SAT/ACT Testing Information

The SAT and ACT are college entrance exams that all students MUST take to apply to a four-year college or university. These tests can be taken multiple times, but they are only offered at certain times of the year.

Which Test should I take - the SAT or ACT?

Please click on the link below to go to an article that provides the differences between the SAT and ACT. This article is great at providing information so that you can make an informed decision about which test "fits" you best.

https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat

Are the SAT/ACT different?

Yes. The SAT and ACT are two different college entrance exams from two separate companies, but both are widely accepted.

When should I take the SAT/ACT?

I recommend that students begin taking the tests in the spring semester of their junior year. This will give students plenty of time to continue to study and retake their test to improve their scores.

What is a good score?

There is no exact answer to a "good" score. Every college has different requirements for admissions. I recommend that you look up your prospective college's score requirements for admission. I have compiled a College Quicklist of popular schools that MWHS students apply to here: www.magnoliaisd.org/apply .

How much does the SAT/ACT cost?

The SAT costs $55. The ACT costs $60 & $85 (with essay). Some colleges REQUIRE an essay section. Please check the college you are interested in to find out if they require or prefer the essay.

If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, you will be eligible for a fee waiver. Students can use up to two fee waivers per test (depending on availability). Please come see me if you would like to receive a waiver.

How do I register for the SAT/ACT?

Registration for the SAT and ACT is done completely online. For the SAT,www.collegeboard.org and for the ACT, www.actstudent.org . Students will need to create an account for each test. Make sure you save and write down your account username and password. MWHS does not have any access to these accounts, and cannot reset them. For more inormation about registering, check out the section below titled "Registering for the SAT/ACT".

How do colleges get my scores?

How do I study for the SAT/ACT?

There are many free online resources for students to utilize to help prepare for the tests. We recommend www.k hanacademy.org. There is also a free mobile app that students can download called Bench Prep. Students are also welcome to check out books from our library.

SAT/ACT Registration

Registering for the SAT

We recommend taking the SAT in March of your junior year, giving you the option to retake it in May and/or June so that you can apply to schools in August. It will also be offered in October, November, and December.

You must create an account on http://www.collegeboard.org. Please write down your username and password, as you will need it to see scores. After creating an account, click the "register" button. Part of the registration is creating an optional college interest profile. The profile takes about 30 minutes to set up. If in a hurry, make sure you are only answering required fields marked with a red asterisk (*). Our school code is 444-424.

**MAKE SURE THAT AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION THAT YOU SELECT THE 4 SCHOOLS YOU ARE PLANNING ON APPLYING TO RECEIVE YOUR SCORES FOR FREE. If you do not select these prior to the test, they will not be sent anywhere and it will cost you $12 per school to send them afterwards. If you are wanting to play NCAA Sports, please make sure you send your scores to the NCAA (code 9999).

Please email or stop by with any questions.

Registering for the ACT

We recommend taking the ACT in April of your junior year, giving you the option to retake it in June so that you can apply to schools beginning in August. However, it will also be offered in September, October, and December.

You must create an account on http://www.actstudent.org. Please write down your username and password, as you will need it to see scores. After creating an account, click the "register" button. Part of the registration is creating an optional college interest profile. The profile takes about 30 minutes to set up. If in a hurry, make sure you are only answering required fields marked with a red asterisk (*). Our school code is 444-424. For location, please search by zip code. Magnolia West is not a testing location. You will be required to upload your picture before the registration is complete.

**MAKE SURE THAT AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION THAT YOU SELECT THE 4 SCHOOLS YOU ARE PLANNING ON APPLYING TO RECEIVE YOUR SCORES FOR FREE. If you do not select these prior to the test, they will not be sent anywhere and it will cost you $12 per school to send them afterwards. If you are wanting to play NCAA Sports, please make sure you send your scores to the NCAA (code 9999).

Please email or stop by with any questions.

Scores - How Do I Send Them?

How do I send my SAT/ACT to colleges?

When you register for the tests, you can choose up to 4 colleges to receive your scores for free. If you wait until after the tests, you will have to pay for each school that you send your scores to. The cost is approximately $12 per score per school. You MUST login to your Collegeboard account (for the SAT) or your ACT account to be able to send your scores. If you do not remember your login or password, you will need to call either Collegeboard (for the SAT) at 866-756-7346 or ACT for the ACT at 319-337-1270. The STUDENT MUST be the person to call with account difficulties - the parent/guardian or counselor will NOT be given information to fix account.

In This Section

SAT/ACT Testing Information

SAT/ACT Registration

Scores - How Do I Send Them?

Contact Information