How Much Do PSAT 11 Scores Really Tell You About the SAT?

The PSAT 11, which most students take during their junior year, can be a useful indicator of performance in the reading and writing sections of the SAT. Scores in these areas often provide a reasonable baseline for predicting how a student might perform later on the official exam.

However, the same is not true for SAT math.

The math tested on the PSAT 11 is not fully aligned with what appears on the SAT. The SAT includes more advanced math topics and places greater emphasis on problem-solving and analytical thinking. As a result, students often find the upper-range math questions on the SAT (particularly in the 600–800 score range) significantly more challenging than the math questions on the PSAT 11.

So while PSAT results are helpful, they don’t always give a complete picture of a student’s readiness for SAT math. A strong PSAT math score doesn’t automatically guarantee a similar SAT performance—especially for students aiming for top-tier scores.

That’s why we recommend that all students complete a full SAT diagnostic exam. A diagnostic provides reliable data about SAT-level math performance and confirms whether current reading and writing scores translate well to the SAT format. It gives families clarity on where a student truly stands and helps ensure prep time is focused in the right areas.

Should My Student Consider the ACT?

Taking an SAT diagnostic also opens the door to trying the ACT as an alternative. The ACT can be a better fit for students who:

• Perform better in reading and grammar than in math
• Have not yet completed Algebra II
• Prefer straightforward questions over abstract problem-solving
• Work well under time pressure

While the SAT emphasizes flexible thinking and multi-step reasoning, the ACT leans more toward content mastery and faster pacing. The good news? Both tests are accepted equally by every college in the U.S. The best test for your student is simply the one that plays to their strengths.

How Everest Helps Students Prepare

At Everest, we partner with Score Smart to provide accurate digital SAT diagnostics and progress testing. Since the launch of the digital SAT, our testing platform has given students:

• Detailed diagnostic reports
• Fresh SAT-style practice material
  
• Reliable score projections
• Clear guidance on strengths, weaknesses, and next steps
  

With the right data, students can focus their effort where it matters most—and achieve results faster.

Ready to find out which test is right for your student?

Everest offers free SAT and ACT diagnostic testing so students can see exactly how they perform on each exam and make an informed decision about which test to pursue.

Our diagnostics provide:

• Real SAT and ACT test conditions
• Detailed score reports
• Clear insights into strengths and weaknesses
• Data to guide an efficient prep plan
  

👉 Register for a free diagnostic here:
https://www.everesttutors.net/diagnostic-testing.html

​Now in its second year as a digital test, the College Board’s PSAT was taken by high school juniors and sophomores across the country during October 2024, with schools allowed to schedule their test date any time during the month.

Regardless of when a student took the PSAT in October, their score should now be available. Students who tested by October 11 received scores on October 24, those done by October 26 received scores on November 7, and those done by October 31 received their scores on November 14.
 
College Board encourages students to use the BigFuture mobile app to check scores and probably asked for the student’s mobile phone number on test day to use as the login, but we recommend getting a student’s PSAT score report from the student’s College Board account. The student’s counselor at school should also have access to the score report if you can’t get it these other ways.

The digital PSAT is the exact same as the SAT in terms of the number of questions and the time for each section, but the score scale for the SAT is higher, reflecting an increased difficulty of question types that students might encounter.
 
Each PSAT section (Reading/Writing and Math) has a score range from 160-720. For the SAT, the range for each is from 200-800. We see a lot of confusion on how they relate, so it’s important to understand that a 720 on the PSAT is meant to be the equivalent of a 720 on the SAT, not an 800. The gap between the 720 and 800 is answering correctly several questions of a higher difficulty level on each section. Students should anticipate that raising their score higher on the SAT will take real work even if they are already performing at a high level on the PSAT, especially since the new digital test has fewer questions, which amplifies the points lost for each mistake.

Regardless of the student’s PSAT score, know that it has no effect on the student’s ability to get into college. Colleges will never see the scores from these tests. The College Board offers the PSAT to sophomores and juniors to familiarize them with the SAT test format and content and to encourage students to provide their information to receive outreach from interested colleges, a service which provides an important revenue stream for College Board.

Now that a student has tried the PSAT, they should try a practice ACT as well to compare the results and determine which test will be a better option as a college admissions test or if the student should consider going test-optional based on their PSAT/ACT scores and the schools on their college list.
 
Students with a very high PSAT score will also be eligible for consideration for a National Merit Scholarship, as well as other scholarships offered by the scholarship programs that use PSAT scores for determining eligibility in conjunction with the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Competition.

The chances of being a National Merit Finalist are very slim, with just 15,000 finalists nationwide out of the estimated 1.3 million students in the class of 2025 who took the PSAT in October 2023. Sophomores who score well on the PSAT are not eligible for consideration in that year’s scholarship program.
 
From the original pool of testers nationwide, 50,000 high scoring participants were notified in September 2024 that they were either Commended Students (34,000 testers) or Semifinalists (16,000 testers). To make it from the pool of semifinalists to being named a finalist, a student must complete a detailed application, write an essay, get recommendations, and take an SAT or ACT that affirms the score received on the PSAT.
 
In February 2025, semifinalists who have met all the academic and other requirements will be notified they are a finalist. From this pool of 15,000 finalists, 6,870 scholarship winners will be announced in March 2025, including the $2500 National Merit scholarships and those from participating corporate and college sponsors. In the end, those receiving monetary awards are just one-half of one percent of the juniors who take the test nationwide. This same calendar will unfold next year for the members of the Class of 2026 who just took the PSAT in October 2024.
 
How does a student make it into the one percent of top testers? A lot depends on the state in which they reside. To ensure a fair representation from across the country, each state is allocated a certain number of semifinalists based on the state’s percentage of the total high school seniors graduating that year. Semifinalists are chosen from students who met or exceeded the Selection Index Score for their state this year, which will be announced in the spring of 2025. Often smaller states with more competitive student pools will have a higher Selection Index score. You calculate a Selection Index score by doubling the Reading/Writing score, adding the Math score, and then dividing that total amount by 10. A typical SIS for Maryland is in the 221-223 range.
 
Given the high score needed to be considered for the program, we do not generally recommend students prep for the PSAT unless they are already testing in the top 2-3% of testers. For Maryland juniors testing in October 2023, only 296 made it to the semifinalist stage. Maryland’s Selection Index Score of 222 was one of the highest nationwide, with just two states having a higher selection score, meaning that Maryland students have to score higher just to be considered versus peers in most other states.

Juniors who have not completed their college admissions testing should use their PSAT score report as the starting gun for their 2025 college admissions testing planning and prep. The ACT has national test dates upcoming in February, April, June, July, and September, and the SAT will have tests in March, May, June, and August that students in the Class of 2026 can utilize for their applications. Students who complete a practice ACT now and compare it with their PSAT will be ready to prepare for any of these tests in the new year.
 
Schedule an upcoming ACT diagnostic test and then contact us to discuss your test prep needs.

Sophomores should plan to try the ACT sometime between March-June and also should try a second, full scale SAT practice test to see how the results compare to their PSAT. Members of the Class of 2027 should plan to begin their test prep for a fall 2025 test sometime in the summer if possible so they can complete their admissions testing in the first semester of junior year, freeing them up to spend the rest of the year focused on their academics and extracurriculars.
 
Have questions about your PSAT score report or how to get started with college admissions test preparation? Contact us to schedule a free consultation.

Our director spoke with U.S. News & World Report in August about the changes coming to the ACT college admissions test in 2025.

As one of many changes occurring in college admissions testing, the new options on the ACT will add more considerations to each student’s calculations on whether to use the ACT or SAT or if they should apply test-optional.
 
A shorter ACT will certainly help win over more students, since many now seem to prefer the SAT just because of the shorter length of time compared to the current ACT, and since the digital test has fewer questions overall with more time per question.
 
Read the full article on U.S. News & World Report’s website.

​Since 2020, the percentage of high school seniors submitting admissions test scores from the ACT or SAT as part of their college applications has dropped to just under 50% in 2023 as most schools adopted “test-optional” policies.
 
While test optional policies have empowered students to control more of their own destiny, they have also created a confusing landscape where families struggle to understand what “test optional” really means within the context of each school. While some schools embraced the new position, many just used the label and continued to prioritize applicants with scores, but few were transparent about their exact position or what they really wanted.

Yes, we recommend every student have at least one set of test scores (ACT or SAT – which one does not matter to the colleges) that they can use when needed to during their applications. You may never have to use them, but we find that for most students submitting their scores is beneficial, and if you discover late in the process that you need them, you will be thankful you took the test. Many schools also continue to provide merit aid and scholarships based in part on a student’s test scores, so not having admissions test scores could be financially costly too.

​Schools that have recently ended test optional policies after piloting them for several years have examined the evidence and concluded that college admissions test scores predict first-year college success and help them evaluate a student in context of their socio-economic background. So while a student’s score may seem low in the larger band of what the college admits, for that student and their background, the score signals to the college that the student is ready and able to succeed at their school if given the chance.
 
Schools also understand that grade inflation is occurring nationally for a variety of reasons and to a varying degree. Consequently, a student’s GPA is now a less-reliable indicator for a student’s potential success in college without other validation like SAT, ACT, IB, and AP exams. It also becomes impossible to quantitatively rank applicants effectively when so many have grade point averages in a narrow band at the top of the 4.0 scale. You can only differentiate so much between similar GPAs.
 
Schools most often would like you to send a score even if you think it is outside their parameters because it offers them an independent evaluation of a student’s readiness and can often validate what they believe will be a good candidate, even if the student has a few detractions. Many colleges look to understand the context of where a student went to school and evaluating GPA and test scores is based on those other signals. They also realize that in a test-optional situation, they are losing many applicants on the bubble who choose not to submit a score that would have otherwise helped them stand out based on the student’s background.           
 
College admissions offices are also very reliant on data, so schools like to be able to track and evaluate who they admit and how they perform long-term, and test scores have traditionally been an important component of that process.

As members of the high school Class of 2025 are starting to seriously consider their college lists, they face a myriad of possible testing requirements, both implicit and now explicit, as schools further fracture into new test requirement paradigms. With announcements coming regularly now, many colleges have indicated that they will be reinstating test requirements, while others are expanding options. Expect many more schools and state systems to announce their intentions for the Classes of 2025 and 2026 during the spring. With so many variations, it is important that applicants have a solidified college list sooner than later and that they check and monitor each of their school’s requirements for changes ahead of the start of application season in August.

Here are some recent changes in test-optional policies at several Ivy League colleges:

For the school’s Class of 2029, Dartmouth will require either an ACT or SAT score, and the results from multiple tests will be superscored if submitted.
 
In their February 5, 2024 announcement, the school said:
 
“New research confirms that standardized testing—when assessed using the local norms at a student's high school—is a valuable element of Dartmouth's undergraduate application, and high school grades paired with standardized testing are the most reliable indicators for success in Dartmouth's course of study.“
 
“A score that falls below our class mean but several hundred points above the mean at the student's school is "high" and, as such, it has value…in our holistic assessment. That is how we consider testing at Dartmouth, and the opportunity to imagine better ways to inform students about their "score strength" will be a priority for us.”
 
“[W]e believe a standardized testing requirement will improve—not detract from—our ability to bring the most promising and diverse students to our campus.”

Yale announced on February 22, 2024, that it will implement a “test flexible” policy for students applying for admission in the Fall of 2025. “Test flexible” means that students must submit a national test score, but they can choose to submit a score from an ACT, SAT, AP, or IB exam, which broadens the possibilities for many students.
 
Here are some key highlights of their new policy:
 

• The new policy reflects their belief that scores are revealing but never determinative.
• If an applicant chooses to submit AP or IB exam scores, they must submit every AP or IB exam taken prior to applying, which decreases the “flexible” implications with this option since many students do well in their AP or IB classes grade wise, but then fail to perform equivalently on their exams, which is a red flag to a college.
• Yale hopes to empower applicants to “to put their best foot forward…There is no perfect test, and no one-size-fits-all approach to demonstrating a student’s college readiness.”
• Applicants should report the scores that complement the rest of their application.
• Tests show areas of academic strength, reinforce GPA, help fill in transcript gaps, and help identify students who excelled in their environment.

 
You can read more about the reasons for the change in policy here and here.

Brown University announced on March 5, 2024, that it would reinstate a test requirement for the school’s Class of 2029, with either the ACT or SAT score required.
 
Some highlights of their announcement:
 

• Analysis showed that standardized tests “provide an important piece of information about the applicant’s performance in the context of available opportunities and serve as a strong predictor of a student’s academic performance once enrolled.”
• Brown will enhance communications to students and school counselors emphasizing that test scores are interpreted in the context of a student’s background and educational opportunities.
• “Our analysis made clear that SAT and ACT scores are among the key indicators that help predict a student’s ability to succeed and thrive in Brown’s demanding academic environment. Consideration of test scores in the context of each student’s background will advance Brown’s commitment to academic excellence and the University’s focus on ensuring that talented students from the widest possible range of backgrounds can access a Brown education.”

​After previously indicating that applicants for the Class of 2029 would be test-optional, Harvard announced on April 11, 2024 that it would be requiring ACT or SAT scores from applicants for that class this fall.
 
Applicants who cannot access either of those tests can also submit AP or IB exam scores instead.
 
According to Harvard’s Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra, “Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond…more information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range.”

​Caltech also announced its return to test-required on April 11, 2024, citing many of the same reasons as the prior schools. Students applying for the Class of 2029 this fall will need to submit an ACT or SAT score.
 
In its announcement, the school highlighted its science-focused mission, saying, “In reinstating the standardized testing requirement, Caltech reaffirms its commitment as a community of scientists and engineers to using all relevant data in its decision-making processes.”
 
Even though Caltech had not considered test scores since 2020, their analysis found that 95% of their most recent class had in fact taken a test and could have submitted scores if required.

Beyond the changes mentioned above at Ivy League schools, several state schools have or are considering major changes in their testing policies. Currently many state schools in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee require the submission of test scores, and more are likely to join them or expand current policies.

​In their March 11, 2024 announcement, the University of Texas at Austin confirmed the reinstatement of testing requirements for students beginning in the 2024-2025 application cycle.
 
Some highlights of the announcement:
 

• “Our experience…reinforced that standardized testing is a valuable tool for deciding who is admitted and making sure those students are placed in majors that are the best fit.”
• “[W]ith an abundance of high school GPAs surrounding 4.0, especially among our auto-admits, an SAT or ACT score is a proven differentiator that is in each student’s and the University’s best interest.”

 

The University of North Carolina system, which includes UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State among others, is looking at reinstating test score requirements for applicants who have a GPA below a certain threshold. Individual schools would also have the discretion to require test scores for applicants who had higher GPAs or for every applicant. A final vote on the new policy is expected in April.
 
According to local press reports, some highlights of the current proposal include:
 

• Applicants with weighted GPAs between the minimum 2.5 needed to apply and 2.8 would be required to submit a score. For the first year of the policy, there would not be a minimum score needed to be accepted; however, in with the 2025-2026 application cycle, students would have to score at least a 17 on the ACT or a 930 on the SAT to be considered for acceptance at any UNC university.

 

• The chancellors of the 16 universities, with approval of their individual boards, will decide for their respective schools whether students with weighted GPAs above 2.8 would be required to submit test scores for 2026 and beyond.

Presently, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia College & State University require scores be submitted. The board of the Georgia state university system is now considering bringing back testing requirements to all the state universities.
 
According to local news reports, the changes are being considered for implementation next year because there is a concern that teachers and administrators are inflating grades to qualify students for the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship, which requires a 3.0 grade-point average.  The board is monitoring the actions in other states like Tennessee and North Carolina as they consider their next steps.

One major change in the opposite direction is the University of Michigan. The school had previously allowed students to use AP exams as “test score” submissions, but it announced in March that it will now switch to test-optional and only ACT and SAT scores will be considered as a test submission.

​Students need to have a firm understanding of each school’s policy, which means they need to work on identifying schools for their college list earlier than in prior years.
 
Students can also get information about how much a school values test scores and what test scores have been for admitted students through each school’s Common Data Set, which you can search for on the school’s website. In sections C of the CDS will be a tables with information on priorities for admissions and the test scores of the students who enrolled for the school’s most recent freshman class.
 
Also consider that many schools now push lower-scoring students into non-fall admissions times in order to dis-include their test scores from the data that goes into the CDS and the third-party ranking lists. So often the score necessary to do well at a school, and for which they will admit a student, is lower than the data in the CDS would indicate. If in doubt, ask an admissions counselor at the school how closely they adhere to the CDS numbers or if they admit a wider range. You will probably be glad you did.

​Students should start by trying both a practice ACT and a practice SAT to see which test they are best prepared to utilize. Then plan out if they have time to take multiple sittings of their chosen test, since most schools allow super scoring across test dates (again something to check with the admissions rep!). We recommend planning for two test dates as close together as possible so you do not lose the skills and knowledge learned while prepping.
 
For rising seniors, the last tests you can really take for your early decision or early action applications, which are typically November 1, are the September ACT and October SAT, although later dates will work for regular decision and rolling applications. 
 
With the announcements from Michigan and from Yale, students should also consider how their Advanced Placement courses and exams can support their applications, as these may play a more prominent role in future admissions cycles. We always advise students to focus first on scoring their best in the AP course and then to focus on doing well on the AP exam, since colleges will always see your grade in the class, but might not see the exam score unless you submit it for consideration.
 
Ready to consider preparing for a college admissions test? Learn more about our test prep process and then sign up for our diagnostic testing.

​Ahead of the digital SAT launch in 2024, the Preliminary SAT, or PSAT, has gone digital in the United States with the October 2023 test, presenting students with a completely new format and scoring structure from prior versions and featuring a shortened testing time with fewer questions.
 

​Because schools could administer the digital PSAT during a large window of dates in October, College Board set up two score release dates for 2023, depending on when the school administered the test. 2023 PSAT scores will be released on either November 6 for tests administered between October 1-14, or November 16 for tests administered between October 15-31.
 
Students can check for their scores on their College Board account. College Board will also text a link to your scores on the BigFuture mobile app if you provided a mobile number on test day. School counselors also have score reports if these other options are not available.

​The rollout of the new PSAT digital test platform on the Bluebook app and the new test procedures schools had to implement lead to many technical and operational problems, as reported in the news and by College Board. Testing on October 11 ended up being an especially bad day when demand on College Board’s test platform overwhelmed its capacity. We have also received numerous anecdotal reports from our students about tests at local MCPS high schools being canceled or rescheduled during the month. Many students also reported they opted not to test this year since they would have to pay a fee for the test.
 
These types of problems can be expected anytime an existing, well-known system is replaced with something quite different, and it would not be a surprise to see similar problems with the initial digital SAT rollout next year.

​The SAT has a score range of 200-800 on the Reading/Writing and the Math section, for a combined score range of 400-1600. Because the PSAT tests a slightly lower grade-level equivalent, the range on the PSAT is 160-760 per section or 320-1520 total. The PSAT score is a benchmark on where a student might score on the SAT, but is not a direct extrapolation, so a 1520 does not equal a 1600 on the SAT, instead it would indicate scoring in a range around 1520 on the SAT. Testers also should keep in mind that the SAT will include more difficult question types not seen on the PSAT, which may also affect their SAT score, and that the percentiles in the PSAT report are not equivalent to the percentiles the student will rank on the SAT (in comparison to the national test pool).

Because the 2023 PSAT is the first test instance for the digital platform and College Board is still finetuning their scoring correlations, students should consider their PSAT score a starting point for determining the best college admissions test for them to take to support their upcoming college applications. Trying a practice full-length SAT and a practice ACT will help a student to make a well-informed decision on whether to utilize and prepare for either test or if going test-optional might be the best choice.
 
One other potential benefit of the PSAT for very high scorers is the National Merit Scholarship Program, which automatically enters students with a high enough qualifying score for consideration.
 
College Board also offers various platforms to connect students with scholarship opportunities and potential colleges based on the student’s PSAT, and later SAT, scores. Students should be aware of and comfortable with the data they are sharing with schools and other organizations when using these extra tools offered by the company.
 
It’s also important to understand that your PSAT score has no effect on your college application process and schools will never see it, so if you did not score where you had hoped, you do not need to worry about long-term effects on your applications.

Utilizing the PSAT scores of everyone who tests in October 2023, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will winnow down the testers into a pool of 15,000 finalists, drawn from a pool of the top scorers in each state, and in September 2024, NMSC will invite those semifinalists to complete the scholarship program’s application. If selected a finalist, students will be considered for 7,000 scholarships from a variety of sources and are awarded the designation of National Merit Finalist.
 
Given the high score needed to be considered for the program, we do not generally recommend students prep for the PSAT unless they are already testing in the top 2-3% of testers. For Maryland in 2022, only 306 students scored high enough to become a semifinalist, and the Selection Index score needed, 221, was one of the highest of any state, with just three states having a higher selection score, meaning that Maryland students have to score higher just to be considered versus peers in another state, such as Virginia where the cutoff score was 219.
 
NMSC determines this index cutoff score by allocating the semifinalist spots to each state based on the state’s percentage of the most recent U.S. high school graduating class. They then go down the list of top scorers in each state till they reach that number of state-semifinalists, and that last semifinalist’s score determines the cutoff score for the state. So the smaller and more academically competitive the state, the higher the state’s index number.
 
To calculate a student’s Selection Index Score, multiply the Reading/Writing score by 2, add the Math score, and then divide that total by 10. The score will be in a range between 48-228. 

One of the big reasons the College Board offers the PSAT is to provide practice and experience with the format so students will then take the SAT for the college admissions test, instead of the ACT or going test optional. This is why the PSAT went digital in 2023 ahead of the rollout of the digital SAT in March 2024. Students wishing to take a paper-based SAT only have the December 2, 2023 test left to utilize this well-known format. Registration for the 2024 digital SAT dates of March 9, May 4, and June 1 is now open.

Because the digital PSAT is a new test, we have no data to show how it correlates to the digital SAT coming in March, and we expect that the correlation between the two will noticeably improve in future years as College Board fine tunes their new testing platform and methodology, which utilizes adaptive testing.

Because the digital SAT has been offered internationally for a year now, it is possible to mirror the test with a practice test. Once a student has results from a full digital SAT practice test, they can be compared with the PSAT results to determine an accurate baseline and score goal for the student’s prep.
With results from a PSAT, practice SAT, and if possible, a practice ACT, a student can feel confident that they know which test will be the best option for their applications.

Interested in trying a digital SAT? Register for our upcoming dates.

​With the SAT college admissions test going digital in 2024, our director Ann Derryberry talked with Fox5DC about the changes parents can expect and how to prepare your student for what’s to come.

Adaptive testing is the major change test takers need to understand ahead of time. The Reading/Writing and Math sections will each be divided into two parts. How a student performs on the initial part determines the difficulty level of the second part, and most importantly, the limit on what they can ultimately score, so students need to perform their best on every question in the first section.
 
Watch the full interview and learn more tips for handling this new version of the SAT college admissions test.

ACT recently reported that the average U.S. score on its college admissions test continued a multi-year decline, and overall, more students are not meeting the minimum benchmarks for success at a four-year college.
 
Our director Ann Derryberry recently talked with Fox5DC about the drop and ways families can prepare for admissions testing and overall academic success.

​Her top tip: start early! Trying to fix fundamental skills issues later in high school deprives the student of the benefits that come with a strong foundation in math, reading, and writing skills. 
 
Watch the full Fox5DC interview.

One of the most common questions we answer from families is when the student should plan to take their first college admissions test, whether it be an SAT or ACT. Recently, our director Ann Derryberry spoke to U.S. News & World Report on the topic.

Tips discussed include:

• Consider your other time commitments and extracurriculars. When would it be best to prepare given those other priorities?
• Test as early as possible in junior year, and if you have to test later, know when application deadlines are so your results arrive in time.
• Don’t burn out on test prep too soon. Try to plan any prep work closer to the actual test date.

 
Read the full article on U.S News & World Report.

​In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, both the ACT and College Board (SAT) were forced to adapt to rapidly changing dynamics like school closures and enhanced safety measures that made offering their paper-based tests more difficult. As a result, both have pushed forward with efforts to offer a digital, computer-based test going forward. The companies are taking different approaches to the rollout and test formats, so students in the Class of 2025 and later need to understand the new offerings, their scheduled rollouts, and how they will affect college admissions testing for this class and future classes. Class of 2024: none of this will affect you.

​The SAT is undergoing the most radical change of the two tests. College Board will only offer a paper-based SAT four more times in 2023, and then will exclusively offer the computer-based test to U.S. students starting with the March 2024 test date. They have already implemented the paper-to-digital switch internationally, with the first digital only exams offered this past May.
 
The dSAT is a new, shorter test based on adaptive principles. While it draws from question types used on the paper SAT, it is structured in a way so that a student’s outcomes on the initial question set in the Reading-Writing and Math sections will affect the types of questions they will see in the second question set for each section, and will dictate how high a score they can achieve. This is a radical departure from the existing test where students’ scores were only a function of the final number of correct answers scaled to the test pool results, not how they had done individually on the first of two sections.
 
Testers taking a paper SAT know that everyone else has the same test as them, but with the new digital test, a tester should assume that no one else in the room has the exact same test as they do because each person’s test will draw from a pool of questions for each type/section. And because College Board plans to reuse questions over and over, testers will no longer be able to get the details on which specific questions they missed nor the question/answer for review. This may significantly disadvantage students who choose to prepare for the SAT since they are losing key insights into which skills need improvement and in seeing real questions from past tests. The shorter time frame will also likely hurt many students by increasing the time pressure, and the fewer questions make each question more impactful on the final score.
 
Students may find some advantages in the increased availability and rapid scoring that the digital test will facilitate. College Board envisions school districts expanding the school-day testing program, which now accounts for the majority of SAT exams taken, from one or two days a year to large windows of time that students could take a dSAT within at their high school. While not announced yet, it is likely College Board will also start to offer dSATs in new locations outside the traditional local high school and on new schedules that expand the current seven national test days offered annually. Test scores will also be available in days versus weeks, potentially allowing testing closer to application deadlines for seniors looking to raise their composite score right up to fall application due dates.
 
While the dSAT is billed as increasing access to the test, the fact that students or the school system must supply a capable testing device (laptop, tablet, chromebook) may leave some students unable to test or to test with unequal capabilities. A student with a 17” screen has a real advantage over a student trying to work through a complex test on a small 12” Chromebook or tablet. If a student has no access to a device personally or through their school, College Board will potentially provide one, but the student must apply at least a month before the test date. The school facilities will also impact students, with access to electricity and reliable internet important considerations.
 
The Class of 2025 and 2026 will get their first potential exposure to the new test format when the College Board administers the next PSAT in October, which will implement the new digital format for all U.S. test-takers.

The ACT has been slower to offer a true digital version of its college admissions test, with their plans just going public in late May. The announced dACT entails a less radical shift for taking the test digital. Instead of redoing the entire test structure, timing, and scoring, the dACT will be the same as the paper test, just offered in a digital interactive format. Students can prepare the same for both, and depending on their preferences, take either version knowing they are facing the same test, and that everyone testing that day is seeing the same test as well.
 
ACT currently plans to offer the dACT on the same schedule as the paper test and at existing test centers. The cost will be the same as well. Students will be able to switch between the paper and digital options until the end of late-registration, provided space is available for their new option. A major limiting option here will be that ACT plans for test centers to provide the test device, so dACT capacity will likely be limited to the computers schools can reliably make available. Also of note, the dACT will only work with Windows PC/laptops and Chromebooks, not Apple Macs or tablets, which may also limit availability in some schools.
 
ACT has stated it anticipates the dACT will increase accessibility and improve accommodations for a variety of testers. Features allowing for digital audio instructions, larger print, and other interactive elements should help some test takers who struggle with the paper format. Students will be able to use the calculator built into the test or bring their own from home. This is another difference from the dSAT, where students will have to use the built-in DEMOS calculator. Personal calculators will not be allowed.

​We recommend students in the Class of 2025 develop an admission testing plan as soon as possible so that they can take two of the remaining paper SATs if necessary (August 26, October 7, November 4, December 2). We do not recommend students plan on taking the dSAT as their primary score reporting test for their applications in fall 2024. We would not recommend participating in the first digital administrations when test center staff will be learning new routines and requirements. Increasing a score from one dSAT to another will also likely prove more difficult. How colleges value and equate between the paper and digital SAT also remains to be seen. We are less concerned about the difference between the regular and dACT and the continued use of the paper test allows for both options, and we do not anticipate any issues in colleges valuing the paper and digital ACT equally since the scoring and structures are consistent.
 
How do you know if you need to get ready for the SAT or ACT? Take a practice test version of each and see which you perform better on and which provides the greatest room for improvement. Everest offers practice tests throughout the summer for rising juniors and seniors to learn which test will best support their college applications. Register for upcoming tests and learn if you need to beat the digital door closing on the paper SAT this December.

​Summer is the kickoff for many college admissions essay attempts, as rising seniors finally break free from the academic rigors of junior year with space to let their mind wander and develop a compelling piece.
 
After working with hundreds of students on their admissions essays, we have some suggestions to share for developing and refining an effective college admissions essay this summer.

The essay represents the best opportunity for the applicant to speak directly to the reviewers, making it critical that the essay be written in the applicant’s voice. If the essay sounds like someone else, overly refined, or like a machine wrote it, reviewers will take notice. Be confident in your story and proud to tell it in your own words so it delivers maximum effect. No one else will ever be as passionate about your life as you, the person who lived it.
 
Aim for a piece that anyone who knows you could pick up and know you were the author by the end. And while they should know you wrote it, they should also learn something new about you in the process.
 
If you do not already have it, find that voice first before you begin to write.

Your essay should not read like your resume in reverse order. Your goal is to tell the readers one story, with one or more valuable lessons learned, that led to a result that greatly influenced the student who will join their school in the fall.

It is okay if that story involves an activity or award the reader may know about because of your application. If you have spent years of your life focused on just one main activity, then the events that shaped you are likely to have happened in those spheres. In this case, it is important to find the small moments that might not be obvious, but which had an outsized effect on your development. Winning a championship game leaves an indelible mark on everyone. What 10 minutes of failure in a game two years before or missed chance at varsity sophomore year led you to playing in that game? Who got you playing in the first place? Those are the stories to tell your reader that can demonstrate your developmental arc as a person.

Even a great story can be forgettable. How do you ensure you connect with the reader and more of your story sticks in the reader’s mind? Details – specific details – and especially proper names.
 
As a quick example, which of these sentences is more memorable?
 

• The principal had a problem with my dog.
•  Principal Jensen had a problem with my Rottweiler.

 
They both have the same word count, but the specifics enable the reader to see the picture more clearly and more memorably. Which sentence would you remember later? Which could you quickly improve by adding a just few adjectives?
 
How do you get more specific? First, keep asking yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how about each moment you choose to include in the essay to help flush out the details for your reader. Keep in mind that they were not there – only you lived that experience. You have to provide the scene for them to see. Second, look through your nouns for easy substitutions. You will quickly find that most can be swapped for something that provides more detail to the story.
 
Don’t feel like you must change every word – often just a few changes will make a huge difference.

Admissions staffs build their prospective classes with the goal of having a diverse community of individuals who will all fill different roles during their time at the school. So at the end of the essay, the reader should have a great feeling about you as a person and your potential to grow from that over the next four year, and even more importantly, they should have a strong idea about the role you would fill on their campus.
 
With this in mind, and in conjunction with writing with your own voice, it is also important to know yourself and what you do best, and then incorporate this into the essay through the examples you choose to use in the story. Are you a helper, a leader, a knower, a doer, an innovator, or something else? Or many of these? How can your story let these role(s) shine through? Help the reader see you next year doing the same thing to add value to their community, and you are checking an important box in the mind of the reviewer. As you plan the essay, think about how your topic and examples will convey who you are and what you can do to make your future school a better place.

The word count limit for the Common Application essay is 650 words, and we generally recommend using as much of that as possible to tell your story in the final essay you submit. To get there though, you really need to write 25% more than that, around 800 words, which will provide you with more material to choose from to edit it down to the best parts for the final. If you are having trouble finding enough to write about, you might consider changing topics or rethinking your piece. The best essays start with too many details and take shape from tough choices about what to cut or keep.
 
Having trouble getting started from the prompts? Remember they are just suggested guides. Your essay can be about anything that shows the readers who you were, who you are, and who you could become. And if you feel inclined, we always encourage more creative writers to step beyond the confines of a regular prose essay if it helps them to tell the story better through dialogue or other techniques.

With many colleges taking more holistic reviews of their applicants, the college essay continues to grow in importance for its ability to show unique qualities about every applicant. Especially in reviews at elite and small schools, we continue to find it provides a useful means for the real student to shine through and set themselves apart from other applicants.
 
Need help starting or editing your college admissions essay? Contact us to discuss your needs. We offer hourly rates and package deals to serve a variety of needs. Essay services are available individually throughout the summer and fall or as part of our college application workshops in August.