This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer is: it depends on your student's specific situation. Here's what you need to know:

Most colleges don't actually require the Science section. The vast majority of schools only look at your English, Math, and Reading scores when evaluating applications. Only a small handful of schools or specific programs (typically STEM-focused) want to see the Science score as part of your profile.

The answer will be case-by-case based on:

Target schools: Some universities and specialized programs do consider Science scores

Intended major: Engineering, pre-med, and hard science programs are more likely to want Science scores

Student goals: Some students want it "in their back pocket" even if not required, which is totally understandable

The good news if your student does need it:

The Science section is actually one of the easiest sections to improve quickly because it's incredibly coachable. Despite the intimidating name, it's not testing science knowledge—it's testing graph reading, data interpretation, and pattern recognition. There are only 7-8 question types that repeat constantly, and once you learn the strategies, scores jump fast.

Our recommendation:

On your free strategy call, we'll look at your student's target schools and intended major and give you specific guidance on whether they should include Science. If they do need it, we'll make it a strength. If they don't, we'll focus all our energy on the three sections that actually matter for their applications—which allows for even more targeted improvement.

Bottom line: Don't assume your student needs Science. Let's look at their specific situation and make a strategic decision together.

For most students, we recommend focusing on just the ACT. Here's why:

Colleges look at the ACT and SAT completely interchangeably. They don't care which test you take—they just want to see a strong score on one of them. So trying to prepare for both tests simultaneously is spreading yourself thin for no benefit.

We used to work with students on both tests. However, after the SAT converted to digital-only with an adaptive format, we saw that students could improve more on the ACT compared to the SAT. Since this change, we specialized our program for the ACT.

Some key differences between the tests:

First, the SAT is considered to have trickier wording in its questions compared to the ACT's more straightforward questions

Second, even after recent updates, the ACT has a more consistent, predictable format compared to the adaptive SAT.

Third, the SAT combines reading comprehension and grammar into one section of the test. The ACT has separate sections for these skills.

Conclusion: Pick one test, go all-in on it, and master it. Don't split your focus. We specialize in the ACT because we believe it's the better test for most students who want to improve their scores.

Superscoring is one of the most powerful (and underutilized) strategies for maximizing your ACT score, and it's a core part of how we coach students.

Here's how it works:

The ACT has three main sections: English, Math, and Reading. Your composite score is the average of those three section scores from a single test date.

But many colleges accept a superscore, which means they'll take your highest section score from each test date and average those together—even if they came from different test attempts.

Example:

Test 1: English 32, Math 27, Reading 26 → Composite 28

Test 2: English 28, Math 32, Reading 31 → Composite 30

Superscore: English 32, Math 32, Reading 31 → Superscore 32

The superscore (32) is higher than either individual composite—that's the power of superscoring.

Our strategy: We call this the "ACT Gambling Game." You're not trying to nail all the sections perfectly on one test date—you're strategically stacking your best section scores across multiple test attempts.

Here's what this looks like in practice:

Before Test 1: We focus on improving your weakest sections to get solid baseline scores

After Test 1: We analyze which sections need the most work and target those for Test 2

Before Test 2: We aggressively focus on 1-2 sections that have the most room for improvement

This focused approach means your student isn't trying to be perfect at everything simultaneously. They can dedicate 80% of their prep to Math and Reading for Test 2 if those are the sections dragging down their superscore, knowing their English score is already locked in.

Important notes:

1. Most colleges superscore, but always verify with your target schools

2. This strategy is why we recommend planning for 2 test attempts from the start

3. The superscore strategy makes improvement faster and less overwhelming

4. It's always better to be strategic about where you focus energy.

We generally recommend the paper ACT for most students. Here's why:

Better for showing work: With paper, students can write directly on the test booklet—circling key words, crossing out wrong answers, drawing on graphs, working through math problems in the margins. These active reading and problem-solving strategies are harder to execute effectively on a screen.

No technical issues on test day: We've seen too many situations where online testing centers aren't fully prepared—software glitches, internet connectivity problems, computers freezing, or proctors who don't know how to troubleshoot. These technical failures can severely impact your student's score through no fault of their own.

Easier to navigate passages: Many students find it easier to refer back to reading passages and science graphs on paper, especially when they've marked them up with their strategies. Scrolling back and forth on a screen adds cognitive load.

More control over pacing: With paper, you can quickly flip through the section to see what's coming, flag questions more naturally, and manage your time without clicking through screens.

This is one of the most important strategic decisions families make, and the answer is: it depends entirely on your student's individual situation.

Here's how to think through this decision:

Clear scholarship thresholds: If your student has a 32 but a 33 unlocks $20,000 more per year at their top school, that's a no-brainer. A few weeks of focused prep for $80,000+ in savings is obvious ROI.

Competitive admissions advantage: If they're applying to schools where the middle 50% ACT range is 33-35 and they have a 31, those 2-3 points could genuinely impact their admissions odds.

Lopsided superscore potential: If their superscore breakdown shows one section dragging everything down (like a 34, 34, and 29), we can focus exclusively on that weak section for rapid improvement.

When retaking might not be worth it:

Diminishing returns on time: If your student is already at or above the 75th percentile for their target schools and has limited time before applications are due, their energy might be better spent on essays, passion projects, or building their overall application profile.

Burnout risk: If they've already taken the test 2-3 times and are mentally exhausted, pushing for one more point might hurt more than it helps.

Opportunity cost: Sometimes a 32 is "good enough" for their goals, and spending 6 weeks on ACT prep means 6 fewer weeks developing the leadership project or volunteer work that will make their application stand out.

If you book a free strategy call, we'll give you our honest recommendation. Sometimes we say, "Your score is strong—focus on your essays and activities." Other times we say, "Two points would unlock $60,000 and we can get you there in 4 weeks—let's do it."

Bottom line: "Strong" is relative to your specific goals, and the decision should be strategic.

We recommend planning for 2 test attempts for most students. Here's how it typically works:

First test: This is your "foundation test." Your student executes the strategies we've taught them, gets comfortable with the real testing environment, and usually sees significant improvement from their starting score. We get valuable data on what's working and what needs refinement.

Second test: This is your "optimization test." Here's where the superscore strategy really shines—we can focus intensely on just 1-2 sections that need improvement, knowing the other scores are already locked in. This targeted approach leads to rapid improvement in specific areas.

The superscore advantage:

Because most colleges superscore, you're not trying to have a perfect day across all sections. You're strategically stacking your best section performances across multiple test dates.

This means on Test 2, your student can dedicate 80% of their prep to the 2 weakest sections from Test 1, go into test day with a specific mission, and feel less pressure because they're not trying to be perfect at everything simultaneously

What about 3+ tests?

Some students do take the ACT 3 times, but we don't recommend planning for that upfront. A third test makes sense if there was a legitimate testing day issue (illness, technical problems, etc.), they're one point away from a major scholarship threshold, or superscoring shows clear opportunity in one specific section.

What about just 1 test?

Some students do hit their target on the first attempt—especially if they prepped efficiently and have strong fundamentals. But we don't recommend planning for just one test because the superscore strategy rewards multiple attempts, and test day variables can affect performance.

On your strategy call, we'll map out the optimal test dates based on your student's timeline, current score, and college application deadlines.