SAT or ACT:  Choose Wisely!

If you take a stroll down the “Test Preparation" aisle of your local bookstore, you'll see several dozen books about how to prepare for the SAT and almost as many about the ACT. Search for an accurate guide to the differences between the two tests, though, and your options are extremely limited. The major test prep companies don't have a strong incentive to enlighten you, since they would prefer that you learn the hard way, by taking expensive courses for the SAT or ACT (or even better, both). Consequently, many students start from square one when the time comes to decide which exam to take. The ubiquitous misinformation about the two tests - “the ACT is more knowledge-based", or “some schools prefer the SAT" - only makes matters worse.

In order to clear up some of the confusion, I give a free 40-minute presentation at libraries and high schools in northern Virginia and Washington, DC entitled “SAT or ACT: Choose Wisely!" My goal is to cut through the clichés and present the facts about the two tests, so that by the end of the lecture students will know how to determine which exam is the best one for them. If you would be interested in having me speak at your local school, library, or in your home, please schedule a time to talk.