the SAT might be better if. . .

1. You did great on the PSAT. The devil you know may be better than the devil you don’t.

 

2. You have a killer vocabulary. You know “didactic,” “sedulous” and other esoteric words (including esoteric) and want to use that comparative advantage.

 

3. You can ace grammar. In addition to the essay section, the Writing section of the SAT tests the deviation between standard written English and the way we actually speak the language. You know that “everyone has their own idea” is wrong, and you are comfortable with “On the table, there ARE a pencil and some paper.”

 

4. You find it easier to write essays that use illustrative examples rather than argument. For example, if a topic such as “Should the rights of the individual be secondary to the good of the community?” seems like an easier topic to write on than “Should students be required to participate in extracurricular activities?” then the SAT essay may be more your speed. In the former example, you can use anything from the Civil Rights Movement to The Scarlet Letter as evidence, while the latter likely begs more for examples from personal experience or abstract arguments.

 

5. Whether or not you’re academic, you consider yourself quick-thinking. At some level, the math section of the SAT is based on reasoning. The reading section is about seeing things the same way as the test-makers. The original official name was after all, the “SAT Reasoning Test.” The hardest math questions on the SAT do not involve advanced content or formulas that you may have forgotten.

 

6. You are high-energy or impulsive to the point of being impatient. Comprised of nine sections and an essay, the SAT is 20 minutes longer than the ACT, which is comprised of four long sections followed by an essay. However, there are more starts and stops on the SAT — which for some students makes it feel as though it’s moving along faster than the ACT.

 

7. All of your friends are doing it. For many folks, the SAT is a rite of passage and is the common yardstick people use, for better or worse, to compare their scores to the scores of their friends, parents and siblings. The whole drama of high school wouldn’t be complete without it.