Frequently asked
questions

Very important, but it's almost never the deciding factor in admissions. College admissions staff take into account a number of factors: GPA and class rank, the difficulty of classes a student takes in high school, extracurricular activities, the level of thought and work put into an application, and a host of other factors. Standardized tests are just one component of this package. As a general rule, though, the more selective the school, the more standardized tests weigh in with the other factors.

Many are, so it might not be strictly required, but it's probably still a good idea to test. First, many schools - including many popular Texas universities - require tests again. Beyond that, a good test score can only help your chances of being accepted, and if it's not great, you don't have to submit it. Your college counselor will be your best resource on this front.

Talk to your college counselor, but probably so. Submitting your score gives admissions a more complete picture, which they like enough that at some "test optional" schools, students are overwhelmingly more likely to be admitted if they have scores. Check out our blog article on the topic for more details on this topic.

Absolutely. Many colleges offer automatic scholarship packages for specific test scores, even those that are test optional. Check out the school website for details.

It depends on the school. Our College Fit Check tool will show you average test scores, cost of attendance, popular majors, and more - look up your target schools there.

Many - but not all - colleges require either an SAT or ACT score as part of their admissions process. However, those that don't require SAT or ACT scores for admissions still typically require test scores for any merit-based scholarships. These standardized tests allow admissions committees to compare students across states and schools, even if the school a student attended isn't one they're familiar with.

Neither test is better or worse than the other, although their formats differ. The SAT is entirely computer-based and adaptive, with two Reading and Writing sections and two Math sections. The ACT can be taken on a computer or on paper - we recommend on paper for most students - and covers English, Math, and Reading, with optional Science and Writing (essay) tests.

It depends on the student! Many people do about the same on both tests, but students do often perform better on one test or another. If you have scores from both tests, you can use our SAT vs. ACT comparison tool to see which test you're currently stronger in. If you don't have scores from both, take a free practice test! Most students take the PSAT at school, but it's less common for them to take a practice ACT. We offer free practice tests, and we'll let you know which test works better for you.

Yes, universally. Students should focus on the test they're better at - colleges will take either one.

Most colleges don't look at either, but there are still some that want to see a Science score. If you're not sure exactly where you'll be applying, plan on taking Science. There's no need to do the ACT Writing test - colleges don't look at it.

The SAT and ACT aren't scored out of 100, like most tests students take in school.

There are four modules on the SAT: two Reading/Writing, and two Math. Students scores are assigned on a 200-800 point scale for both the Reading/Writing and Math modules. The lowest possible composite score on the SAT is a 400, and the highest is a 1600.

The ACT has four sections: English, Math, and Reading. Each section is scored from 1-36, and then the three scores are averaged to come up with a final composite score. The optional Science score is also scored from 1-36, but isn't included in the average. The optional Writing Test is scored on a 2 to 12 scale, and it also doesn't go in.

All colleges use your highest score for admissions. Some colleges, though, also will help you create a new, higher score by taking your best section scores across multiple test dates.

Say a student takes the SAT twice. The first time, they get 600 on Reading & Writing and 650 on Math. The second time, Math jumps to 680 but Reading & Writing slips to 590. A school that superscores would combine the best of each - the 600 R&W from the first test and the 680 Math from the second - for a 1280 superscore, even though the student never scored 1280 on a single day. The ACT works the same way, averaging your best section scores across dates into a new composite.

This policy varies by school, though, so it's important to check out the college's admissions website for details on their scoring policy. For more details, check out our blog post on the topic.

You can definitely retake the SAT and the ACT if you feel like doing so would improve your score. Because so many schools superscore, it's worthwhile to take a test more than once, too. We recommend students take their chosen test twice their junior year, with summer and fall backup dates in case something comes up or they need additional prep to hit a target score.

The PSAT is a practice SAT, administered to most juniors through their high school in October. Many schools also offer the option for students to take the test their sophomore year. While just practice, this test also determines National Merit Scholarship qualification. Because National Merit recognition can lead to academic scholarships, this test can be very important, although the importance of National Merit has diminished considerably in recent years.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a national academic competition run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, and you enter just by taking the PSAT your junior year - that's the one that matters.

Qualification is based on your Selection Index, which is calculated from your PSAT score. In general, the better you do on the test, the higher your selection index. There's no single national qualifying number, but Texas usually runs around 220 (although recent years have been higher), which is approximately equivalent to a 1450 on the PSAT. Students can qualify as Commended, Semifinalist, Finalist, and full Scholar. Scholarship money from colleges is typically tied to the Finalist level - the actual National Merit Scholarship award is typically a one-time $2,500.

In recent years, however, many colleges have reduced the importance of National Merit in their merit scholarship plans. While some schools may still offer scholarship packages tied to it, most very selective colleges do not, and the colleges that do offer packages also offer similar scholarships for standard SAT/ACT scores.

Only if previous testing has shown that you're close to the cutoff. If not, relax and use the PSAT as a solid benchmark for how you're likely to do on the SAT, although you should be aware that the scores for the PSAT are scaled differently than the SAT. If you are close, it's worth doing some prep, but remember that similar merit scholarship packages are available for the normal SAT/ACT, and you can take those as often as you like.

The ISEE is the standardized test that most DFW-area private and independent schools use for admissions. It has four sections: Verbal Reasoning (vocabulary), Quantitative Reasoning (math applications), Reading Comprehension, and Math Achievement (math knowledge). Most of these schools require students to take the test the year before they would be admitted (8th grade, for high school admissions) during the winter "testing season" that runs from December until March, although to meet deadlines, most students take it in December or January.

Maybe, but you might not need to. We suggest students take a free practice test that is appropriate for their current grade level (7th graders would take a Middle Level ISEE). If they do well on it, you probably don't need to prep. If there are some holes, then it might be worth doing some, especially if they're applying to some of the more competitive area schools.

We've got a long blog post about how to read an ISEE score report, but the main thing schools look at are a student's stanine scores. Each of the four sections of the ISEE gets a stanine score from 1-9, indicating what percentile rank a student falls into.

As a general rule, stanine scores of 5 or better are good for a student applying to a school in the DFW-area private school. Some selective schools may want to see higher scores, but the exact scores the schools want to see range, and can vary with a student's GPA, extracurricular activities, and the rest of their application.

ISEE - https://www.erblearn.org/families/isee-registration/

PSAT - Students are automatically registered for this test by their school

SAT - https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration

ACT - https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

When you know what date you plan to take, it's best to get registered as soon as possible, because some testing locations may have a limited number of seats.

Whichever one best fits your schedule. For the ISEE, most schools require a test in the winter testing season and before application deadlines, so you'll probably want to plan on a date in December or January.

For the SAT/ACT, we suggest students plan on taking the test twice during the spring semester of their junior year, with potential backup dates in the summer/early fall. Make sure to plan dates early, because a number of them fall around holidays or school breaks.

Fees can change, but here's an estimate:

ISEE - at a school hosted event, about $155, or ERB-proctored for about $205
SAT - $68
ACT - $68, with extra for the Science and Writing tests.

Fee waivers may be available - ask your school counselor for details, or check the test's website.

Yes, students with documented learning differences can apply for accommodations. Do this as early as possible if they're needed, as they can take some time to get approved. We've got a blog post about the process that has the details.