SAT and ACT Timing
Earlier this month, Dartmouth released its decision to reinstate an SAT mandate. Yale University soon followed and is no longer offering applicants a test-optional path to admissions. It stands to reason that students who intend to apply to top colleges should consider their SAT or ACT prep strategy if they want to be competitive with other students.
Many colleges encourage students to submit their most recent scores, with schools like Carnegie Mellon University explicitly stating that they recommend students submit their 11th or 12th-grade test scores only. Important to note, though, is that students hoping to be recruited for an athletic team at college may need to take the test earlier to have a score that recruiters can use to gauge the student’s academic abilities.
For all other students, though, it is best to aim for the August test that takes place right before the fall of your 11th grade. This still will count as an 11th-grade test score, and it will give you ample time over the summer to prepare. If you manage to study over the summer and take a practice test each week, you might even reach your goal score on the very first try, making the test something you’ll never have to think about again.
If you do not get the score you are hoping for on your first try, though, we recommend that you look at your high school schedule and consider when the best time to retake it would be. You should budget at least two months of studying before you retake the test, and you should only retake it after you consistently score above your target for several weeks in a row. If you are not scoring at your target on practice tests, you will not score at your target on the real thing.
We highly recommend you avoid taking the test more than three times. This is why studying before taking the test and only taking it when you are absolutely sure you’re prepared is so crucial. You should aim to have your highest score by August before 12th grade, ensuring this August test is the very last test you take. At this point, you may not receive your score in time to submit for Early Decision or Early Action deadlines, and worse, you are going to use valuable time in the fall studying for the test rather than writing your essays for college. Plus, you can’t really confirm your school list until you know your standardized testing strategy. Without this piece of your application, you might have to forgo applying to a school like Dartmouth as your ED if you don’t even know that your SAT score will qualify you for admission.
If you can’t seem to crack the test and have tried studying on your own, it may be time to seek prep from a tutor.
