Colelges that say they only looka t ACT composite... Really?

Applying to College
1

<p>Some colleges say that they only "use" the ACT composite. But will they actually not even look at the individual sections? </p>

<p>I ask because I took one test with a lower composite, but a high reading section, and another with a higher composite, but a lower reading sections. </p>

<p>First Test:
M: 33
E: 36
R: 36
S: 26
C: 33</p>

<p>Second Test:
M: 33
E: 36
R: 32
S: 33
C: 34</p>

<p>Should I send both to schools to show that I can get a higher reading score? Or should I just send the 34 composite one?</p>

<p>Edit: I apologize profusely for the spelling of the title.</p>

2

<p>Go to the schools website and check with them. I know some schools, like Northwestern (I'm pretty sure...) specifically state that you should send them all of the testing you have done and they will use the highest scores in each category. So out of all of the results you send them, they will assess you based on the highest math, english, reading, science, and composite scores. This might be something unique to them, but it is basically specific to each school as far as I am aware.</p>

3

<p>you wrote 26 for science on the first test but did you mean 36? if you went from a 26 to a 33 definitely send both in.</p>

4

<p>yeah, 26 to 33, it was quite a jump/ i just did really bad on the first test.</p>

<p>most of the colleges say they don't combine scores, but do they look at different scores at all? or will their eyes literally skip over everything but the composite?</p>

5

<p>bump.......</p>

6

<p>bump.............</p>

7

<p>i say report both
good luck</p>

8

<p>I say report both. They're both very strong, so it'll be fine if they just look at the composite -- and they emphasize, together, that you're excellent in a broad range of areas, which will be great if they look at them more closely.</p>

9

<p>Interestingly, your situation is very similar to my son's. His first time he scored a 36 in Reading and a 28 in Science, his composite was 32. On the second try he had a 33 Reading and 35 Science with a composite of 34. After much hemming an hawing, he decided to only submit the second test because he was applying as a science major and was concerned how the lower science score might be viewed.</p>

<p>He ended up applying to 4 schools. He was waitlisted at Swarthmore and admitted to Oberlin, Rochester and Middlebury. He got very nice merit scholarships from the first 2. (Midd doesn't give merit scholarships.) Ultimately, I don't think the outcome would have been any different if he had submitted both tests.</p>