SAT & ACT: Do I really have to take both? (See our 2014-15 Numbers!)

"Do I really have to take both?"

It's a question we hear from many students every year at the start of SAT/ACT season. And our answer is, "Only if you want to maximize your chances of getting into the best school with the best possible financial aid package for you."

The numbers speak for themselves. On average, our students who took only one of the two college entrance exams received an average financial aid offer of $16,250 from each school, with an offer of $16,800 from their #1 choice.

Compare that to students who took both tests! Students who took both the SAT and the ACT received an average of $22,000 per school, with an offer of $27,000 from their #1 choice.

Why might this be the case? Students who take both tests have the chance to tackle the same content in different forms. Some students find that the structure of one test simply suits their strengths better than the structure of the other test does. You can then decide whether you want to focus on studying and retaking your better of the two tests. Students who score significantly higher on one test can submit just their best scores to colleges, a tactic that has benefited many of our students.

Furthermore, students who perform equally well on both tests can still submit both sets of scores to colleges, providing the school with more evidence confirming that the student is a good academic fit.

As our rising juniors work hard to prepare to take the SAT and ACT for the first time this fall, we'd like to share some other fun facts and interesting statistics from our 2014 & 2015 graduating classes. Click here for the full results!

Remember, colleges prioritize GPA and test scores when determining how much merit aid a student will receive, so it's important to show the best numbers possible.

 As our results show, these are tests that you can and should study for. Students who took advantage of our SAT & ACT resources raised their scores by an average of 229 points on the SAT and 4 points on the ACT. A boost of that magnitude will make a huge difference when colleges make decisions about admissions and financial aid!

If you still need to schedule your initial student meeting with me to get started with our online SAT & ACT courses, please email erin@enspherecps.com or call us at (724) 745-0305.

Erin, Director of Student Services

P.S. Join us on September 10th for our family event, "SAT & ACT Steps to Success!" Admission is free to all Ensphere families (or $99 per student for non-Ensphere members). Seats are filling up fast, so let me know ASAP if you'd like to reserve your spot!