Test Optional…Really?

A few years back, many colleges joined the “Test Optional” bandwagon. But, as an educator who spent over three decades in education working in the most prestigious schools in the Northeast (and with many of the best private college consultants around) I soon realized that students who paired their college applications with a strong SAT or ACT score received much better news from the admissions office when the time came doling out acceptances. It is a brutal but honest reality, as more and more schools are linking test results with merit aid.

Sure, these tests may be “optional”, but in the cutthroat world of college admissions, the school will opt to give the student who tested well the actual lead in the tie for a spot in the incoming freshman class compared to the applicant who didn’t test at all. For this reason, I always tell parents to best position their child for success in the daunting process of college admissions.

Another dilemma is which test to take. Colleges accept both the SAT and ACT, and any decent college advisor will recommend that you first figure out which test is the best…for YOUR child; and then he or she should work to get the score for THAT test as high as possible!

So how do you determine whether your aspiring college-going child should sit for the SAT or ACT? Begin with a plan and have he or she take each test once. Your child will probably have a better feeling for one over the other anyway (e.g.: is your student a science kid? If so, the ACT covers that!).

There is also a fabulous score conversion chart that compares the scores of each baseline test your child took (ACT vs SAT), predicting future success on one over the other. Simply go with the higher one and then prepare diligently, and do not look back.

Our test prep tutors begin their sessions by reviewing every section of the exam they are teaching and provide commentary that will help your student come up with a plan of action.

Do not have your child stress between taking the ACT and SAT over and over again. Save your child’s time (not to mention a lot of tears and stress) and choose the one test that they will eventually commit to master!