How Colleges Really Interpret SAT and ACT Scores
In addition to grades, extracurriculars, and interviews, the SAT and ACT continue to play an important role in how colleges evaluate applicants. Strong performance on either test can provide a meaningful advantage in a competitive college application process.
Colleges use SAT and ACT scores primarily to help them understand a student’s academic readiness compared to other students across the country. High school transcripts vary widely in grading standards, course availability, and academic rigor depending on the school a student attends, so test scores help to provide a more standardized method of understanding a student's academic performance. Note that scores are typically viewed in ranges rather than as hard cutoffs, and they are interpreted alongside GPA, course rigor, and trends over time.
The SAT is often read as a strong indicator of reasoning. Its focus on evidence-based reading and math allows colleges to assess how well students can analyze texts, interpret information, and apply foundational mathematical concepts. Admissions officers tend to view strong SAT scores as confirmation that a student’s classroom success reflects real mastery of core academic skills. The ACT, while equally respected, provides different information to admissions committees. Its faster pacing and broader subject coverage, including the science section, allow colleges to see how students perform under time pressure across multiple disciplines. Strong ACT scores are often interpreted as evidence of content knowledge, efficiency, and academic stamina.
Importantly, colleges do not prefer one exam over the other. SAT and ACT scores are converted so they can be evaluated on the same scale. From an admissions standpoint, the value lies not in which test a student takes, but in how clearly that score reflects readiness for college-level work. This is why preparation matters; a well-prepared score signals discipline, familiarity with the exam’s structure, and the ability to perform at a student’s true academic level. Colleges understand that just as much as standardized tests are knowledge-based, they are also skills-based, and they expect scores to reflect preparation as much as academic talent.
Admissions officers also read scores in context. A score is evaluated relative to a student’s high school, available coursework, and opportunities. A strong score from a student who attended a school with limited advanced classes can carry significant weight, while a similar score from a highly resourced environment may be interpreted differently. In this way, test scores help colleges identify students who have made the most of their circumstances and demonstrated academic initiative and a desire to learn.
Ultimately, colleges view the SAT and ACT as important tools because they provide a standardized method of interpreting academic ability in an admissions landscape that is highly variable. These exams allow students to demonstrate readiness, resilience, and mastery in a format that colleges trust and understand. With thoughtful preparation, the SAT and ACT can be opportunities for students to take control of how their academic abilities are seen and evaluated.
While many of the public high schools in Chicago now only administer the ACT, many students choose to take the SAT or both exams. If your child is planning to take either assessment, Test Prep Chicago can help them prepare. We offer one-day ACT prep workshops (click here), ACT prep courses (click here), SAT prep courses (click here), or individual tutoring for either (or both) exams (click here). TPC can offer your student in-depth tutoring and prep material for each section on each exam, practice tests, test-taking strategies, testing analytics, and homework that helps to reinforce said strategies and material, ensuring that your student succeeds no matter what college entrance exam they plan on taking.