Ohio colleges accept both tests equally, but the ACT has historically been more popular in the Midwest—many Ohio high schools offer free ACT testing days, which is worth taking advantage of. The best approach is to try both tests if possible and submit whichever score is stronger. Some students naturally perform better on one format over the other, so it's worth exploring both before committing to extensive prep for just one test.

Most students see 100-200 point improvements with focused, personalized prep—some achieve more depending on their starting point and effort level. Students who start in the 1000-1100 range often see larger gains, while those already scoring 1300+ may see smaller but still meaningful improvements. The timeline typically ranges from 2-4 months of consistent work, though this varies based on your baseline score and target.

Most juniors benefit from starting prep in spring or early summer before senior year, giving you 3-4 months before fall test dates. If you're already a senior, starting immediately still allows time for meaningful improvement before November or December test dates. Starting earlier is never a disadvantage—it reduces stress and gives you flexibility to retake if needed.

The Reading section (65 minutes, 52 questions) is notoriously tight on time. Effective strategies include reading the questions first before the passage, focusing on evidence-based questions that ask 'which detail supports your answer,' and skipping difficult questions to return to them later. Personalized tutoring can help you identify which passages take you longest and develop strategies tailored to your reading speed and comprehension strengths.

Multi-step problems on the SAT (especially in the calculator section) require breaking the problem into smaller parts and checking your work. Common mistakes include misreading what the question asks for or making arithmetic errors midway through. Practice with real SAT problems, work through each step carefully, and learn to estimate whether your answer makes sense before moving on—these habits prevent costly mistakes on test day.

Most students benefit from one retake, especially if they score below their target or feel they underperformed on test day. Colleges see all your scores, but many focus on your highest score or superscore (best section scores across attempts). If you're aiming for competitive schools like Case Western Reserve (1390-1510 range), a retake is often worth it—just make sure you identify what went wrong the first time and address it specifically in your prep.

For Ohio's most selective schools like Case Western Reserve, you'll want to target 1400+. For strong state schools like Ohio State and Miami University, 1300+ is competitive. For most in-state public universities, 1200+ is solid. The national average hovers around 1050, so scoring above 1200 puts you ahead of most test-takers and opens doors to a wide range of schools.