2250/1600 SAT vs 35 Composite ACT

Applying to College
1

<p>I am currently applying to various colleges and I do not know which scores to send to which colleges. My scores are:</p>

<p>2250 SAT
800CR/800M/650W (66MC, 8 essay)</p>

<p>SAT II
800 Chemistry
800 World History</p>

<p>35 ACT
34 English, 35 Math, 33 Reading, 36 Science, 8 writing.</p>

<p>While my essays for both tests are not strong for either test, my ACT is overall stronger than the SAT, but my CR/M cannot be beat.</p>

<p>I am stuck on which scores I should send to the following:
University of Chicago
Amherst College
Bowdoin College
Boston College
Yale University
Cornell University
MIT</p>

<p>I am planning on sending my SAT scores to Cornell and Chicago since they place little weight on the Writing section. However, I will send my ACT to the rest.</p>

<p>What should I do? </p>

<p>Would retaking the SAT for a better writing score be wise for a school like Yale, risking my CR/M score in the process? </p>

<p>Is sending both scores a good idea?</p>

<p>Do colleges look at both tests in general equally? </p>

<p>Will my scores on the SAT II compensate for the scores in Writing? </p>

<p>Will they "superscore" both tests and combine both tests, taking the better section for each?</p>

<p>Bah! Too many questions! Advice?</p>

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2

<p>Send them everything. They both reflect the same, your writing is pulling you down.</p>

<p>However, your SAT qualifies you for presidential scholar nomination while your ACT does not.</p>

3

<p>Not really. My English/Writing composite is the 98th percentile. My SAT W is a 90th percentile. Big difference. </p>

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4

<p>Under normal circumstances, I would send the ACT score without a doubt. However, this is not a normal circumstances. </p>

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5

<p>You got an 8 on essay even in ACT. it is not so hot.</p>

<p>You also have only one perfect score in ACT and not too many people care for a science 36.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the advice. Would it be wise to retake THE SAT for the writing section and hope that it goes up to a better number?</p>

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7

<p>I am only thinking of what I would do for my kid and you will probably get different opinions from others.</p>

<p>You have compensating scores in SAT and ACT where you have one perfect reading, one perfect Math, one perfect science. As you suggest your english is at 98% for english in ACT. You also have two perfect SAT II scores. I think you are taken care of here.</p>

<p>Based on your colleges list, I think a language SATII would help. Depending on your major, other SAT IIs might help. </p>

<p>All or most of them may have supplements with essays. Concentrating on the supplements and writing the best essays you can might be a better use of your time.</p>

8

<p>Send everything. Don’t worry about the ACT essay, it really won’t hurt you.</p>

<p>There really is no need to retake either test. You do need to take the Math II Sat subject test, for MIT at least.</p>

9

<p>If you want to retake the sat, I have a method to guarantee a 700+ (GUARANTEEING THIS),
Get the blue book. Read pages 101-102 with the lat of writing errors everyday or almost everyday, and have them memorized. You will without a doubt have a 700+</p>

10

<p>Don’t retake anything. You’re fine. Top colleges won’t care about your SAT OR ACT essay because it proves nothing about your writing abilities.</p>

11

<p>I would retake for practical reason. You are nearly perfect except your writing and it’s much easier to improve your writing. The ACT costs money to send if you retake the ACT, it costs per test(or something like that). Prep hard though, my kid’s weakness is writing and she improved to near perfection. I think you can do it. Also use the free scoring to send to schools that you have to send all scores. My daughter only have to send scores to 2 reaches because she sent them already each time she takes the test.</p>

12

<p>Cortana is right. MIT needs a Math II. I overlooked your colleges.</p>

13

<p>I know that I need to take the Math II. MIT is just wishful thinking, since I don’t have as such a heavy focus on the sciences as other applicants. Really, I do not know what I am going to do, but the atmosphere of earnestness at MIT was very refreshing. </p>

<p>I don’t think I am going to retake the SAT Writing and instead focus on my essays. My thought is that if my essay is well-written and compelling that it will more than compensate for the relatively low writing scores, since a college admissions essay actually requires thought unlike a stupid 25 minute essay (idc want anyone says, writing a 25 minute essay is the dumbest idea ever).</p>

<p>TBH one of the reasons I posted here is because my brother went with the same situation, but we foolishly sent both his SAT and his ACT even though his ACT is much stronger (ironically, he sent the SAT BECAUSE of his writing score).</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice everyone.</p>

14

<p>I would NOT retake the ACT. The test can be of inconsistent quality, and while Eng may go up, your Science may go down. Plus retaking a 35 will give adcoms a reason to question if you really don’t have anything better to do with your time on a Saturday morning!</p>

<p>Send 'em both. A 35 is good enough for any college. But if you send the Subject Test scores, the SAT 1 will go with, for those colleges that reject Score Choice.</p>

15

<p>Where did your brother apply and get in?</p>

<p>1600 on CR+M will qualify you for Presidential scholar first list, while your ACT won’t. It can be one of your updates to colleges in March before results come out.</p>

16

<p>My brother applied to HYS, WashU, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill (OOS), UPitt 7 year med program, UF, UCF.</p>

<p>He got waitlisted at Yale and WashU, rejected from Harvard and Stanford, and accepted everywhere else (did not get into the 7 year med program though :/). The financial aid package from Duke stunk, so he elected to stay instate and go to UF. Best decision he has made, he said. Now he got into the 7 year med program at UF, and is well on hs way to becoming a doctor :).</p>

17

<p>Cornell says that they don’t consider the SAT writing score.</p>

18

<p>Thanks but I already knew this. </p>

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19

<p>So it is settled. Send both scores?</p>

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