Does your Student Need to Take or Submit the SAT or ACT?

By Lynne Fuller, Founder of College Flight Path

Three years ago, marked a turning point in college admissions testing, as the 2022 ACT scores reached an all-time low. This alarming trend has ignited discussions among educators, students, and colleges alike, raising questions about the relevance and importance of standardized testing in the college admissions process. In this article, we explore the significance of SAT and ACT scores, the changes to the ACT, and delve into when students should consider submitting their SAT or ACT scores to colleges based on historical and missing data.

In 2022, the ACT witnessed a significant dip in average scores across the nation. Several factors contributed to this decline, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic because of a lack of consistent coursework, increasing concerns about the fairness of standardized testing, and a growing recognition of alternative methods to assess students' academic potential.

The overall decline in scores has sparked debate on the value of standardized tests like the ACT and the implications for college admissions, leading to questions of does your student needs to take the SAT or ACT? Check out Education Week’s article here for their analysis.

The Debate:

The drop in ACT scores has intensified the ongoing debate about whether standardized tests should continue to hold such a prominent role in the college admissions process. Critics argue that standardized tests are not reliable indicators of a student's true academic potential, as they can be influenced by various external factors such as socioeconomic background, access to test preparation resources, test anxiety, and variations in testing sites. Additionally, many argue that standardized testing perpetuates inequality, as it disproportionately disadvantages students from underprivileged backgrounds.

In contrast, proponents of standardized testing contend that these exams provide colleges with a standardized measure of a student's academic abilities, allowing for a common tool for comparison among applicants from diverse educational backgrounds. They argue that, despite their flaws, standardized tests can complement other aspects of a student's application and provide a benchmark to evaluate applicants on a level playing field and many have returned to requiring tests after a five-year trial period of test-optional. In the 2024-2025 application cycle, more colleges returned to requiring testing than the past four years combined, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Caltech, University of Texas, Purdue, Cornell, Michigan State, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania, with large flagship institutions focusing on GPA and test scores as predominant factors for admission.

Changes to the ACT:

In 2025, the ACT will also be migrating to offering both a digital and a paper option. The passages in English and Reading will become shorter. English items will include a STEM question rather than a paragraph. Math answer choices will be reduced from 5 to 4 options. One passage in Science will address an engineering and design topic, while more items will require prior scientific knowledge. (Note: Boston University (and others) are determining how they want to see the Optional Science section; BU requires the score for applicants who use this exam when applying.) The new CORE ACT test launched in September, which will be offered both in paper and digital formats. See the image below for more context on what changes are coming for the ACT.

How to Prep:

The easiest part of either exam to polish and prepare for is the grammar section. Be sure to review subject verb agreement rules, misplaced modifiers, idiomatic errors, how to successfully trim sentences, and more. We have compiled a list of resources to help you prepare to get a perfect score in this section as it is the easiest and fastest to move once you know what rules either test will attempt to violate.

When to Submit:

Given the current state of college admissions testing, students face a dilemma: when should they submit their SAT or ACT scores? The answer is not one-size-fits-all and depends on various factors. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• College Requirements: First and foremost, students should thoroughly research the admission requirements of the colleges they are applying to. Some institutions have moved towards test-optional or test-flexible policies, while others still place significant emphasis on standardized test scores. Some programs (like nursing and engineering) require testing while others look more at a portfolio. Understanding each college's stance will help students decide whether to submit their scores.

• Strength of Application: If a student's test scores are below the median 50% of applicants and the rest of their application is strong, they might choose to omit their scores, especially if the institution is test-optional. Conversely, if a student's scores are within or above the college's average range, submitting them could complement or strengthen their application.

• Test Preparation: Students who have invested considerable time and effort in test preparation and feel confident in their scores may choose to submit them, particularly if the colleges they are applying to require or highly recommend standardized test scores. There are plenty of free resources, videos, and materials to prep on your own. Students just need to hold themselves accountable and prep daily for 2-3 months in advance of a test date. Check out Khan Academy and Youtube Videos on how to approach the math section.  Review the details in the image below of what each test examines and how. Click on our explanation on whether or not to take the SAT vs ACT by clicking here.

• Unique Circumstances: The past five years have been anything but ordinary, with the pandemic disrupting education and students' lives. Some colleges may take these unique circumstances into account, potentially making test scores a less critical aspect of the application. If you have extenuating circumstances that have impeded your process, there is an additional information section to share this information in your application portals. For students today, their foundational math skills were impacted, including pre-algebra, problem-solving techniques, and early geometry skills.

The record-low ACT scores in 2022 have sparked meaningful conversations about the role of standardized testing in college admissions. As colleges reevaluate their application requirements, students must remain informed about individual college policies and carefully consider whether to submit their SAT or ACT scores. The decline in ACT scores serves as a signal of change and a reminder that the landscape of college admissions is evolving, placing greater emphasis on holistic evaluation methods that encompass a student's accomplishments, passions, and potential to contribute positively to the campus community. Take a look at the searchable table below to review the median 50% of admitted student data for SAT and ACT scores, including school policies. Remember, scores have increased over time as students self-select whether or not to submit, so take all ranges with a grain of salt.

In fact, data is also hard to nail down as information supplied by colleges may be for all students who applied, some may be for those who were accepted, or even those who enrolled. Now that vetting data has been fractioned due to budget constraints at institutions, and federal data sets have not been updated, including the National Center for Education Statistics and the Common Data Set, finding accurate information has grown increasingly more difficult. For those schools that did not report data for the Class of 2028, we have denoted it as no new data or NND in our Airtable below. What we encourage users to do is to research historical data and then to determine if the college they are interested in has any updated data on their website or in their fact sheet and ask if that data is from applied, accepted, or enrolled students.

To learn more about whether the SAT and ACT are right for your student, email hello@collegeflightpath.com to learn more about how testing fits into your future plans and how this data provides context to your approach.

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