Why are SAT and ACT scores dropping?
Tutoring | Financial Aid Consulting
Average ACT and SAT scores dropped in 2024 compared to 2023. What does this mean for 11th grade and younger kids who are headed to college?
1.4 million kids took the ACT in 2024, the average score: 19.4, down from 19.5 in 2023. Big whoop.
1.97 million kids took the SAT or PSAT in 2024, the average score: 1024, down from 1028 the previous year. Big whoop number two.
The party line among test professionals is not that our kids are dumber, but that more kids are taking the tests.
My hunch is the opposite, lower scores are part of the overall decline in education, achievement and accountability that keeps me up at night. A topic for another day, or never (publicly).
Let's turn to some specific advice for college-bound 11th graders and younger.
Prep hard and take the tests, either the SAT or ACT. Start before you're "ready," so you don't run out of time.
Take a diagnostic exam first, to determine Which Test is Best.
More and more colleges ...
Should You Submit Your SAT or ACT?
Hidey ho,
I'm thigh-deep reviewing applications for Class of 2025 college applicants, and one question keeps coming up:
Should I submit my SAT or ACT scores?
The answer is a school-by-school, case-by-case, "it depends" kind of answer. Give me two minutes, and I'll show you exactly how to figure it out in this short video, using the University of South Carolina as an example (that you can follow for any test-optional college):
VIDEO: To Submit or Not to Submit
Have a great rest of your weekend!
-Andy "2 Minute Drill" Lockwood
P.S. Feel free to pass this along to anyone who could use this information.