A sinking dilemma.....

Applying to College
1

<p>Okay...so I'm not feeling too well right now. I just got my ACT score back, and I need a bit of advice.</p>

<p>My first ACT score, as I found out today, wasn't as good as I had hoped. I did well on practices at home, but I've never been an amazing test taker eh</p>

<p>I got a composite of 33:</p>

<p>English: 34
Math: 34
Reading: 32
Science: 30 (first time taking it...ran out of time :()</p>

<p>My SAT wasn't too great either though:</p>

<p>2110 (710 M, 710 CR, 690 W)
2130 (770 M, 660 CR, 700 W)</p>

<p>Superscored: 2180</p>

<p>SAT II: Biology E - 740 (I'm taking U.S. History and Math II this Saturday)</p>

<p>As you can see, my test scores oscillate back and forth quite a bit. I'm applying to a lot of top schools, and I really want to solidify my test scores. I've already acknowledged the fact that I'm pretty bad at test taking, and that my academic level probably isn't up to par with some other kids who would be applying to these schools, such as my dream university, Stanford. I was just wondering though...which test, SAT or ACT, should I submit? </p>

<p>All my other credentials have been pretty good up to this point. That's basically why I haven't given up already...</p>

<p>Would I still have a chance given that:
-I'm ranked 1 in my class (though I probably shouldn't be, looking at test scores...)
-I have pretty outstanding extracurriculars
-My recommendations are all from teachers who have thought I was one of their "finest students".
-My guidance counselor and I are pretty close and I've been told his rec is great.
-I have an essay that almost everyone has read and said was awesome.</p>

<p>Advice? Thanks.... :(</p>

2

<p>remember that the 'perfect" test taker can ge rejected, so schools look at more than "perfection" in their applicants</p>

<p>and TOP schools, whatever that means, are reaches for everybody</p>

<p>to be honest, you are coming across as a bit whiney ( and arrogant), so watch that</p>

<p>I say that because if you start complaining about your great scores, you will be rather annoying to many</p>

<p>I am telling you this because having some humiilty and honesty (which you are trying to present, but eh, not working) well take you further than a 36 on a test</p>

3

<p>yikes! sorry...I guess I'm just a bit shocked with my score because I saw this test as the final shot at scoring well before college admissions, and I didn't really pay attention to my whining. </p>

<p>I mean I know that those schools look for more than perfection...but it's not like I'm anywhere close to perfect either. I was just trying to get advice on how to present my application in the best way.</p>

<p>I apologize again if I sounded arrogant...I really don't mean to. I should probably cool off a little before I say anything more about my score. Maybe it will look a little better to me tomorrow...</p>

4

<p>Yeah, I have to agree that you might annoy or even discourage people by complaining about getting such a high score. BUT if you feel as if you really did not do your best, you could take it again (if you're not applying ED/EA). Either way, your score shouldn't be a burden on your application.</p>

5

<p>The 33 is better in my opinion than either of your SAT scores, so I would submit your ACT. That score as well as your sat ii 740 are 'OK' for Stanford. Try to get over 750 on your other two sat ii's this saturday and your standardized test scores should not be too much of a problem.</p>

6

<p>i just got my test scores back, and i'm very happy with my 33. your attitude is really belittling though.</p>

<p>sorry you're not satisfied. i doubt you ever will be though if you can't be happy with a 33.</p>

7

<p>Thank you for your advice, amb3r...I think I may try to take it again if I feel like I have the potential to score higher. It's just been disappointing over the year for me because of the 5 critical tests I've taken, I've missed my mark on all of them basically.</p>

<p>flybyzephyr, I saw your score post earlier. I guess I overreacted initially, and I didn't mean to describe my 33 as a "bad score" at all. However, I'd much rather have your 33 than mine :D. You had 3 consistent 34's didn't you? I feel like my score doesn't deserve the 33 also because it's rounded.</p>

8

<p>Well, it's completely reasonable that one person would give an arm and a leg for a 33 and another would be disappointed by a 33. I don't think you can criticize someone for being unhappy that they underperformed their expectations, even if those expectations were high. If you got a 33 and are very satisfied, more power to you, but if you are not satisfied, you have that right. At my school, kids applying to Ivies average 33+ on the ACT, so presumably, someone with a 33 or lower might be a <em>bit</em> distraught. Instead of telling OP to be more considerate, try to see things from another point of view!</p>

9

<p>getting to your original question -- which score should you submit, the ACT or SAT -- you don't have that option. Most of the competitive schools (like Stanford) require SAT II tests for admissions and when the College Board sends a score report, all SAT and SAT II test scores are reported. What that means is that whether you want to send that SAT score, the school will get it. I would definitely send the ACT score -- a 33 is an excellent score and your subscores are also excellent. Many schools take a look at those subscores, particularly math, english and reading.</p>

10

<p>Thank you hsmomstef! That's actually what I meant...I was wondering whether it would be advisable to send my ACT along with my SAT. I wanted to know if my science score would be detrimental to my SAT. It seems like I've gotten a lot of encouraging comments to send my score...I checked Common Data Sets and I guess it's not as bad as I thought originally. It's strange that a 33 on the Science this month still hits the 99th percentile though...why wouldn't the ACT makers curve it more so it's fair? It was bizarre because I always scored 34-35 at home...</p>

11

<p>A 33 is an excellent ACT score. And your SAT scores are excellent also.</p>

12

<p>eh...it's not that I'm trying to argue that a 33 isn't a good score. It's just that the schools I'm looking at don't really just accept any good score. In context to my application list, my score isn't really "excellent" at all. But, it's decent(as all of you have made sure I've realized :D), and I hope I can get by with it.</p>

13

<p>Are you joking? A 33 is >99th percentile.</p>

<p>Are you seriously complaining about scoring better than virtually everyone who took the test?</p>

14

<p>The OP is probably more familiar with the SAT's scoring system. I just moved from the east coast to the west coast recently, and at first the ACT system just seemed bizarre. I still don't really know how to interpret all the different subsections (or if it's even worth trying to). Sometimes it seems to me that even though you get so many score breakdowns, only the composite matters. It is confusing to someone new to the test.</p>

15

<p>something else to think about -- when applying to the very top schools, it won't be the score that gets you admitted. Your stats (GPA, SAT and SAT II scores and ACT scores) will just get your foot in the door. If you have good, solid scores that put you in range of the school's students, then the admin officers will take a good look at your application to see what it says about you.</p>

<p>your scores are enough to get you a look -- it is your other strengths that will get you admitted, not another point or two on a test.</p>

<p>Did you take the ACT with writing? it is required for using the ACT for Stanford.</p>

16

<p>hsmomstef is right (in most cases - there are a few schools which pride themselves on taking pretty much the top SAT scores they can get). Your scores are good enough for your application to get a serious look. So the rest of your application will likely determine things.</p>

<p>Re: the unintentional arrogant connotations: Phrasing is key. Saying that your score was bad (which you didn't actually do) or that you didn't do "well" (which you did, by implication, with your comment about the practice tests) looks arrogant and belittling to people who would love to have your score. Showing excessive dejection or angst for such relatively high scores looks the same. Saying that you didn't do as well as practice tests had predicted and that you're concerned about how top schools will regard this, while minimizing the utter-dejection vibes, comes off a LOT better, while getting your point across.</p>

<p>I don't mean to preach at you; I give this little speech because I had a big problem with this in high school and before, and it took being at MIT and being on the other side of things - being the one who would have killed for the scores that certain people were angsting and complaining about - to realize how bad I had sounded, and to figure out less accidentally-offensive ways to put things. :)</p>

17

<p>A sinking delemma? Some CC'ers make me laugh. If you're sinking, the vast majority of your competition has millstones around their necks in the middle of the sea! hsmomstef's advice is excellent. You'll be fine.</p>

18

<p>I guess people now have to mask their own genuine disappointment lest they hurt others' feelings. Great...</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
I guess people now have to mask their own genuine disappointment lest they hurt others' feelings.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Consideration for the feelings of others is a useful life skill. It's also good in terms of self-interest, as you're likely to get better advice if you don't offend the people you're asking. Thinking about the implications, connotations, and impact of your words is also a good useful skill, as is learning to not blurt out everything that you are feeling in public.</p>

<p>I certainly mean no offense to the OP, and don't believe that they intended to be arrogant. As I said, I used to do the same sort of thing, quite often. I've been on both sides of the line and speak from experience.</p>

20

<p>Wow, if your disappointed in a 33 and a 2100 then I think you are trying way too hard. Those scores can get you into any college in the top 15% of colleges. Once you reach the top schools I don't think it makes much of a difference which one you are going to, it's all about fit. It doesn't make a difference if you are at Harvard or Yale lol.</p>