|
 The only way a student would be able to determine
that would be to take the ACT and SAT multiple times WHILE keeping
up with all their high school courses, homework, quizzes and tests,
not to mention after school activities like sports. That’s not
realistic for most students.
A student should make their decision based on what other
college-bound students are doing because that is their competition.
During the 20th century, there were colleges that preferred one test
over the other. However, we live in the 21st century. Now, all
colleges accept the ACT or SAT for admissions.
However, college scholarships are a different story. More college
scholarship opportunities are connected to the ACT than the SAT, and
this is why most college-bound students focus on the ACT.
Consider the following facts:
All colleges and universities are required to report various
statistics to the National Center for Education Statistics. One of
the statistics that is tracked is the percentages of students that
submit specific college admissions test scores on their college
applications.
Look at the major public schools in Illinois. The following
percentages represent college applications submitted in the Fall of
2017 that included ACT scores: University of Illinois (85%),
Illinois State (98%), Eastern Illinois (97%), Northern Illinois
(97%), Western Illinois (96%), and Southern Illinois (94%).
Look how high those percentages are, and those would include
Illinois public school students that took the taxpayer-funded State
SAT. The clear majority of students were still taking the ACT.
Look at the other major universities in the Midwest: Iowa (95%),
Wisconsin (89%), Indiana (67%), Ohio State (86%), Kentucky (92%),
Tennessee (99%), Michigan (76%), and Missouri (96%).
Look at the Ivy League schools: Yale (57%), Harvard (53%), Penn
(54%), Brown (61%), Princeton (54%), Columbia (57%), Dartmouth
(48%), and Cornell (56%).
Those numbers are significant because of the Fall of 2017 was the
first time in history that over half the Ivy League applicants
submitted ACT scores. Here’s the irony: the
SAT was originally invented by the Ivy League schools! It was their
test and now most of their applicants are submitting ACT scores.
[to top of second column] |
Here’s the reality: The ACT has been the most popular
college admissions tests nationally and internationally since 2011.
Over 130 countries administer the ACT.
We live in Illinois. The ACT has been the most popular exam since
the 1960s. Even though Illinois is one of eight states that
administer a taxpayer funded State SAT ( while 20 states administer
a state ACT), the ACT is still more popular among Illinois college
bound students.
Because more students take the ACT, colleges and universities tend
to connect more scholarship opportunities to the ACT. And, that is
the best reason why serious college bound students should focus on
the ACT.
Jason Franklin is the founder of Better Prep Success, Inc. and
teaches classes in Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur, Peoria, and
Springfield. He has been teaching classes for over 20 years and has
personally worked with over 15,000 students. He also has online
video classes that have been used by students around the world. His
email address is
Jason.Franklin@BetterPrepSuccess.com.
|
Read all the articles in our
new
2019 Education Magazine
Title
CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES |
Page |
|
Lessons
for all - How to be good people |
4 |
| LJHS
new Eaton STEM Lab sparks learning |
9 |
|
Hands-n learning in LJHS STEM lab |
11 |
|
Cheerleading encourages discipline and high
academic standards |
16 |
|
Outstanding educators produce students who
succeed at life |
19 |
|
Current status report for West Lincoln Broadwell
School |
23 |
|
Tutoring can minimize anxiety and result in
stronger grades |
24 |
| ACT or
SAT: What is a college bound high school
student to do? |
28 |
| Logan
County Education Coalition assists in finding
post secondary education opportunities and funds |
31 |
|
Lincoln Colleges moves forward by looking to its
past |
35 |
|
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