By Scott Eidler (Newsday)
Five years ago, the number of seniors taking the ACT nationally surpassed those taking the SAT. In the Class of 2016, 2.1 million seniors sat for the ACT and 1.6 million took the SAT.
Over the past decade in New York, where the SAT has reigned supreme for years, the popularity of the ACT has grown sharply. The number of SAT test-takers statewide in the Class of 2016, however, was more than 148,000 — still more than double that of those taking the ACT.
“Ten years ago, the SAT was considered the more well-respected test, where dazzling results would help you gain admissions to competitive institutions,” said Ed Boland, a former admissions officer at Yale University and Fordham University who lives in Manhattan and works as an educational consultant and author. Now, Boland said, “regional distinctions are disappearing.”
College Board upped the ante in adding its first-ever August test date. The Manhattan-based nonprofit, which sponsors the SAT, posted a notice in late April that registration for the exam was open, and high school guidance counselors and test-prep outfits quickly took notice. Go to the article
