ACT exam registration deadline is approaching

Students must register by Aug. 23

The next ACT Assessment will be administered on Sept. 28. College-bound high school students must register for the college admissions exam by Fri., Aug. 23.

The test fee is $25.

Students can get registration packets from their high school counselors or register online at www.act.org. A free sample test is available from high school counselors in a brochure called "Preparing for the ACT Assessment."

ACT scores are accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and universities, including all Ivy League schools. The ACT is not an aptitude test. It is an academic achievement test that measures students on what they learned in high school. Because it is curriculum-based, colleges use ACT scores for more than admissions decisions—they use scores to place freshmen into classes that the students are academically prepared to handle.

For admissions decisions, colleges use ACT scores along with a student’s high school grade point average, college prep course taken, extracurricular activities and other information.