<p>I was thinking about just studying for the ACT and then using a score converter. I'm thinking of applying to Ivy Leagues and BS/MD programs. Would they accept a converter?</p>
<p>All schools use a converted score. Google ACT SAT Concordance.</p>
<p>ACT, Inc., has a score-converter on their website and it’s roughly based on percentile rankings. Since the SAT and the ACT are extremely similar (speaking from experience- I took both but only studied for one, ended up getting the same score) I’d say there’s a ton of legitimacy.</p>
<p>Also the Ivies accept the ACT itself.</p>
<p>Some BS/MD programs don’t accept the ACT. So you need to check with each school. For example TCNJ only accepts SAT</p>
<p>Very interesting @momworried. I see you are right. <a href=“TCNJ | The College of New Jersey”>TCNJ | The College of New Jersey; I wonder if there are other more “exotic” programs which don’t accept both? </p>
<p>I only mentioned it because my friends daughter who’s a junior only took ACT and did very well in it. But she wants to apply to some combined programs and her guidance councilor never mentioned to her that some programs don’t accept ACT Which is baffling to me. So now she’s limited to which ones she can apply too. So it’s good to know ahead of time what the program you’re interested in requires</p>
<p>I know that for all general BA/BS schools accept both the ACT and SAT. I was surprised to see some specialized admit programs do not. It does make it hard for some students to take advantage of those.</p>
<p>@HighSchoolDoctor: As another poster has pointed out, the “converter” is really just a concordance table that allows “unofficial” conversion from ACT score to SAT score and vice versa. Typically, high school students who have taken both tests use such a table to determine which test score (ACT or SAT) represents the “stronger” score for college admissions purposes. A student doesn’t really “convert” the score before sending it to a college. He merely submits the score(s), and the admissions committee uses the numbers as it sees fit.</p>
<p>Check the admissions website for each college/program to which you intend to apply. Standardized testing requirements should be spelled out very explicitly there. If not, contact an admissions representative. </p>
<p>On a separate note…
Have you considered the disadvantages of the combined BS/MD path (vs. the traditional 4-year undergraduate experience + separate MD program)?
There are a lot of reasons why a person would want to take the more “traditional” route.</p>
<p>@Bartleby007 I only plan on doing a BS/MD program if I get into a really good program like HPME or PLME. Otherwise, I’ll probably go to a good school for undergrad and follow the traditional route.</p>
<p>To be honest, I see very little advantage to the two programs you listed. Why not matriculate at a great undergrad institution, excel at whatever major you choose, obtain a broad liberal arts background, fulfill the pre-med requirements, and then apply/attend medical school? You can take time off, study abroad, explore research opportunities more fully, take advantage of non-medically related internships/experiences, enroll in a broader range of liberal arts classes, etc.</p>
<p>Most of the “combined” programs I’ve looked at have been rather gimmicky. They attempt to capture the strongest college applicants who articulate interest in becoming physicians. (FYI, such applicants aren’t necessarily the strongest applicants in the entire college application pool.) From the student’s perspective, it all sounds great. However, there are strings attached. Students must maintain a certain GPA throughout their undergrad years to secure the “automatic acceptance” to the attached medical program. Moreover, students might feel locked into the attached med program and whatever financial aid package is offered several years down the road.</p>
<p>So much can change in 4 years. A majority of entering freshmen who articulate an interest in pursuing the pre-med track…end up doing something else.</p>
<p>If you mentioned a combined BS/MD 6-year program and you had a compelling reason to finish quickly, then I’d say go for it.</p>