Lets say Bob gets a 32 on the ACT. According to conversion charts, its a 2120 on the SAT which to me is freaking brilliant. Is that really equivalent to a 2120 on the SAT though? What if you’re someone who’s horrific at the SAT and can only manage a 1700 but you can get 30+ on ACT. Is it really fair to say that you got whats equivalent to a 2000+ on SAT? Will colleges look at it this way as well?
Its something thats really uncertain at my school. Everyone seems to have this predisposition that the SAT is more important than the ACT. There’s also this theory that the ACT is “easier”. That is how I thought at first too. However, after doing a little research online I started to believe that both tests were essentially weighted the same. I did hear however, that each test was better for certain types of people. Therefore, it was best to find out which test you were best at and take that.
I was horrific at the SAT. My PSAT scores were equivalent to that of a 1600 SAT. When I first looked at the ACT, I could notbelieve that there was essentially AN ENTIRE SECTION on grammar! I freaking love grammar, so I decided to give the ACT a shot. All my friends
What are your thoughts? Can someone who gets a 32 on the ACT really say its comparable to a 2120 on the SAT? Vice versa?
The SCORES are equivalent. Your aptitude for one test or another may not be.
For example! I don’t know what the highest note one can play on the flute is, but whatever note that may be, it’s pretty equivalent to the highest note one can play on the trumpet. Right? They are the highest notes of their respective instruments.
I can play trumpet. I might be kinda close to that highest note. But I have never tried to play the flute. I would likely not be able to be as close on the flute as I would on the trumpet.
I see. I don’t understand why everyone thinks the ACT is “easier” when it seems that colleges weigh both equally. I just found this article which is pretty interesting:
I think converting ACT Composite directly to SAT CR+M+W, or vice versa, can be less than accurate.
My D has taken both, a total of 5 times, and the conversions that look the most credible to me are:
SAT CR+M << >> ACT Composite, and
SAT W << >> ACT combined English/Writing.
So use the ACT Composite to get the SAT CR+M equivalent, then use the ACT combined English/Writing to get the SAT Writing equivalent, then add them up. If you didn’t take ACT Writing then it’s a challenge to get an apples-to-apples conversion that’s meaningful.
@Mom22039 Actually, by Google definition, surprisingly so. Although it sounds horrific on the ears to interchange the two.
I think SAT and ACT scores are convertible AND comparable, however since the layout and design of the tests are so different, the scores can be different. Someone could barely get over the 2000’s on the SAT but consistently scores 32+ higher on the ACT. It happens and it’s due to the differences in the two tests. Everyone is different and that includes their ability to learn how to take the test.
I dare say ACT is a little bit more straightforward than the SAT. Straightforward does not equal easy.
N. O. Technically they can be converted, but they measure two completely different things–this is why so many people do great at one and far worse on the other. One measures reasoning skills, one measures concrete knowledge. It’s silly to convert them, and one is in no way an indicator of how well you would do on the other so there’s no reason to.
You bring up an interesting point. I am too confused on the ACT and SAT accordance scale. Who can explain the fact that Ivy League and Stanford schools have much higher standards for SAT then they do for ACT. For example off the top of my head, the Stanford percentiles (you can find them online are):
25/75 percentiles
SAT: (2070/2350)
ACT: (32/ 34)
Same for Ivy League schools(HYP) have their 75 percentiles basically at 2400. While ACT is 35.
So 35 ACT = 2400, 34 ACT=2350, 32 ACT =2070 as seen by top colleges??
SAT percentiles are most often reported by section, not all together. That doesn’t mean if you add them all up you get the “real 75th percentile.” So if that’s what you did, I’m not sure that I would compare that way.
What I wonder about the ACT though is that are the percentiles of ACT to SAT scores really equal? Because I know the ACT is given as a state standardized test in some states meaning that students who could care less about academics and probably do terribly end up taking the ACT and this is not the case with the SAT. So I’m not really sure if two scores on the 97th percentile for each test are actually equal to one another.
@nevergiveup Yeah but I think you just added up the scores. Like for somebody who gets a 2250 on the SAT it’s probably more common to see something like (720, 800, 730) or (770, 720, 760) rather than (750,750,750). Even top students are usually better are some subjects than they are at others and the SAT scores are usually reported separately. So a lot of students scoring 800 on the math aren’t necessarily getting 800 on the other two sections.
This is why I made this thread. I’m very happy about my 30 composite because supposedly it is a “2000” on the SAT when converted. My goal was always to break 2000 on the SAT. However, I feel like my composite isn’t really a legit 2000, and I’m afraid colleges don’t either. My math and reading scores were on the low end (28 math and 27 reading), and my composite was only boosted by the english and science section. Furthermore, I can’t confirm whether or not a college can “prefer” SAT over the ACT.
I’ve looked around the many threads on this website, and the consensus seems to be that SAT and ACT are equal. However, I did find some people who say that certain colleges prefer SAT. One poster linked to Reeds College, where they said they “preferred” SAT.
If colleges don’t prefer SAT, do they look at ACT composite or more so on ACT math and ACT reading separately?
Should I give the SAT a shot even if I won’t do better than my ACT?
@nevergiveupp That page literally added the sections, lol. 800, 800, and 790. It’s the same at the 25th percentile – 710 + 710 + 720 = their supposed score, 2140.
“Nobody takes the SAT because the ACT didn’t work out for them, afaik.”
@Kyuutoryuu my D’s counselor advised her to do just that. Not that the whole ACT didn’t work out for her (she had gotten a 32 three times) but specifically to improve her math. His reasoning was that the SAT Math allows more time per problem.
So after taking the ACT twice and getting 27M and 28M, she took the SAT and got a 620M which is like a 27 on the ACT. A month later she took the ACT again and got 29M, which is like a 670M on the SAT. So, go figure.
I do think that statement you made is overgeneralized and probably not supportable.
I think his statement is somewhat accurate where I am. Everyone seems to have their mind set on the SAT somewhat. I was also one of those people, but I gave the ACT a look because it felt easier for me.
