As Palo Altans fret and toil over the college conundrum, anguishing over long lists of vocab, PSAT scores, and then having enough energy to pull it all together in a four-hour testing room that may determine their future; many forget the sparkling alternative hiding right in their back pocket.

It’s called the ACT. The American College Test.

There is no doubt that Palo Altans know about this alternative test that may end the misery of their cooped up anxieties, but the question is, why aren’t they taking it? Or more importantly, why are they taking the SAT?

To solve this mystery, we must look at these two tests to find out why high school students seem to enjoy the extra anxiety. According to the Western Region Director of the ACT, Frederick Mickle, in the past year, about 65 percent of students in this region took the SAT while only 15 to 16 percent took the ACT.

For generations, great grandparents, grandparents, even your own parents have marked the SAT as a major stepping stone in establishing a respectable life.

However, unlike the SAT, the ACT has a few loopholes that can save you from long nights of fretting.

While the SAT is automatically put on the record seen by colleges, administrators only see the last test you take on the ACT.

“Colleges like to see growth and trends [in your scores],” said Caren Scoropanos, a spokeswoman for CollegeBoard.com.

While this proof of growth may be useful for some students, this information may not prove beneficial for every high school student and may end up hurting them in two ways. Firstly, if a student does terribly on their first SAT test, although their later scores may increase, they still have a bad apple rotting on their high school transcript. The second negative aspect of this “record” that colleges see, is it will hurt student’s chances of acceptance if they do not improve.

Another great thing about the ACT is that while it takes about the same amount of time as the SAT, it only has four sections plus an optional writing section opposed to the nine sections of the SAT. Because of this, it is much easier to stay on task and remain focused, according to ACT tutor, Danielle Bianchi.

The four sections are English (45 minutes), math (60 minutes), reading (35 minutes), science (35 minutes), and an optional 30 minute writing portion.

According to Mickle, the ACT can also be a useful test to take if you are applying to a college that doesn’t require a writing sample. Unlike the SAT, the ACT provides an optional writing section and opting out of it save both time and money. (About 20 dollars.)

“Far more universities don’t want a writing piece, and they won’t include it in their decision,” Mickle said.

However, Scoropanos says that the writing portion is required in the SAT for a specific reason.

“[Writing] is a critical skill that’s not optional in any field,” Scoropanos said. “That’s why it’s required in the SAT.”

Some colleges including Tufts and Brown University agree with Scoropanos, so much so, that if you take the ACT with writing, you are not required to take the SAT IIs according to CollegeBoard.com.

The ACT organization is also proud of their choice to not mark off for wrong answers where the SAT marks off one-fourth point for every wrong answer.

“Look at how you’re tested right now,” Mickle said. “We take that same educational philosophy and apply it to the ACT.”

Scoropanos explained that the SAT made this decision based on the choices of the members of its board.

The ACT may be avoided for two main reasons. A common misnomer is that the ACT is only accepted by a select number of colleges. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, the ACT is accepted around the country by many college administrators according to http://www.actstudent.org/.

Another common reason students avoid this test is because it has a science portion. However, according to Bianchi, the science section is simply tables, meaning you can quickly look for patterns and familiarities with little science knowledge or reading of the text. Only one portion of the science section requires reading.

“We’re not the enemy,” Mickle said. “This test is not used to weed students out of consideration, but to include students in the [applicant] pool.”

In fact, students who get a perfect score on the ACT win a trophy and a plaque for their school according to Mickle. So far, there has been one student awarded this year in California. Last year 56 were awarded.

Mickle says another misconception of the ACT is that it is just like the SAT.

“The SAT is a completely different company and our philosophies are very different,” Mickle said. “The ACT tells you what you have learned in school, and what you’re ready to know next, [whereas the SAT] doesn’t equate to what you know.”

According to Bianchi, the English section of the ACT is more instinctual than mind-puzzling, testing you on ideas that you have grown up with all your life. The best part is that you don’t have to memorize three hundred vocabulary words that you think might be on the test.

According to Mickle, after Colorado started requiring the ACT to be offered to students in school, Illinois and Michigan have instituted this rule as well, and provide the ACT free of cost to juniors in high school. In the last two years that it has been implemented in the Colorado school systems, there has been a 14 percent increase of students who are eligible and can apply to four year colleges.

The ACT is offered five or six times around the country depending on what state you live in. The test is scored from 1-36.

“The ACT is not difficult. There is no mystery in it,” Mickle said.

The only mystery is why students still pin their noses to a test that is unable to offer nearly the same benefits as the ACT.