The Answer to Our Most Frequently Asked Question

Although we could write volumes on the difference between these two tests, (and we have! click here to read) let us make it easy on you:

It’s simple. All schools accept both, so…
If you’re going to be a Junior, Sophomore, or Freshman in the Fall of 2015, take the ACT
If you’re going to be a Senior in the Fall of 2015, take whichever test you’ve had the most prep for, or use our handy score-predictor tool to figure out which you’ll do better on.

That’s all there is to it. Here’s why: 
Why should Juniors take the ACT?
The SAT is changing from the current format to a new format in March 2016. You can read all about the changes here, but what that means is if you’re going to be a Junior next year, and you wanted to take the SAT in Fall 2015, you’d be taking the Current SAT, but then if you needed to retake the test in the Spring, you’d have to take the New SAT, requiring you to start your prep from scratch. Why not just prep for the New SAT from the start? Read below.

Why should Sophomores and Freshmen take the ACT?
Because the New SAT is going to be a complete wildcard for the first few years.
First, the College Board will struggle as it tries to create standardization and normalization tables for the new exam, which it can’t have done already, because no one has taken the entire test.
Second, prep companies will struggle to put out quality material because they’ve had to rush to do so. Third, much of what we knew and held firmly true about the SAT will be called into question. What will its new point-return curve look like? What kind of student will outperform on the SAT relative to the ACT? What will the timing feel like when applied in a test-setting? We don’t know, and we won’t know for a couple of years until data starts coming out. To avoid having our clients become Guinea pigs for a changing regime, we’re strong supporters of the ACT for the next 2-.3 years.