Undergraduate
SAT/ACT Information
Many students and their families are understandably concerned about how colleges use test scores. In order to help you understand how Saint Michael’s uses the test, we have answered some frequently asked questions about our policy on the SAT or ACT and their impact on our decision making process.
Does Saint Michael’s College require the SAT Reasoning Test with writing?
Yes.
Will Saint Michael’s accept the ACT (American College Test)?
We will consider the ACT in lieu of the SAT. While each administration of the SAT includes the writing test, the writing portion of the ACT is optional. If you are planning to submit ONLY the ACT to Saint Michael’s, you must take the writing portion of the exam.
If you have already taken the SAT with writing and wish to attempt the ACT, you will not be required to take the writing portion of the ACT, unless you wish to. We will always consider your best results of either test in review of your application.
Does Saint Michael’s require students to submit their SAT/ACT scores on an ‘official score report?’
While we prefer to receive the official score report, we do not require it. If it is your high school’s policy to include test scores on the transcript, we will still be able to receive your score through the school with the SAT/ACT. In some cases we will want access to the actual essay that was written during the testing session. In those cases, if the student has not listed Saint Michael’s College as an official score recipient, we will contact the student individually to obtain the essay.
How do I send Saint Michael’s my official score report?
If you would like to send Saint Michael’s your official score report, be sure to list our code, 3757, on your SAT registration form or 4312 on your ACT registration form.
How will the SAT/ACT scores be used in admission decisions?
It is important for applicants to understand that the SAT/ACT is only one factor in our admission process. For information on the criteria considered in admission decisions, please consult our How Decisions Are Made page.
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Writing & Admission
The new SAT is still new to us. During the first few years of its implementation, we will be collecting data about its validity in predicting success in college. We will collect the information and with the help of the College Board our faculty will be assessing how meaningful it is for Saint Michael’s College and our applicants. For many years we have assessed the writing proficiency of our incoming students and we will be studying how the SAT writing scores may be helpful to that process.
Bottom Line
The SAT with Writing is still new for everyone involved. The College Board has worked very hard to devise a test that will be meaningful to those of us charged with making these very important admission decisions. We urge you to take the test seriously and to do your best work, but we also encourage you to take the most challenging college preparatory high school courses you can right now and during your senior year. Years of research on our campus and others has indicated that strong high school academic preparation is the best predictor of potential college success.
For More Information About the SAT or ACT
We strongly recommend that you visit www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org to learn more about the tests and how you can prepare for them.
