Frequently Asked Questions

You will be assigned to your college advisor in the fall of your junior year. Your class will be divided among Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Davis, and Dr. Honig.

If you are in ninth or tenth grade it is really too early to focus on the college process -- enjoy your high school experience! If, however, you have a question that you feel cannot wait until junior year, feel free to come down to the College Office. All of the college advisers are happy to speak to any student at any time about college- or testing-related matters. Parents may call with any questions.

A common sequence for SAT testing is once in the junior year and once in the fall of the senior year. For a student taking no subject tests, a June/October or June/November sequence is very common. For students taking Subject Tests, a May/October or May/November sequence is common. In 2017 the College Board added August as a test date, which allows students to prepare and take the exam without overlapping with classwork.

April of your junior year is a good time to take your first ACT exam. This allows time in September or October of senior year to take it again.

Colleges value these two exams equally, so take the exam that you feel more confident taking.

The material covered on the SAT and ACT overlaps significantly. The primary differences between the current ACT and the New SAT are:

• The ACT allows less time per question than the SAT.
• The ACT includes a science section.
• The New SAT includes a section of Math that must be solved without a calculator.

Often, the best way to choose between these two exams is to take a practice of each. The feel or format of one is usually more comfortable for a student. Consult your college adviser about making this decision.

Many colleges do accept the ACT with Writing in lieu of both the SAT and two or more Subject Tests, but some do not. Be sure to check the websites of the colleges you are considering for their current testing requirements, as well as consulting with your college adviser.

Not necessarily. Students taking the ACT have the option to choose which test date's scores to report to colleges. Students taking the SAT have a similar option to choose which tests to send to colleges, although some colleges are requesting applicants to report all scores. Just remember not to get too caught up in taking and retaking these tests numerous times, as your transcript is the most important part of college admissions evaluations.

Students are allowed to choose which test date of the SAT they want to submit (both the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and the Math score will be reported). For Subject Tests, students are allowed to select which individual test results to submit to colleges, even if multiple tests were taken on the same day.

It is always the student's responsibility to make sure that test scores are reported to colleges. Students do so for the SAT through the College Board (www.collegeboard.com) and for the ACT through the American College Testing Program (www.actstudent.org) websites. Consult with your adviser before reporting any scores to colleges.