While the SAT Reasoning Test remains the most widely taken college entrance exam, the ACT is gaining popularity among college-bound high school students in this admission season.
According to data on The Washington Post’s Web site, the number of ACTs taken by students nationwide thus far in 2008 is about 20 percent higher than in 2005. While students continue to take more SATs than ACTs each year, the number of SAT tests taken nationwide in 2008 is only about 3 percent higher than in 2005.
Harriet Brand, director of public relations at The Princeton Review, said a number of reasons explain why the ACT has grown more popular in recent years, though alterations to the SAT drive the trend.
“When the [SAT] changed in 2005, the test became longer as compared to the ACT,” she said, noting the shorter length alone would make the test more attractive to high school students.
The cheaper price of the ACT, the more “straightforward” format of the ACT and the choice of whether to write an essay as part of the ACT also may have also contributed to the ACT’s budding popularity, she noted.
“When you put it all together, you can see why the ACT is gaining market share and why the SAT is losing market share,” Brand said.
In March 2007, every four-year college began accepting the ACT in admission applications.
“Once every college started taking both, students had an option as to which would be better for them,” said Ed Carroll, executive director at The Princeton Review, noting that now “there’s less bias against either.”
The SAT, however, “has a pretty strong history,” said Carina Wong, communications director at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, noting that the SAT is still the more popular test in the Northeast and West Coast.
University Admission Officer Ben Cullop said if an applicant to the University chooses to take both tests, the Office of Undergraduate Admission will consider the test on which a student receives a better score. The University has no preference between the two standardized tests, he said, adding “we’re noticing more students choosing to take the ACT.”
He attributes this trend to “competitive pressure” high school students involved in the admission process tend to feel.
“They think that any little thing is the thing that makes the difference,” Cullop said.
Wong similarly noted students are looking for any competitive edge they can get.
“As the college admissions landscape has become more competitive over the last several years, students have become more sophisticated in determining all the factors that give them a competitive edge,” she said.
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