Sometime in freshman or sophomore year (or maybe earlier, if you’re precocious), it really hits you for the first time: as all-consuming as it feels, high school really is going to end one day. Then what? If you’re just beginning to think about college—or you’re the parent of someone who is—you likely already know that the applications process ahead might get stressful and complicated.
There are a lot of questions for you to mull over and answer for yourself in the coming years. But you’re not alone in that process! I’ve published clear, stress-reducing guides of each of them:
But another question I get asked by virtually every newcomer parent—understandably!—is one that I want to address today: Do colleges favor the SAT over the ACT (or vice versa)?
Article Contents
1. Watch this article as a video
2. Does the Digital SAT or the ACT make your college application stronger?
3. Is the SAT or the ACT more popular?
4. Do colleges have a preferred standardized test?
5. Do I have to take BOTH the SAT and the ACT?
6. Overall, does the Digital SAT or ACT give you more of an advantage in admissions?
Watch this article as a video:
Does the Digital SAT or the ACT make your application stronger?
After all, most of the parents who come to me these days for my customized SAT and ACT tutoring packages are largely drawing conclusions based on how things were when THEY were in high school. Decades ago, that is.
Back then, students often took whichever test was more popular in their state or region (SAT for the coasts, ACT for the midwest and certain southern states). Parents might also remember the SAT being the preferred test for the country’s more elite institutions, and, in fact, the vast majority of students in that era took the SAT over the ACT…just because that was what you did. Is that truism from back in the day still true?
Is the SAT or the ACT more popular?
Though the SAT may have been distinctly more popular in the past, the difference between the number of students taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT started getting smaller around 2009; by 2012, the two tests were almost neck and neck.
Then, a twist: the ACT stole the lead from the SAT! In response, the College Board rehauled the SAT in January 2016. They also launched a partnership with Khan Academy, which helped the SAT surpass the ACT in popularity once again. Though both tests saw a dip in test takers during the COVID-19 Pandemic, both have bounced back, with the SAT still in the lead currently.
In 2024, of course, the SAT went fully digital; the following year, the ACT began offering a digital option, too. We don’t yet have enough data to conclude one way or the other whether this transformation from paper- to computer-based will affect the Digital SAT’s popularity versus the ACT’s.
But ultimately, what’s even more important than the matter of which test gets more enrollees is:
Do colleges prefer the SAT over the ACT?
The first takeaway here is: the ACT and the Digital SAT both check the exact same box on your college application.
That is, IF a college requires a standardized test in order for you to apply to their institution, either test—the SAT or the ACT—will fulfill that requirement for you.
And in these cases, no, it does NOT matter which you take: admissions officers have concordance tables that translate Digital SAT scores to ACT scores and vice versa. (And in case you were curious: these are the same concordance tables that were used for the old paper-based SAT!) This lets the officers quickly see how well you did in comparison to all the other applicants.
Do I have to take BOTH the SAT and the ACT?
When I give presentations to parents of students at specialized NYC high schools about “Demystifying the SAT and the ACT,” one of the first things I do is make an analogy that they can all understand: the SAT and the ACT are like Visa and Mastercard.
Yes, you personally might favor one over the other for whatever reason (more points, better perks, more miles, etc.). But ultimately, if you walk into a store and want to buy a shirt, do you hand over BOTH of your credit cards to pay for them? No, of course not! You hand the cashier only ONE of them (whichever’s easier to grab from your wallet, maybe) to pay for your item. And does the retail worker care which one you gave her? Of course not—so long as the transaction was approved, and the store successfully receives the money in exchange for the shirt you’re purchasing!
It’s the same deal for the Digital SAT and the ACT. YOU may take a liking to one over the other, but they both do the same job (provide a standardized test score), so long as whichever test score you provide in your applications plays to your strengths!
When my audience is students rather than parents, I often change the analogy slightly: The SAT and the ACT are like Coke and Pepsi.
Yes, people have STRONG PREFERENCES about which one they like better! Many soda drinkers are loyal to their brand and won’t change teams. (“Oh, you only have Pepsi? Yuck—I’ll take a coffee instead!”) However, if you’re craving a caffeinated, sugary, carbonated beverage made with high fructose corn syrup, EITHER ONE fits that description! And you don’t need to drink both of them (indeed, your blood sugar will be grateful if you don’t); you’re only craving the one hit of sweet energy.
So, swap “Digital SAT and ACT” in for “Coke and Pepsi”—and nix the high fructose corn syrup part!—and it’s basically the same idea. Capisce?
Ultimately, does the SAT vs. the ACT give you an advantage in admissions?
Here’s the plain-English conclusion for you: neither test is “better” or “worse.” What matters is which test is “better” FOR YOU! As in, which one will play to your abilities (and avoid your weaknesses)? Which one will YOU get a higher score on?
How to decide between the SAT and the ACT
Wait—if colleges’ preferences aren’t going to make this decision for you, then, who or what is?! Deciding between tests can seem like an intimidating task. But it doesn’t have to actually be, in practice! There are three ways you can pick your test:
The first way is to take my free, short “Should you take the Digital SAT or ACT?” quiz.
The second way is to watch my video explaining exactly How to decide whether to take the Digital SAT or the ACT.
The third way is to have me do it FOR you! It’s simple: all you have to do is take one diagnostic Digital SAT and one diagnostic ACT, make a rough list of about five colleges you’re thinking about applying to, and then book your Ace the Test: Game Plan™ session with me over Zoom!
I do the rest: pick your test, create your target scores, figure out exactly which concepts and strategies you need to learn to reach your target score in as little time as possible, plan your testing timeline, and in general, manage the big-picture organization of the standardized testing process…so you can free up your brain to actually learn the content and strategies you need for a great score.
Sound like a relief? Let’s get started here.
