“My kid wants to consider applying to at least SOME top schools. Which college entrance exam should s/he take, and when should s/he start? Please bear in mind we’d really like him/her to have a great junior year, especially academically, and s/he’s signed up for some super tough classes with some super tough teachers….“
Great questions, great qualification, so glad you asked!
Many CT juniors wait until spring of junior year to get started climbing up the college entrance exam mountain, largely because, for the past several years, CT public high schoolers get to take TWO SATs in March, one of which is on the taxpayers’ nickel, and they only have to count the one they do better on or cobble together a “super score” based on both. This is a reasonable plan for many, many college applicants, but NOT for the thousands of students eying the coveted “most selective” and “highly selective” colleges in the land. For these students, getting a head start during the rising summer and fall of Junior Year is a much better plan if they want to stay competitive.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, I like Plan A) an August 24 SAT and Sept 14 ACT and Plan B) an Oct 5 SAT and Oct 26 ACT, although school will obviously be well underway for Plan B). Both of these plans suggest an SAT first (though doesn’t have to be but still remains the entrance exam of choice in CT—see one freebie on the taxpayers’ nickel above ;-)) and follow up with an ACT exactly three weeks later.
The best CPE prep plan for first-timers is to prep for the first exam (the SAT in both plans suggested above) with a 6- or 9-Session SAT Prep Class, and then follow up with a 3-Session ACT Prep Crash Course, the first meeting of which in both cases is, by design, scheduled for right after each SAT! All the dates, times, and registration for CPE Classes through the fall are here.
“Another question: If I get pushback from my kid and s/he insists on taking only ONE exam, either the SAT OR the ACT, which is better?“
Another good question, glad you asked. Take away their allowance—that’ll learn ’em, ;-). Kidding! Here, read this please. Might take a hot minute, but you asked ;-).
“Last question: In the ‘Test Optional’ era, does it really matter and will it really help to invest time and money into earning a decent entrance exam score?
Damn, Sam, you’re asking all the best questions today! It absolutely, unequivocally does. Here’s why.
Be sure to check out the best deal in college admissions: CPE’s CommonApp Boot Camps!