Should I Take the SAT or Act? How Important Is the SAT or ACT?

Should I take the Sat or Act? How Important is the SAT or ACT? Let’s get straight to the question on everyone’s mind: “Should I take the SAT or ACT if it’s not REQUIRED?”

Confused about whether you should take the SAT or ACT? It's not that complicated. We'll walk you through best practices for standardized testing in 2024. — Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

The Short Answer:

For those of you looking for the quick answer, here it is:

Yes for the students who are applying to universities that are “test optional” or “test required.”
No for the students only applying to universities that aren’t taking test scores into account, which includes UCs and CSUs.

And Now the Long Answer:

The long answer is, well, a lot longer.

First, let’s take a look at what happened with standardized testing in 2020. During the pandemic, a court order prohibited the UCs from using SAT and ACT scores in admissions. They cited unequal access to such tests, particularly among the disabled student community. This may seem like an isolated COVID-19 response, but that’s not the entire picture. This ruling came after the UCs were already under immense pressure to abandon these tests from within. Even with this pressure, the court order only applied for the immediate years after COVID-19.

Since then, some schools, especially top Ivy League schools, have been bringing back test requirements, while others still haven’t gone back to looking at SAT and ACT scores.

If you’re confused about the messaging, don’t worry; we are too. Years after the pandemic, we’re still in a transitory phase as universities continue to assess the role of standardized testing in the admissions process.

Should I Take the SAT or ACT? How It Affects You

Okay, so what does this mean for you?

First, your GPA now matters a lot more. Before the pandemic, students’ GPA and SAT score would split points when it came to determining their academic potential. However, all those points are now shifting over to your GPA. Since about 50% of your candidacy depends on the numbers, that’s a lot of points now suddenly dependent on your grades, so make sure to get mostly A’s.

SAT requirements for colleges are changing every year. Here's how to decide what your standardized testing strategy should be. — Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

In the same way, your activities also become more important. With test scores out of the picture, this should be no surprise. It’s not too late to add another activity to your experience, especially since your extracurriculars can soften the impact of a low GPA.

Third, your application essays also play a huge role in your chances of making it into top colleges. Understanding why you did the things you did often outshines what you did. After all, your reasoning, learning, and sense of purpose is what differentiates you from everyone else who did DECA, HOSA, and FRC.

SAT Requirements for Colleges

Here’s the bottom line. You should take the SAT and/or ACT if:

- You’re applying to any schools that require standardized testing.
- You have a reasonable shot at getting an impressive score, which could boost your application.

If you’re still not sure whether you should be focusing on standardized testing, check out our YouTube video about it. And don’t panic about how much you have to study, either—our skilled educational consultants can build you a customized study plan so you can boost your score in record time.

Schedule your free consultation here. See you soon!

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Sarah Gooch

Essay Editor

Q:How many total years of experience do you have in your current role, including but not limited to ReadyEdgeGo?

A: I have five years' experience in coaching student writing, but this is my first year with ReadyEdgeGo.

Q: What about working with students do you most enjoy?

A: I love helping students find depth and meaning in their own stories—but I also just love it when they make me laugh!

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: In theory, I enjoy painting and writing poetry, but these days I actually spend most of my free time socializing or watching movies with my husband.

Q: What is your one piece of advice for high schoolers?

A: Don't just focus on achieving top grades and credentials because they look good on applications, or your education will be meaningless. The numbers and awards have their place, but stay connected to your sense of curiosity, discovery, excitement, and wonder so that the content you're learning is constantly transforming you—it's something you care about, something you remember after the final exam. Work on the aspects of yourself no one can measure, like integrity, wisdom, kindness, and compassion, so that you're not only developing your academic and career potential but also investing in the type of adult you're going to be, the person you'll have to live with after you clock out every day for the rest of your life.

Doing the hard inner work of building your character and learning deeply instead of just earning grades will set you up for a satisfying, well-rounded life. Strange as it sounds, it will also put you ahead in your academic and career goals, because colleges and hiring managers aren't looking for an empty set of data on a spreadsheet; they want a fully fleshed-out person marked by passion, creativity, and a story no one else has lived.

So go on studying hard for tests, but also spend some time asking yourself what matters in life and who your role models are. Read up on topics that amaze you, and build something incredible just for fun. Cultivate that spark of joy you feel when you're immersed in a subject that fascinates you. If you can hit that balancing act of doing your homework and meeting deadlines but also investing in the kind of person you want to be, then trust that all the rest will follow: schools will recognize you as a dynamic, all-star person, and you will also build a life of happiness, close relationships, and peace.

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