College Process - Submitting Applications

Historically, the SAT (SAT Website) was the dominant test of the East and West coasts: the ACT (ACT Website) was the more common choice in the Midwest, but this is changing.

The gap between the number of ACT and SAT test-takers continues to narrow. Today there is a wider acceptance among schools of both tests. Every Ivy League school will accept both ACT and SAT, but all schools have preferences.

Differences

• The ACT is a content-based test; the SAT tests critical thinking and problem solving.
• The ACT includes a science-reasoning test; the SAT does not.
• The ACT math section includes trigonometry; the SAT does not.
• The SAT math question often combine several concepts; the ACT questions are more straightforward.
• The SAT tests vocabulary much more than the ACT.
• The SAT is not all-multiple choice; the ACT is.
• The SAT has a wrong answer penalty; the ACT does not.
• The SAT questions within a particular set appear in order of difficulty. This is not true of the ACT.
• ACT tests English Grammar, the SAT does not.

SAT/ACT Conversion Chart

 

ACT Composite Score	SAT Verbal and Math Score	ACT Composite Score	SAT Verbal and Math Score	ACT Composite Score	SAT Verbal and Math Score
36	1600	27	1220	18	870
35	1550	26	1180	17	830
34	1520	25	1140	16	790
33	1470	24	1110	15	740
32	1420	23	1070	14	690
31	1380	22	1030	13	640
30	1340	21	990	12	590
28	1260	19	910

SAT Fees

Regular Registration: $41.50
Late Registration Added on: $20.00
Standby Testing: $35.00

Visit the SAT Website

ACT Fees

Basic Fee: $26.00
Late Fee Added on: $16.00
Standby: $30.00

Visit the ACT Website