If you’re a parent of a 9th grader, 10th grader, or even 11th grader, you may have this question: should my child take the ACT or SAT? Not only which one, but should my child even take it at all?
Ask yourself these questions about your child:
· Have they been mostly successful in taking tests in their high school courses?
· Are they able to manage test anxiety on the high-stakes tests (unit tests, semester exams)?
· Are they motivated to prepare for tests outside of school time?
If the answer to these three questions is YES, then you should encourage your student to try the ACT and/or the SAT (The answer to the question “Which one…ACT or SAT?” will be addressed in a different blog post).
But…Why YES? Aren’t all colleges test-optional now?
Most schools are in fact test-optional. This means that if students submit an application that does not include a test score, the school will consider them on the basis of the other components of their application, and they will not be penalized for not having a test score. Students may choose to not submit a test score because a) they didn’t take the ACT/SAT, or b) they do not think their test score was good enough to gain them any advantage in their application to that school.
Here’s why: Since taking the ACT/SAT can’t hurt your child, they should definitely take it! I advise my clients to take both, typically by the winter or spring of junior year, to establish a baseline. Then, if they like one more than the other, and they would like to improve their score, study and take the favorite one again. Studying can come in many forms: taking practice tests, meeting with a test prep tutor, enrolling in an online course, or meeting regularly in person at a face to face class.
Pro-tip: Do not order score reports sent to colleges in advance of knowing the result. It is tempting to order these, because the first few are free. However, until you know the score, it’s impossible to tell if sending it to a specific college will benefit your child.
If your child scores well, it adds value to her overall application. It can also, in some circumstances, even earn her merit scholarship money. If your child doesn’t score as well as she would have liked, then she doesn’t need to submit the score.
On the other hand, if you answered NO to any of the questions above, then your child doesn’t have to take the ACT or SAT. College admissions officers, who often pride themselves on using a holistic review process, will not penalize anyone who does not take the test. Some schools are even test-blind now, which means that no applicant can submit a test score. So it’s fine if your child doesn’t want to take the test, due to test anxiety, lack of motivation, or fear of not doing well.
The bottom line is this: If your child wants to go to college and is motivated (or even just willing) to take the SAT or ACT, they should! If they are not interested in taking the test, they don’t have to. That is the beauty of test-optional.
Want to learn more? Schedule your free 15-minute, no-pressure conversation with us now to see if we can help!
