The SAT is required by many universities to be considered for admission. Though there are colleges that do not require it, all "brand name" universities and virtually all public ("state") universities do require it. In many cases, students can take the ACT rather than the SAT, and this decision often comes down to geography.

Students in the Midwest tend to take the ACT and SAT, while students on the US coasts tend to not take the ACT at all. Other than being required for admission to US universities, the SAT is important for the following reasons:

• Many scholarships require a minimum SAT score
• Many universities, especially state universities, will offer academic scholarships for students with a certain GPA and a minimum SAT score
• The SAT is a great way to set yourself apart from the college admissions crowd. Having a high SAT score will allow you to separate out from the thousands of other people applying to college.

For some students, taking both the SAT and ACT is a great option because they can submit whichever of the two scores is better (based on their percentile ranking) which then lets them increase their odds of acceptance in college admissions. In general, taking both tests is highly recommended as students have little to lose but much to gain.