So from what I understood before is that schools superscored either SAT or ACT but now from looking at many coleges such as Duke, Cornell, Brown and Columbia Im finding that these schools ask you to send in all scores between SAT and ACT so that they may choose the best section from among each test. I was just posting to find out if this was true and if top colleges do in fact do this?
I’ve never heard of any school mixing and matching scores between the SAT and ACT the way you are describing. I think you are misreading. I looked at Duke’s website and here is what it says:
All candidates for admission must complete one of the following standardized testing options and arrange to have official test score reports sent to Duke:
The test of the ACT, including the writing exam
OR
The College Board SAT, plus two SAT Subject Tests
ACT
For students who choose to submit the ACT with writing, Duke will consider the highest composite score and highest scores on each section, regardless of test date, but will not recalculate the composite score. Students who take the ACT are not required to submit SAT or SAT Subject Test scores. Our school code for the ACT is 3088.
SAT
For students who choose to submit SAT scores, Duke will use the highest available Critical Reading, Writing and Math scores, plus the two highest subject test scores, regardless of the date those tests were taken. Our school code for the SAT is 5156.
Applicants to the Pratt School of Engineering who take the SAT must take one SAT Subject Test in Mathematics (level 1 or level 2). Applicants to the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences who take the SAT may take any two SAT Subject Tests. For complete information about the use of SAT Subject Test scores in foreign language placement at Duke, please visit Languages at Duke.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I take both the SAT and ACT, do I need to send both scores to Duke? How does Duke consider multiple scores?
We will always consider your highest score regardless of test type or test date, and you are welcome to send us SAT scores, ACT scores or both. You must send your full record of scores for whichever test type(s) you choose to report.
If I take the ACT, can I also submit SAT Subject Tests?
Although we do not require or expect SAT Subject Test scores from candidates who take the ACT with Writing to fulfill our testing requirement, we do accept them and will consider them as an additional demonstration of subject proficiency.
I don’t think any of this means that they will take, say, your best Math score (if from ACT) and combine it with your best Reading score from the SAT.
The only school I know of that mixes and matches like this is Pitt (not a top college but a very good school nonetheless). There may be others.
You are misinterpreting what Brown, Duke, Cornell and Columbia say they do. None of those do a combination superscore of the ACT and SAT and few colleges do so; typically when you submit both, the college will use that test, SAT or ACT, that it believes is better for you. Two colleges that do in fact superscore the combined tests make it clear what they do In their admission materials… Rose Holmann uses the higher math score from either test combined with the higher of the SAT reading or ACT English to determine admission. It ignores composites,writing scores from either test, and the ACT science and reading sections. The other college is Georgia Tech. It does the same thing as Rose Hulman but also uses the higher of the SAT writing score or the ACT combined English/writing score.