ACT and SAT scores

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>Ok so for the most part I am very happy with my test scores, they are par or way above par for a lot of the schools I am applying to to. For Penn...that's not really the case haha. </p>

<p>So my SAT I is pretty solid, but nothing spectacular : 700 M 690 CR 720 W. So 2110 total</p>

<p>First SAT II test I took was USH and I got a 790. I'm happy with it, I was gunning for a 800, but whatever. </p>

<p>But this December, I took Lit...and it killed me. It is a hard test to start with and I was not focused at all during the test, so I would not be surprised if I got a ~600 type score. So not the greatest, and I'm planning to retake it in January. </p>

<p>Penn's website says it allows retakes in January, which mine will be, but I would also like to add Math 2. Technically I haven't taken Math 2, will Penn look at it? I think I could get a 700+ on Math 2 if I prep enough (which I will over break). But this test is technically not a retake, so I'm wondering if they will even look at it. </p>

<p>But, I was wondering if they could take my SAT I and my SAT 2 history and could I just submit my ACT with writing to serve as a second SAT 2?</p>

<p>I'm not sure if this would work, but someone in another thread said that Penn will mix and match from your SAT and ACT to piece together your best parts. </p>

<p>My composite ACT isn't great, 29 and I got an 8 on the essay. </p>

<p>Composite: 29
E: 32
M: 29
R: 31
S: 25 (definitely not my forte haha) </p>

<p>Combined English/Writing: 29</p>

<p>So not great, but I did get a 32 on English and a 31 on Reading. </p>

<p>Here is my other ACT test:</p>

<p>Composite: 29 (again)
E: 29
M: 29
R: 31
S: 26</p>

<p>No writing on this test. So my English dropped a lot, Reading was constant, raised Math by 2 points, and science haha. </p>

<p>So, what do you think I should do? I only planned on sending my SAT scores with SAT 2s, but I may have gotten a crappy lit score and maybe an aspect of my ACT could replace the Lit SAT. </p>

<p>But I'm not sure if Penn would do this. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>How are your extra curricular activities, teacher’s recommendations? These are as important or more than SATs - see PENN Common data set. I think your SATs might be a bit low nevertheless, but it can’t hurt trying unless it is taking time away from applying to schools that might be a better fit.</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!</p>

3

<p>Thanks. </p>

<p>Yeah, I know for a school like Penn my SAT scores aren’t terrible, but that don’t really help me at all or make me stand out. </p>

<p>[College</a> Search - University of Pennsylvania - Penn - SAT®, AP®, CLEP®](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>Technically I am within the 25-75% range, but more towards the 25%ile and I’m not an URM or recruited athlete, sooo…</p>

<p>But Penn is a big reach for me, and I know it and I would honestly be shocked if I get in April 1. </p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

4

<p>You need to send in all you standardized test scores, ACT and SATs. The Admissions Officers will then take your best scores. It may also be helpful to show progress you’ve made or consistency.</p>

5

<p>Oh, I knew Penn did not accept score choice, but I thought if I was doing the SAT I only had to show them all my SATs, not my ACT scores. </p>

<p>ok thanks</p>

6

<p>They really want you to send everything from all tests. From the admission website: “Penn’s response to The College Board’s Score-Use testing policy for students is to request the student’s entire testing history.” </p>

<p>That being said, “despite Penn’s current policy, Furda noted that admissions officers have no way of actually knowing how many times an applicant took the SAT and must trust that students are not sending a Score Choice report.” ([Penn</a> Admissions Office protests Score Choice | The Daily Pennsylvanian](<a href=“http://thedp.com/node/58168]Penn”>http://thedp.com/node/58168))</p>

<p>According to the legacy advisor we talked to, who is allowed to observe admission reviews but does not participate, the admissions officers are given a student profile with the only best score combination to review. They can, however, get access to all a student’s submitted scores if they feel they need to see them to complete the evaluation.</p>

7

<p>Wait when they say retakes in January can that also apply to the SAT I and ACT or is it just
subjct tests? Can we retake both SAT I and ACT in January?</p>

8

<p>You really are supposed to send all standardized test scores. I contacted my admissions officer to ask whether I should Score Choice out an SAT test date from years ago that I took with Johns Hopkins CTY, and she said that I absolutely should not.</p>

<p>That said, you can definitely list the Math II SAT II and the second-sitting Lit SAT II under the standardized tests section of the Common App; the directions for that part even instruct applicants to list upcoming tests but to leave them scoreless. This way, admissions will know to consider the new scores once they’ve arrived.</p>

<p>Also, an unsolicited piece of advice: If you’re feeling insecure about the Lit SAT II, consider taking another! The worst that could possibly happen, assuming that you do as well as you want to on Math II, is that admissions will simply not consider the third subject test.</p>