I was planning on just sending my ACT scores to colleges (34 composite) but I accidentally opted to automatically send my SAT scores to 3 schools (including Brown), and I’m worried these scores will detract from my ACT score. I only got a 2060. Will Brown only consider my ACT score since it’s comparably higher or will my ACT not look as great anymore because of my average SAT? Will my SAT score have any impact on my final admissions decision? I mean, it’s definitely not bad, it’s just not great. I plan on applying ED. I’m terrified that I just destroyed any shot I had originally with my 34 ACT, which is the only thing I wanted to send in the first place. Blech…I wish my first post was happier. Thanks!
Brown looks at your highest score, ACT or SAT. Please don’t lose sleep over this.
I cannot find substantiation for the statement that Brown looks at only the higher of SAT or ACT if both are submitted.
I found this:
Regular Decision applicants should complete all required testing by the December SAT test date and arrange for results to be sent directly to Brown on or before our January 1 Regular Decision deadline. You are welcome to take advantage of the College Board’s Score Choice option, but this may delay your scores being received by Brown—and we will not be able to read your application until we receive a full set of official test scores. You may still submit scores from the January administration of the SAT and they will be added to your file. In addition, Brown will consider up to the December ACT test for Regular Decision. Please note, we encourage students to have at least one set of scores in our office by the appropriate application deadline.
http://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/first-year-applicants
And this:
Are both the SAT and ACT required?
No. We require the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests or the ACT with the writing component. If you happen to submit the SAT and the ACT, we will consider both.
http://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/ask?faq_category=11
So there is Score Choice for the SAT, but I do not see where it says Brown only looks at the higher score between ACT and SAT. Where does it say that? Not a challenge, a sincere question.
Interesting point; I always interpreted the below statement to include taking both the ACT and SAT.
How does Brown evaluate standardized tests?
We look at your test scores along with other information about your academic promise as we read your complete application. We do not attempt to assess test results in a formulaic way.** If you have taken tests more than once, we concentrate on your highest scores. **For the three components of the SAT, we focus on your best scores, regardless of the date you took the test. We do not calculate averages, nor do we look at the sum total of the components.
http://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/ask?faq_category=11
To be consistent with the statement that, “If you happen to submit the SAT and the ACT, we will consider both.”, I read the sentence you quoted as follows:
If you have taken the SAT or ACT more than once, we concentrate on your highest SAT or ACT scores respectively".
The sentence you quoted is not a model of clarity, but I read it to mean that if a person takes the SAT once and the ACT once, that person has not taken a single test more than once
You really shouldn’t worry, no matter what the website says. 34 is phenomenal and your SAT score would definitely not detract from that or “make it look bad,” especially since the SAT has gotten a lot of criticism recently because of how well SAT scores correlate to family income (ie: richer kids score better.) The ACT is a comparatively fairer test and colleges know this. Some kids just do better on one or the other, and colleges know this, too. In any case, I sincerely doubt that your SAT would be the defining factor of whether or not to accept you.
Thank you guys so much! I spoke to someone at the admissions office earlier and the only answer I received was “We consider the highest score” no matter how many times I asked if it was the highest score between ACT/SAT or what. So not exactly the most helpful.
And yeah, I think 2060 is actually a good score, but after months of stalking on CC it seems that anything below a 2200 is unspeakable, especially for someone applying to an Ivy. 