What to Do After Taking the SAT and ACT Exams?

 logo

Cyril Zachariah
Updated on Aug 08, 2022 11:40 AM IST

Already taken the ACT or SAT but not sure what to do next? Read on to know how to complete your study abroad application.

What to Do After Taking the SAT and ACT Exams?

You have already made an important decision in life by taking the ACT or SAT exam, but what next? Taking the SAT/ACT will help you to apply for admission at universities abroad for undergraduate studies. It’s time for you to relax for a while and appreciate your efforts before moving a step closer to your dream of pursuing higher education abroad.

One of the more important things to do after SAT/ACT exams is to review your scores and assess your performance on the tests. However, there are several things to do after SAT/ACT tests, which have been highlighted in this article.

You must feel confident that your efforts and dedication will help you get admission to the desired college abroad. But, at the same time, you must be aware of the fact that it is just the first of many steps taken. Once you are done taking the SAT or ACT, avoid getting yourself trapped in procrastination. It is now that you should focus on taking further important steps if you want to complete the application on time and increase your chances of getting shortlisted for admissions abroad.

In this article, we discuss the steps you need to after SAT/ACT along with any other important information you may need.

Shortlist Colleges Accepting SAT/ACT Scores

You put so much effort into taking the SAT/ACT to get admission to one of the best colleges abroad at an undergraduate level. Now that you have taken either of the tests it’s time for you to shortlist the colleges you wish to apply to for your undergraduate studies. Both ACT and SAT allow you to select up to 4 colleges at the time of registration to send the respective scores, which will be free of cost. However,  in case you need to send the ACT/SAT scores to more colleges or if you have not shortlisted colleges at the time of registration you must select the desired colleges after taking the test.

Note: Only official test scores from the ACT and SAT websites can be sent to selected universities.

Check out the list of abroad colleges accepting SAT or ACT scores in the links given below:

Colleges Accepting SAT

Colleges Accepting ACT

Decide If You Need to Send Score to Test-Optional Universities

Things have changed after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic across the world and many universities have turned into test-optional i.e. it is no longer mandatory to submit ACT or SAT scores for admission to undergraduate programs for admissions. But there are still some universities where it is mandatory to submit an SAT or ACT score.

Hence, you must check with the universities to confirm whether an ACT or SAT score is required or not. Take this time to determine the benefits of sending SAT or ACT scores to test-optional universities in the USA and Canada.

Need Help in Preparing for Study Abroad Entrance Exams?

Take Other Required Tests for Admissions Abroad

Apart from the subject tests - ACT or SAT, there are the English Language Tests that you will have to take like IELTS AcademicTOEFLPTE AcademicDuolingo English Test or any other accepted by your desired university abroad. In case you have not taken any of these tests, then it is crucial to determine the most relevant test that you need to take.

Register for the appropriate English Language Test as accepted by your desired university abroad and take the test on the scheduled date. It is important to have all the test scores before applying for admission.

Access SAT/ACT Score

It takes around 1 to 2 weeks for the release of the ACT or SAT score for admissions abroad. One of the things you need to do after taking the ACT/SAT is to wait for the respective results to be published. As soon as the ACT/SAT scores are released you will get a notification about the release same, following which, you can then log in to your respective accounts for the exam and send your scores to the respective universities.

However, before sending your results to the respective universities, it is advisable to review your ACT/SAT scores once they have been published. This will help you understand whether you must send your scores to the shortlisted universities or retake the tests.

Know how to view SAT and ACT scores in the links given below:

How to View SAT Score? 

How to View ACT Score? 

Determine if You Need to Retake SAT/ACT 

After the test scores have been released, the most important thing to do after taking the SAT/ACT exams is to determine whether you need to retake the test or send the scores forward to your desired universities abroad.

There is no restriction on the number of times you can take an ACT or SAT score. Thus, it gives flexibility to students to retake the test, in case they are unable to score well on the first attempt. You can easily score well on the test with a strategic SAT Preparation or ACT Preparation on the very first attempt. However, certain reasons might affect your performance in the test and in such a situation you need not worry.

All you need to do is decide and retake the test if required. Make sure you have enough time to apply for admissions at universities even after retaking the test. If you are interested in getting higher scores, then check out our article on how you can improve your SAT scores.

Send Score to Shortlisted Universities

Once you are satisfied with the score that you have earned on the tests, the next step to take after taking the SAT/ACT exams is to send the scores to your desired universities abroad. Commonly, test-takers will be given the opportunity to select a few universities or colleges at the time of registering for the tests. However, the exam administrators of both tests allow candidates to send the tests to additional universities, although at a small charge.

There is an additional cost of sending the official ACT or ACT to more than four colleges. You can send scores for free to up to four colleges i.e the one selected at the time of registration. The cost of sending ACT scores to extra colleges (i.e above four) is USD 13 per test per college. In the case of SAT, it is USD 12 per test per college.

Prepare a Strong Statement of Purpose (SOP) 

One of the things you can do after taking the SAT/ACT exams is to prepare your statement of purpose (SOP) and compile other important documents needed for your admissions abroad. Take this time to ensure all your documents, especially your passports are valid and authenticated.

Being unprepared for your admissions abroad will lead to complications in the end, which may cause irreversible problems and challenges. Therefore, connect with a specialist or a study abroad expert and finalise everything you would probably need for studying abroad. This may include your financial documents, your passports, your academic transcripts and, if applicable, your professional records as well.

Therefore, if you have taken the SAT/ACT exam and are awaiting the results to be published, then these are some of the steps that you can take. However, one of the best ways to make use of this time is to connect with experienced study abroad counsellors and complete each step of the admission process.

Register and connect with our team of study abroad counsellors and find out everything you need to know about studying abroad!

Have any doubts related to the ACT or SAT exam? Write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com.

Don’t Know What to do After SAT/ACT Exams?

FAQs

What should I do after SATs?

Once you have taken the SATs, there are several steps you can take to apart from just waiting for the results to be released. Among these include compiling and preparing for other steps in the admission process, including other tests, such as language proficiency tests. It is also necessary to make sure all the documents are valid and up to date.

What are the next steps after ACT?

After you have taken the ACT, among the steps you must take include setting up for the next steps in the admission process. This includes compiling documents such as your passport (valid and up to date), academic transcripts, etc. It is also necessary to go through the admission requirements specified by your desired university, meet those requirements and continue with the admission process.

Is it necessary to take the SAT/ACT exams?

Depending on the university you are applying to, you may or may not be required to submit SAT/ACT scores. Therefore, when shortlisting universities, be sure to check the admission requirements of each university for undergraduate studies. Some universities have decided to become test-optional, in other words, candidates do not need to submit any test scores for admissions.

Can I retake SATs?

Yes, test-takers can choose to retake the SATs if they are not satisfied with their SAT scores or their scores do not meet the university requirements. One of the steps you can take after attempting the test is to prepare for the test once again and possibly perform better on the next try.

Why should I give the ACT/SAT?

 

As stated above, admissions to undergraduate studies, especially in the US and Canada, require applicants to submit ACT/SAT test scores. However, as a result of the pandemic, many universities choose to become test-optional, in other words, students do not need to submit any test scores for admissions. Register and connect with our study abroad counsellors to get expert guidance on studying abroad without ACT/SAT scores.

You can share this post!

Admission Open 2024

Manhattan College

New York, USA

University of Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Related Articles

Aug 18, 2023 04:28 PM IST

How to Apply for Masters in USA?

Aug 03, 2023 01:18 PM IST

Documents Required for TOEFL

Our Study Abroad Offerings

Popular Universities to StudyAbroad

Planning to study abroad?

Interested in Studying Overseas?

Connect with us and kickstart your learning journey for a rewarding experience!

By proceeding ahead you expressly agree to the CollegeDekhoAbroad Terms of Use & Privacy Policy.