{"id":16962,"date":"2023-01-03T16:40:13","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T21:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hls.org\/?page_id=16962"},"modified":"2024-01-24T12:35:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T17:35:41","slug":"sat-act-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hls.org\/sat-act-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"SAT & ACT Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

An SAT & ACT Guide<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The first step to the SAT & ACT: introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step toward student success on standardized tests is for students to build familiarity with these kinds of tests and test-taking, specifically the SAT and \/ or the ACT. At HLS students will begin to have this opportunity in the fall of their sophomore year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HLS sophomores attend a “Test Prep” course where they prepare specifically for the PSAT. This course covers test taking techniques and provides an opportunity to interact with the kinds of material presented on the PSAT. Students will begin to see how their education at HLS has uniquely prepared them to tackle the SAT and ACT. While the Test Prep course is geared to the Preliminary SAT, the course will remain helpful to the ACT. And naturally the skills and conversations of this course will translate very well to the official SAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, students will learn the ways in which they can study for and practice these specific kinds of tests. Students will also learn how to improve their score between test sittings. This introductory class prepares students to take the PSAT in their sophomore year and <\/em>their junior year. The junior year PSAT is the qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship Program you will see it referred to as the PSAT\/ NMSQT which stands for Preliminary SAT \/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students who become National Merit Scholars have the opportunity to receive large scholarships (often up to full tuition and housing) from public universities and colleges (and sometimes even from private universities and colleges).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*It is highly important to note that the PSAT and the SAT as of 2023 & 2024 are only<\/strong> digital<\/strong>. Right now (as of 2024) the ACT is still available in a paper format. Becoming adjusted to the digital format when taking a digital test plays a significant role in test performance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step to the SAT & ACT: determine a student’s “best test”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The next step in the world of standardized test-taking typically occurs in a student’s junior year. This next step is to determine which test is the student’s “best test” between the\u00a0SAT or the\u00a0ACT. Once a student establishes this, they then proceed by taking their best <\/em>test 3-5 more times. Students test until they reach a score that makes them competitive for admittance to their choice colleges (this can be determined by researching the middle 50% ACT \/ SAT of their schools of interest – search for this through a search engine like google by typing “middle 50% ACT SAT GPA insert name of school here<\/em>” or search “freshman profile for insert name of school here”<\/em>). A student who strives to reach their best score also has the potential to become competitive for merit scholarships. See what GPAs and test scores your colleges and universities of interest provide merit scholarship awards for by searching their website for “merit scholarships”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does a student determine their best test?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best way to evaluate which test is a student’s best test is by taking the tests. HLS students will have the ability to make their first test of this determination<\/em> their junior year PSAT. This PSAT is offered at HLS in the fall of students’ junior year. This is the test which serves as the National Merit Qualifier. Because the PSAT is a Preliminary SAT it is a close indicator of how a student will perform on the SAT. Students can pursue taking the official SAT to see if their test-taking experience and score indicates they will continue to do well on this kind of test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively after the junior year PSAT students may simply switch over and attempt the ACT in early December. Students who have taken the ACT after their junior year PSAT can compare their ACT score to their PSAT score. Those who take the SAT after the junior year PSAT can still follow it with an ACT. Students may then compare their ACT score to this SAT score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the order in which a student takes these tests, the aim is to compare available data. Compare ACT test scores and testing experience to the PSAT test scores and testing experience (this is if you have not done the official SAT yet, post-junior year PSAT). If you have taken the official SAT (any time after your junior year PSAT) then compare your ACT scores and test experience with this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a good tool to compare the data you have from the PSAT and ACT:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Using digital PSAT Scores to Compare SAT and ACT<\/a><\/blockquote>