<p>The ACT is an option, and it can be pretty helpful in some situations. I thought all hope was lost last spring when I got my SAT results back (I got a 1650). I met with some program reps in my town who recommended trying the ACT. I took the exam for the first time in October and thought I bombed it, but came out with a 27 composite. It’s 1 point lower than Stanford’s middle 50%, but still better than I had expected. It’s definitely a different test - some people like it and others hate it. I completely messed up my timing in the math section, which made me really uneasy for the rest of the exam. That aside, I still gained about 300 points on the SAT-ACT conversion chart. I took the exam last weekend and I’m pretty sure I owned it since I knew what was coming, so I’m excited to get the results back.</p>
<p>So basically, although this puts you in a tough boat for Stanford, I’d strongly suggest that you take the ACT or atleast read more about it. If there’s any other high-caliber schools that you’re applying to, the difference in testing may help you a lot RD.</p>