<p>I was talking to some friends and they said, with comparison to the SAT, that the Reading and Science portion of the ACT is disregarded because of the SAT itself. Seems like a shot in the dark, but is it possible?</p>
<p>nope.
Some schools dont care (but only schools that dont require SAT 2s)</p>
<p>But your friend is wrong.</p>
<p>Correct - your friend is wrong. Because of these sections, even many schools that require SAT IIs don't require them if you submit the ACT. </p>
<p>Besides, schools cannot "disregard" those sections, since they are part of the ACT composite score, which is not simply adding up the individual section scores as it is with the SATs. The sections can't be "subtracted out" of the composite. Therefore, they count.</p>
<p>What he told me does sound plausible. If the SAT just revolves around math and verbal, then it should for the ACT as well.</p>
<p>Kind of weird, heh.</p>
<p>Well if it works like that, then it would be math and reading on the act, not english, which is more like the writing part of the sat (sentence errors, etc.) Wouldn't act reading be the cpmponent compared to sat reading??</p>
<p>Do colleges receive each individual score as well, or do they only get the composite?</p>
<p>They get the entire score from what I believe. For example, on the Common App they ask for all the scores in the subcategories and then the composite. </p>
<p>Daisy, there was just a thread saying colleges don't even look at the writing portion of the SAT. Also, the ACT has its own writing portion (voluntary). </p>
<p>This would mean that the composite doesn't play as big as a role as the the two scores (Math and Eng.). It's kind of weird, but whatever.</p>
<p>If you could compare the two, I would think that act reading = sat critical reading, and act english = sat writing, not act english = sat critical reading (not talking about essays).</p>
<p>Manny- you just contradicted yourself.</p>
<p>
[quote]
This would mean that the composite doesn't play as big as a role as the the two scores (Math and Eng.). It's kind of weird, but whatever.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You just said colleges disregard the writing, and then claimed that the English section was one of the most important.
Your friend (and you) need to get your facts right. Most of my apps have either asked for all four sections plus composite. Only one has only asked for math and writing (ga tech), but there application is far from any norm.</p>
<p>The only time I have heard of when the science and English sections of the ACT are disregarded is when 7th and 8th graders take the test to qualify for CTY programs - they just look at math and reading.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You just said colleges disregard the writing, and then claimed that the English section was one of the most important.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The English and writing scores on the ACT have nothing to do with each other.</p>
<p>It would make sense if many schools didn't use the writing score, since it's quite new and their admissions criteria and computer systems may not be set up to make use of it. Also, many schools wouldn't use it at first because they'd want to look at a few years' worth of scores and compare them to student performance.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Besides, schools cannot "disregard" those sections, since they are part of the ACT composite score, which is not simply adding up the individual section scores as it is with the SATs. The sections can't be "subtracted out" of the composite. Therefore, they count.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You realize that this makes no sense.</p>
<p>^Lot's of schools ask for your combined ACT english/writing- they do in fact have a lot to do with each other.</p>
<p>My writing (out of 12) score manages to drop my english by a point whenever colleges ask for the combined score.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Lot's of schools ask for your combined ACT english/writing- they do in fact have a lot to do with each other.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The English/writing score has a lot to do with the English score. It also has a lot to do with the writing score.</p>
<p>The English score and the writing score have nothing to do with each other.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My writing (out of 12) score manages to drop my english by a point whenever colleges ask for the combined score.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You are mistaken: Your writing score does not affect your English score.</p>
<p>Yes it does, when speaking of your english/writing score as a whole (when factoring it into the total of 36).</p>
<p>Of the 2 non-common app schools that asked me to self-report my scores, they all requested the combined english/writing rather than just the english.
It's the composite that the writing has no effect on.</p>
<p>When I said that the composite is not simply adding up the individual sections (which Mrs. Ferguson says makes no sense), I meant simply this:</p>
<p>Having 35, 32, 29, 34 on each section (hypothetically) does not result in a composite of 32.5, which is what it would be if ACT simply added up the individual scores and averaged them. Deriving the composite is more complex than that. And if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe the Tufts admissions counselor:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Unlike the SAT, where the composite is just the total of the sections, the ACT composite score isn't calculated in an entirely simple manner. Also, the SAT sections are much more akin to discrete tests.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Therefore, if the schools consider the ACT composite, they cannot simply subtract out and ignore any subsection.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Having 35, 32, 29, 34 on each section (hypothetically) does not result in a composite of 32.5, which is what it would be if ACT simply added up the individual scores and averaged them. Deriving the composite is more complex than that.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, as complex as the baffling mystery of rounding.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Therefore, if the schools consider the ACT composite,
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If they're disregarding any section scores, then they aren't considering the composite.</p>
<p>
[quote]
...they cannot simply subtract out and ignore any subsection.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, but I bet college admissions departments are clever enough to add.</p>