ACT: Test du jour
I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a colleague regarding college entrance tests and, in particular, which of the tests might be used to the greatest advantage by students. After reflecting on the pluses and minuses of the SAT and the ACT, we came to the conclusion that the ACT was a bit of a best kept secret.
Think about how testing is used at most colleges. No longer a meaningful diagnostic-the purpose for which college entrance testing was intended, the standardized test has become a competitive credential in applications for admission. For better or worse, college entrance testing–in particular the SAT–is the most commonly recognized metric associated with quality at colleges and universities. Whenever institutions are compared, whether at the water cooler or in college ranking guides, their respective testing profiles are central to the assumptions of quality, as big numbers seem to reflect the presence of smart kids.
This brings us to the ACT. A product of the Midwest, it is a test that has just begun to show up on the radar screens of students on the coasts where the SAT has long been the coin of the realm. (The subject-based ACT is now accepted by every college and university in the country, including SAT-dominant schools–schools for which the SAT is the test result submitted by the majority of the applicants.) It is also worth noting that the test used in the majority of the admission decisions at an institution is also the test result that factors into the ranking of that college by U.S. News and World Report. And it is in the competition for admission at these schools where the ACT can be a strategic option for students.
Consider, for example, the student whose academic and personal credentials say to an SAT-dominant college, “take me,” but whose SAT results would not “look good” on that college’s Freshman Profile. Such a student is well-advised to give that college options with regard to his/her testing by providing an ACT result in addition to the SAT. With a solid ACT score as a point of reference, an institution that might be inclined to admit a candidate (except for modest SAT results) can, instead, rationalize the offer to admit on the ACT result. Moreover, if the school in question is SAT-dominant, it is only obligated to report that student’s SAT to USN&WR if it was the score that factored into the offer of admission.
So, think strategically about your testing profile. If test results are required of you and you have struggled to achieve a competitive SAT result, do what you can to eliminate the specter of a relatively weak credential. Give the ACT a try. While there are are no guarantees, the presence of the ACT result in your application gives many colleges the opportunity to look beyond the SAT in making their decisions. When that happens, you will have removed a barrier to admission.
To learn more about your options with regard to testing, plan to join the December 19 Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar entitled, “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep.”
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