Highlights of the Sessions:

• Provides strategies to reduce stress and increase scores in all test sections
• Introduces students to the formats of both tests and encourages them to focus on the test that best suits their test taking strengths
• Binders with practice tests are provided – no need to purchase any materials
• Students are held accountable to spend time practicing in between sessions.

Common questions about the ACT and SAT college admission tests:

Should I take the SAT or ACT?  Is one test preferred by particular colleges over another?

Both ACT and SAT scores are used for college admissions decisions and awarding merit-based scholarships. Most colleges do not prefer one test over the other. You should always check with the college admissions criteria of your desired school. It is recommended that students try both tests to see which one they perform better on. Both the SAT and ACT offer seven Saturday test dates a year so there are plenty of opportunities to take either test. Please visit collegeboard.org and ACT.org for more information.

Should my student sign up for the optional Writing or Essay component of the ACT or SAT?

There is a great deal of confusion about whether to sign up a student for the optional writing portion of the tests. The written portion has changed over the years. For the SAT, as of June 2021, any student who takes an official SAT will not have the option to complete a written essay. If the SAT is offered to students during the school day, the essay may still exist as an option at the schools’ request. For the ACT, the written portion is optional. Students may choose whether they would like to take it or not. (Taking the ACT’s writing portion adds an additional $25.00.)

There are several colleges that accept writing scores as part of a student’s application, but do not require them. In this case, they recommend submitting a score, although students who do not submit scores will not be penalized. This means that if you take the writing section and score well, you may want to submit it along with the rest of your ACT/SAT scores. Make sure to take a close look at the colleges you’re considering and see what their website mentions about the ACT writing test.