On Monday, March 9, 46 Branson students took the SAT on campus in a school-administered test day that closed classes for the rest of the student body.
The annual spring SAT is a convenience many juniors have come to rely on, a chance to take the test in a familiar environment rather than scrambling for a seat at an off-site facility. But while Branson has hosted the SAT since the COVID era, the school has never offered the ACT on campus. For the share of students who prefer that test, the question is: why not?
“The ACT has undergone a couple of formatting changes, and they have a lot of different moving pieces,” said Avery Tamchin, Branson’s college counseling associate and testing coordinator.
The test can be taken on paper or on a computer, with or without the science section and with or without the writing section.
“It is a much more complicated process to try and accommodate all those different moving pieces with an on-campus test,” Tamchin said.
The ACT’s recent digital transition also adds risk to hosting it on campus.
“These transitions are newer, so there are more glitches,” Tamchin said. “If something were to go wrong, there are fewer opportunities for makeups than there would be with the national test days with the ACT.”
The SAT, by contrast, has been a simpler lift. Tamchin said the practice began as a response to limited testing access during COVID.
“The on-campus school-day SAT was being offered because our families couldn’t find testing opportunities locally on the national test days,” Tamchin said.
The school has continued hosting in since, although Tamchin emphasized that it is not guaranteed to stay.
“It’s something that we review every year,” she said. “We have continued to offer it because there have been reported struggles from our families in finding local testing available.”
She added that the situation has been improving. A group of independent schools pushed College Board last year to address the shortage of local sites.
“They have responded, particularly by offering these larger testing sites at local event centers and hotels,” Tamchin said.
Beyond logistics, there is also a question of demand. Tamchin said Branson students tend to gravitate toward the SAT as part of a broader regional trend.
“I think our students do tend to favor the College Board tests,” Tamchin said. “It’s also a more familiar test in California, especially if there are students who are already familiar with the AP. It’s the same company, so they’re used to seeing that name around.”
Still, some students wish the ACT had a place on campus.
“I wish they hosted the ACT, but I understand why they don’t,” said Henry Raz ‘27. “Most kids don’t take it.”
For those who do, however, finding a test center in itself can be a tricky challenge.
“Besides one test at Terra Linda, all the ACTs are really far away,” said Noah Goldman ’27.
Tamchin acknowledged the issue, noting that the ACT’s many format options may be part of the problem.
“I think I’ve heard more this year about struggling to find ACT sites,” Tamchin said. She explained that students searching for a specific version of the test — such as online, no writing, or with science — may see no availability, even when seats for other formats are available nearby.
For now, Branson’s on-campus testing remains SAT-only. Whether the ACT ever joins the lineup may depend on whether the test itself becomes simpler to administer and whether enough students request it.
“They shouldn’t host it because the majority of kids take the SAT,” Goldman said. “But they should be more accommodating for students who do better on the ACT.”
