The SAT changes: What choice should you make?

This is the year for the roll out of the new SAT. The old SAT will be given through January, then the spring administrations will feature the new SAT. You may be wondering what the difference is, so here are the highlights:

        1) The new SAT returns to the original 1600 point scale, with Critical Reading and Math combined. Writing is now optional and has a separate score.

        2) The reading section will have less of those obscure words that students struggled with. It will be focused on evidence-based reading: 
"The new Reading test will be made up of four single passages, each followed by 10‐11 questions, and 1 dual‐passage set, also followed by 10‐11 questions. There will be three different types of passage: (1) U.S. or world literature; (2) history or social studies; and (3) science. Some of these passages will be primary sources pertaining to significant events and ideas in history. Other passages—especially in science and social studies—will contain charts or graphs that you will be expected to interpret and use in connection with the text. And the questions themselves? You’ll still need to identify the main point, the tone or attitude, and the meaning of certain words or phrases. You’ll also need to identify the evidence that supports an answer choice, which means that some questions will be connected." ((http://www.testive.com/parent-resources/new-sat-evidence-based-reading-and-math/))
        
       3) There will no longer be a quarter point loss for wrong answers.

The SAT has also combined with Khan Academy to provide free test prep for the new SAT. In addition, the fall PSAT will be in the new format, so current juniors can compare last year's old PSAT results with this year's to decide if they want to take the last old SAT in January.

Another wrinkle in the fabric is the changing attitudes of colleges to the tests. Colleges are changing both their SAT expectations and the ACT as well, especially for the optional writing sections. In light of this, it is very important to check with the colleges you are interested in for their current testing requirements. Although their websites should clarify things, sometimes it takes time for policy changes to make it to the webpage, so an email or a call to the admissions representative for your area will help you be sure of what you should sign up for.

So, what do I suggest? As I always have, I think juniors should take both the ACT and the SAT. For the ACT, check with the colleges you are interested in about whether to take the optional writing section. For the SAT, it is harder: if you did really well on last year's PSAT, you might want to take the old SAT in January. If you do well on this year's PSAT, then the new SAT may be the best choice, and like the ACT you should check with your prospective colleges to see if any require the writing section. 
The important thing to remember is that your application is more than just your test scores. Do your best,  prepare as much as you can, but try not to get too stressed out about them.