My S is a junior and scored 1510 on the SAT. Is there a reason for him to take the ACT? He has a lot of other testing to do - IB exams, AP tests, SAT subject tests and needs to use his study time wisely.
He is aiming for a selective academic school but not the Ivies and wants to study math/physics. Other stats: IB Diploma Candidate with a 4.8/4.0 GPA, projected National Merit Finalist, currently ranks #2 in a class of 425, ECs are sparse but quality: he is a state tennis champion and a volunteer mentor as well as an instructor at Mathnasium.
Studying for standardized tests is a time commitment. You need to weigh the incremental benefit of a slightly better ACT score with the likely larger benefit from using the same time on developing ECs. A 1510 SAT should be fine.
Thanks. His counselor said he may want to take the ACT based on the fact that he wants to major in a science. I just don’t want him to spend more test prep time if his SAT score will suffice. He has other tests to prep for over the next year.
If it were my child, I would tell them to move on and not take the ACT. That’s a great score.
Depends on what schools he wants to go to. Regardless of what people on CC would like you to believe, at certain schools a 1510 probably won’t be enough, especially if one score is much higher than the other (e.g an 800 math, 710 EBRW). For the most competitive schools, you want at least a 1550. If you can’t get that, make sure to get at least a 750 on both sections.
With regards to having time to prepare for other tests, there is always the summer, when schoolwork, APs, IBs, and SAT IIs aren’t a concern. While it is nice to get the SAT out of the way during Junior year, it is nicer to have the scores you need. As an SAT and ACT tutor, I recommend sticking to the SAT (he is already good at it) and preparing for it more over the summer.
His breakdown is 750 EBRW and 760 Math.
@BMC9670 That’s definitely a stronger 1510 because each section is at least a 750. Still might be wise to take again to get a 1550–then you can move forward without regrets or second-guessing. That’s just 40 extra points between these two sections, which should be very doable, especially for someone who is already as skilled as your son.