I admit there are a few things I regret in my high school career. I have made a good amount of mistakes: from procrastinating my prom dress, to forgetting my lunch at home time to time; I learned that to minimize my errors and, ultimately, my blood pressure from the unnecessary amounts of stress I put myself in, I have to be more prepared. With this in the back of my mind, the question remains: will I change my ways? The answer is no. Will I continue to wait until the very last minute to study for my math test? Yes. Will I risk my chances of getting another tardy by waking up extremely late? Absolutely. Will I refuse to charge my computer the night before a school day? Without a doubt.

However, my greatest regret is taking the SAT instead of the ACT. Before people go up in arms about schools not requiring this God-forsaken test (College Board and colleges I applied to, I’m kidding!!!), I know. I just wanted to beef up my college application, and so should you.

I thought the SAT and ACT were very similar. Although both are used as a guideline to see where your academic knowledge lies, specific quirks that prove the tests different make a massive difference in the long run. My lack of research in comparing which test truly suited me and my academic strengths was a huge mistake.

The SAT compiles a 65-minute reading test, a 35-minute writing and language test, and an 80-minute math section. The ACT contains a 45-minute writing and language section, a 60-minute math section, a 35-minute reading section, and a 35-minute science section.

The main difference is that the SAT is more math-based, while the ACT is more reading and comprehension-based. With this being said, the SAT math section takes up the most time and stamina to complete. There are two parts to the math section in the SAT, the no calculator section and the calculator section. If you are like me and you do not necessarily remember your early math days of Algebra and Geometry, the SAT may not be the best fit. It requires knowledge of Pre-algebra, Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Pre-calculus. The ACT math section allows you to use a calculator for the entirety of this section. However, the math section requires knowledge in upper-level math concepts like trigonometry, logarithms, and matrices.

For both my women in STEM and humanities friends out there, the ACT would probably be better for you. A prime example is Charlotte Jordan ’23, who had a more logical approach in her decision of which test to take: “After taking the PSAT and a practice ACT, I felt like the ACT was way friendlier and an easier test for someone more like me that likes reading and writing.” There is more reading comprehension in the ACT, whether in the reading section or the science section. The ACT goes at a faster pace, meaning that it requires you to be able to read, analyze, and work efficiently on the exam. If you do well in your English classes, specifically with Mrs. Barclay ’94 or Mr. Bevins and/or slay in analyzing procedures in your science classes, this is right up your alley.

To prevent yourself from living in regret like me, I urge you to do more research than reading this article to weigh your options before taking these tests.

Good luck, Royals.