Where I come from it's the ACT that is emphasized, although, most universities will take both. I think it is a good way of determining aptitude for college, but then again, I have always been a good test taker. I got a 33 on the ACT and never had to struggle with that and I know a lot of people who worked a lot harder than I did in high school and couldn't manage a 24.

I'm not a big fan of standardized testing. There is little correlation between success in college and the ability to do well in one test. GPA and extracurricular activities should play a bigger role in determining admissions to college. As for high school curriculums, they should emphasize more critical thinking skills that will help out in college in the long haul. The emphasis on taking one test really hurt a students development. The purpose of high school is to teach people how to be productive citizens; not to teach them test taking strategies that they may never use again. However the SAT remains a very important part of getting admitted into college. I suggest taking outside test prep. course like Kaplan.

(4=important issue) I wish the schools wouldn't put so much emphasis on a single test; SAT prep courses in school and even outside classes from educational centers such as Kaplan illustrate the extreme emphasis on a single test. Wouldn't that time be better spent learning the actual subject matter rather than learning how to deduce what an answer is through the process of elimination?