ACT Composites -- Which Schools Combine Subscores?

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>Recently, I've been surfing through this site and I've noticed that many people are confused as to how ACT scores are used in comparison to SAT scores. I know that colleges take the best scores on the SAT, as shown in the example below:</p>

<p>First Attempt: 800 M, 670 V, 650 W ---- [2120]
Second Attempt: 750 M, 700 V, 700 W ---- [2150]</p>

<p>In this case, a college would compute the test taker's overall score to be a 2200 [800 + 700 + 700]. This would yield a higher overall score than either of the composites previously generated.</p>

<p>However, I, along with many other people, am unsure as to whether colleges do the same with the ACT subscores. Consider the situation below:</p>

<p>First Attempt: English 32, Math 31, Reading 28, Science 25 ---- [29]
Second Attempt: English 30, Math 33, Reading 24, Science 30 ---- [29]</p>

<p>As you can see, the scores depicted here are vastly different, but both compute to a composite of 29. Will most colleges take the same process to add up subscores of the ACT like they do for the SAT?</p>

<p>For instance, let's take the best scores from each test:</p>

<p>English 32, Math 33, Reading 28, Science 30 [31]</p>

<p>Now that the best subscores have been combined, the new composite is a 31.</p>

<p>So far, I only know of one college that engages in this process (Washington University in St. Louis). I'm wondering if any other schools (especially the Northeastern schools) use this process also. I have already taken the ACT twice, and though my composite has remained the same during both sittings, I improved on three sections overall during the second testing, and ran out of time for one section (which caused it to plummet dramatically, and destroyed what could have been a fantastic composite).</p>

<p>I would appreciate if anyone has any info on this. I've seen it vaguely asked in some of the college forums here, but no one has provided an absolute answer.</p>

2

<p>I'm in the same exact situation, haha. I bombed the October Science section and decreased it by a lot.</p>

<p>All I can say is email Admissions:)</p>

3

<p>A bunch of threads have been started about this, and basically, the conclusion has been that you need to email admissions (like Jess_ said) to find out for sure.</p>

4

<p>I thank you both for your responses, however, I don't think you quite understood what I was asking.</p>

<p>First of all, ask yourselves this question: Why would I bother to post a question on CC if I was aware that I could individually e-mail each and every university that I was applying to about their standardized testing policies?</p>

<p>I guess I didn't make it clear that I'm trying to avoid doing that very thing, at all costs. The last thing that I want any admissions board to think about me is that I'm trying to find any possible way to cut corners. So, I don't think it would be a bad idea to just make the information available, without running the risk of sounding desperate to anyone reviewing my app.</p>

<p>I'll begin with the information that I already have. </p>

<p>I know for a fact that WUSTL takes the subscores from the ACT and combines them because the admissions officer that came to our school told us that was the case.</p>

<p>Thankfully, NYU has its own message board that is entirely anonymous. Simply put, this post answers the question:</p>

<p><a href="http://nyu.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9834033161/m/6941088192?r=6941088192#6941088192%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://nyu.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9834033161/m/6941088192?r=6941088192#6941088192&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If anyone finds any more information, please share it! It will benefit everyone viewing this forum, not just me.</p>

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<p>I know the way ACT send scores is that u usually request them to send the highest composite score. So if you combine, does that mean you're asking ACT company to send 2 or more test scores?</p>

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<p>Well, different schools tell you different things at different times. That's why it's more important to email them, but whatever.</p>

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<p>I don't think asking a question such as this makes an applicant seem "desperate" or "unknowledgeable", I think it shows interest in the school and is a legitamit question for an admissions counselor.</p>

<p>I'm a high school senior in love with the ACT and I've heard Brown superscores. Brown has a feature on their website which allows a user to email a current Brown student with questions about the application process. I used this, and the students responded that they didn't know (so I can't say if Brown does or doesn't, my guess is they don't). So I'd just go to the admissions counselors. You're not "cutting corners", you're wondering which scores to send and how they're evaluated. It's legitamit. It doesn't sound desperate either, it means you're a teenager confused by the vagaries of the application process, not that you're obsessed. Really, ad coms have a big stack of your essays, recommendations, resumes, grades and yes, ACT scores, they really have much better ways to gauge you're ability to succeed at their school than the questions you call/email their admissions office with.</p>

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<p>You're in love with the ACT??? Goodness, that is depressing.</p>

<p>Also cocacolakid422, while your question is great (I've been wondering the same thing), your reasoning for not wanting to call/email the school is faulty (for the reasons mentioned above).</p>

<p>E-mailing or calling schools is too much work for both the applicant and adcom. We would have to call multiple schools, they would have to answer multiple students asking the same things.</p>

<p><strong><em>It would be much easier if we compile a list on CC.</em></strong> This way, Adcoms don't answer the same question 500 times and we don't have to call a bunch of schools. If we all check for a few colleges, we can save time for everyone.</p>

<p>I am also wondering if we have to send (and pay for) 2 score reports for each college. I did the same thing as cocacolakid442 and I don't want to do so unless I absolutely must. Also, when is the latest we can send score reports?</p>

<p>So for the list, why dont I start. Superscore will mean they take the best individual scores, Standard means they take the highest individual score.</p>

<p>Columbia-Standard
Stanford-Superscore</p>

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<p>what's do u mean by "best" and "highest" individual scores?</p>

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<p>Wow, it's only been a short time since I've visited this forum, and already I've already managed to get several replies. That's impressive.</p>

<p>Regardless, I understand that it probably came as a shock to each of you that I refused to email the admissions boards about this question. Unfortunately, what I perceive is that most of the schools I am applying to are in favor of the SAT, and as you might have already assumed, those scores are nowhere near as stellar as those of my ACT (not that I've told you what I've scored on either, though).</p>

<p>The information I received was from a college counselor. However, everyone is prone to mistakes and misinformation, so take both his and my words with a grain of salt. We're on an internet forum, after all, so how able are you to believe what anyone says? Some of the chances threads on this site are written so poorly that the stats of the respective applicants boggle me. Go figure.</p>

<p>My basic assumption is that the admissions boards, especially from prestigious schools who have only just begun to accept the test, will not make it explicitly apparent that they prefer one test over another. It's a pity, considering that I think both tests are equally able to determine an applicant's ability to perform in college. I only fear that if I make my test preference clear to these schools, I will be at a disadvantage.</p>

<p>So, I'm going to follow Shark_bite's idea and help compile the list that so many people want to see. Here's what we have so far:</p>

<hr>

<p>Superscoring Schools:</p>

<p>Washington University in St. Louis
NYU
Stanford
Brown</p>

<hr>

<p>Composite-Only Schools:</p>

<p>Columbia University
Michigan State University (one of the few schools that makes its policy clear)</p>

<p><a href="http://admissions.msu.edu/admission/transfer_FAQs.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://admissions.msu.edu/admission/transfer_FAQs.asp&lt;/a> </p>

<hr>

<p>Feel free to correct this list if you're informed differently.</p>

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<p>wake forest is composite only</p>

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<p>Brown superscores? That's not the 100% absolute truth. I don't know if it does or not, and I tried to find out if it did. I didn't gain any new information. It might, it might not, I never said Brown DOES superscore, I only said I heard that it did and wanted more information, which I didn't get. So including Brown on the superscoring list is basing the list off rumors which frankly, are probably false (unless some else has better information than me).</p>

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<p>are you sure that Stanford superscores? I think an adcom once told me that stanford only takes the highest composite ACT score (though they combine the SAT scores). Do you have any verification?</p>

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<p>You don't have to reveal your preference for the ACT when you email admissions to ask a simple question. You don't even have to reveal who you are, or that fact that you're potential applicant. If you think the person answering your email is going to take down your name and make sure to start a file on you along with all the other dirty ACT lovers, you're a little paranoid. </p>

<p>Besides, when you send ACT scores instead of SAT scores, your preference is going to be pretty clear.</p>

<p>A good number of admissions websites I've checked have this information.</p>

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<p>colby per admissions rep on cc</p>

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<p>most schools will just answer the email like they answer the thousands of other questions they recieve and not bother attaching it to your application.
It seems like a legitmate question. It's not like asking "If I get caught cheating on the ACT will you take away my admissions?"
If you want an answer the school is the only place that knows the exact answer.</p>

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<p>Well, it would have been easier to look on this page to find an answer, but fine. I guess I'll call each individual college to get the answer.</p>

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<p>I know for a fact that Stanford does not superscore ACT scores.</p>

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<p>hmm... could we get a list going of schools that do?</p>

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<p>Do you combine SAT scores from different dates?
From NYU Admissions Discussion Board from NYU Website:</p>

<p>Board Administrator
Member
Posted August 06, 2008 03:42 PM<br>
Yes. If you have taken the SAT Reasoning Test more than once, we will use the highest Critical Reading score you have received and the highest Math score, even if they are from different test dates. These scores will combine to create your highest composite score.</p>

<p>A highest composite score is also created for those students who submit results from more than one ACT exam.</p>