With the lazy days of summer drawing to a close, it’s time to look ahead to a new school year – new classes, a new college admissions season, and a new round of test dates. And what better way to mark the end of summer than to wake up early on a Saturday morning to spend about three hours taking a test? True, taking the September ACT probably isn’t how you want to spend one of your first weekends after school starts. But there are four very good reasons to register for the September ACT:
Putting Summer Test Prep to Use
If you did any ACT prep over the summer, you might as well put that newfound knowledge to good use. Why wait until October or December to take the ACT when your summer prep is still fresh in your mind now? With any luck, you’ll hit your goal score in September and you can put the ACT behind you.
Ideal First ACT for Juniors
For juniors, the September test date is a great time to take a first official ACT. Taking the ACT now gives you a good idea of how much prep you’ll need to do in order to hit your score goals before college application season next year. If you start prepping now, you might be able to hit that score goal in the spring, allowing you to focus on bigger things during the summer and fall of your senior year.
Potential Final Test Date for Seniors
Seniors who haven’t already hit their score goals have little time remaining to finalize their ACT scores before college applications are due. Their only options are the September, October, and possibly December test dates. By taking the September ACT, seniors ensure that they have time to take the ACT once more if they need to in order to finalize their ACT scores.
Test Before You Get too Busy
Even in school systems where school started in August, the school year usually doesn’t get into full swing until after the September ACT test date has passed. Take the ACT now, before you have to start prepping for midterms or juggling too many extracurricular commitments to have time for testing.
If you plan to register for the September ACT, be sure to to give yourself plenty of time for ACT prep. This isn’t a test you should cram for – solid test prep is a marathon, not a sprint.
