The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

78 DECEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT test is something all prospective college students must decide. For most interna- tional and other students, with the excep- tions listed below, the answer is yes. If you are applying only to schools where the SAT/ACT will not be consid- ered (such as the University of California system), then no. If you are applying only to test- optional schools and you’ve taken a practice test and your score would be weak relative to the rest of your applica- tion—then no. If you have not completed Algebra 2 (or the equivalent), it’s probably best to wait to take the SAT or ACT until you have done so. For everyone else, taking the test will give colleges more information about you and allow them to more reliably compare you with the rest of the applicant pool. If your current school doesn’t have a long track record of sending students to the colleges to which you are applying, you may make it easier for colleges to accept you by taking the SAT or ACT. Which Test—SAT or ACT? The two tests have many similarities: each has four sections and lasts approxi- mately three hours plus breaks. Both tests have a Grammar/usage section (called “English” on the ACT and “Writing and Language” on the SAT), a Reading sec- tion and a Math-with-calculator section. The ACT has a Science section (no SAT equivalent), and the SAT has a Math- without-calculator section (no ACT equivalent). The SAT has dropped the written Essay section; the ACT has an optional Writing section, administered after the multiple- choice sections, where students have 40 minutes to respond to a topic prompt and three perspectives on the topic. Here are some differences that might help you decide which test to take: The international test dates are different for theACTand SAT.