What is this supposed to mean?

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>I took the SAT for the first time in Dec. 2009
I got a 1670 -
reading: 580
math: 530
writing: 560</p>

<p>I retook it in Oct. 2010
I only went up 20 points to a 1690
Reading: 590
Math: 540
writing: 560</p>

<p>I had never prepped for it at all, but still no excuses.</p>

<p>I took the ACT for the first time in Sep. 2010
I got a 25 composite
Eng: 27
Math: 23
Reading: 28
Science: 20
Writing: 27
Essay: 09</p>

<p>I then retook it Dec. 2010 and got a 29
Eng: 28
Math: 26
Reading: 34
Science: 27
Writing: 27
Essay: 09
-again this is with no prep</p>

<p>I would like to know why I had such a jump on the ACT, but not for the SAT.</p>

<p>Someone told me that the ACT is easier for ‘non-whites’
I’m starting to think that this is true.</p>

<p>I’m hispanic, female, low-income family, my mother had to drop out to get her GED, while my dad never made it past the 9th grade</p>

<p>I’m wondering how much of an affect my background had on my scores, if at all.
also, how will college admissions officers view this?</p>

2

<p>It’s quite hard to analyze how you improved like that without knowing what you actually did or any further information than what you’ve given us. Perhaps you had a better understanding of the test format, or maybe you got lucky; regardless, you did do better. Congratulations. </p>

<p>The majority of your improvements was clearly in reading/science - the tests that I find time restrictive. (I really don’t see much in-depth similarity between the ACT reading section and the SAT critical reading sections.) Perhaps you were able to complete the test in the allotted time, or you got lucky on the passages. (As there are only 4 reading passages, the first time you may have had one that threw you off. Likewise, you may have had passages that you were already familiar to/interested in on the December test. The same goes for the seven science passages.) </p>

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<p>Yes, white people are always better at the SAT; non-whites are better at the ACT. (jokes)</p>

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<p>Admission agencies will love you.</p>

3

<p>I’m white and got a 34 ACT on my first sitting and haven’t broken 2080 on the SAT after three tries (if you include the PSAT junior year as a “try”).</p>

4

<p>I thought the ACT was much easier than the SAT when I took it, but I got 30 ACT and 1940 SAT, meaning my ACT was only slightly higher.</p>

5

<p>I have a 2100 SAT and a 27 ACT. The only thing accurate about my ACT and my SAT is that the reading is scaled the same. I have a 640 CR, which is about a 29 ACT reading, which I received. Of course I took the ACT in September and the SAT this past december. I also took the ACT in december, but I am waiting for my scores. Who knows if I will jump that high. A 2100 is ok with me though.</p>