doing this will show you where you are doing well and uncover areas where you can improve.

Some students choose to take both the ACT and SAT – while others find they are more comfortable with one test or the other based on their learning styles and preferences. Either way you choose, know that colleges and universities have no specific test preference.

A 1600 SAT score is equivalent to earning a 36 on the ACT. While the tests are entirely comparable — there are differences in time management and content, among other things — but this is a score equivalent.

A 27 on the ACT is a solid score, placing you in the 85th percentile nationally, which means you scored higher than 85% of test-takers. However, whether it's enough for top-tier colleges depends on the specific schools you're targeting and what the rest of your application looks like.

ACT Test Score Ranges

Each section has a test score range of 1-36: Below Average Score Range: 1-16. Average Score Range: 17-24. Above Average Score Range: 25-36.

Does Harvard prefer ACT or SAT? ›

Harvard has no preference between the SAT and ACT, so choose the test that's a better fit for you, thoroughly prepare for it, and plan to take it multiple times. Take special note that Harvard University superscores the SAT, and Harvard does not superscore the ACT.

A 1250 SAT score is considered average and could be competitive for some colleges, but might fall below the typical range for more selective institutions.

Although you may take the SAT any time starting freshman year, most students take it for the first time in the spring of their junior year and possibly retake it in the fall of their senior year.

Ivy League Schools' Official Policies on the ACT

Officially, all of the Ivy League schools accept both the ACT and SAT, as does every other school in the US. Harvey Mudd was the last no-ACT holdout, but it began accepting the test in 2007.

Another, and perhaps bigger reason, is the belief that making submissions of SAT or ACT scores optional is fairer and more equitable for students that come from less-advantaged backgrounds. Data shows that students from high-income families on average score higher than those who come from lower-income families.

ACT or SAT: which test is more popular? Though the SAT continues to reign in popularity on the East and West coasts, the ACT is the more popular test in the Midwest.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't." Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Harvard will submit their scores.