<p>On another thread it was recommended by a respected veteren of this forum that I not send my D's ACT scores after her first testing. This is because she may score higher on a second testing. I could then specify which ACT score I want sent, obviously the higher of the two. This is unlike SAT1 results because, as I understand it, all SAT1's are sent. Three sittings for the SAT1 result in three SAT1 results being sent. Supposedly the college will take only the higher SAT1 scores into consideration. It was further recommended if your ACT trumps your SAT1 score.. send ONLY the ACT. Being in New England where the SAT may be looked upon more favorably I am concerned as to what affect the lack of any SAT1 score will have in my D's application package if the ACT was I all we opted to send. My understanding is that the SAT bears more weight with schools on the coasts and the ACT is more common in the mid-section of the country.
QUESTIONS:
Would the absence of any SAT1 test in my D's app. hurt her with East coast schools?</p>
<p>None of the schools my D is applying to "REQUIRE" SATII's.. they say only they will "be considered" if sent. That being the case is there any need for my D to take SATII's? She has a lot on her plate here in the spring of her Junior year.</p>
<p>Lastly, for you East coast parents.. How many times did your S or D take the ACT in comparison to the SAT1?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Supposedly the college will take only the higher SAT1 scores into consideration. <<</p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>Some schools will take the highest scores in each sub-category, even if they are from different sittings of the SAT. Other schools will only consider the highest scores from the same sitting. </p>
<p>There is a current thread that discusses the clout of the SAT vs. the ACT in admissions. I took a quick read--consensus seems to be that both are counted equally by college admissions.</p>
<p>I'm East Coast, or close to it. My son took ACT once and SAT I once. Both scores were very good (statistically as or more likely to go down than up in a re-test) so he happily stopped. Some of his colleges did require SAT IIs so he took two of them without really studying which I now know he should have studied, but I don't think he would have anyway. Since those scores were 710 and 760, we decided (and a GC friend agreed) that he didn't need to re-take. Had his ACT score been way better than his SAT I, I would have suggested he send only the ACT. As I recall, all 10 of his schools stated no preference. He decided to send all his test results to all of his schools because they sort of corroborated each other.</p>
<p>I can't think of any reason for your D to take SAT IIs if none of her schools require them unless she's a great multiple choice test-taker and you think she can likely ace a test or 2 without studying. Even then, I would think she could find better uses for her time and energy. Like, concentrate on classes and ECs, read a good book, get some sleep or even have some fun with friends.</p>
<p>if your D is taking any AP classes this year, than I recommend taking the corresponding Subject Test in May, while the material is as fresh as its ever gonna be - extra prep is nearly zero since she'll be studying for the AP; each subject test is less than an hour. Strong subject test scores, particulalry is different disciplines, can only help an applicant standout at a school where scores are "considered." Also, she might change her mind about her college list between now and next fall and having the tests done won't preclude any schools being added.</p>
<p>Re: SAT/ACT - all colleges now convert into the same scale, and do not care which test they take. Even Harvey Mudd (the last major selective holdout) now accepts ACT. P'ton and Wake Forest changed a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>bluebayou's advice on APs and SAT IIs is good in general, but it's important to remember that there are a few subjects where the material covered on the AP test is NOT the same as the material covered on the SAT II.</p>
<p>Math is the key example here. The AP math tests are 100% calculus. The SAT II math tests are 100% stuff other than calculus. Preparing for one does not help you with the other.</p>
<p>that's why I used the term "corresponding"...</p>
<p>Math 2 only cover through precalc. While Physics C has no corresponding Subject Test, AP tests in Physics AB, Bio, Chem, US Hist, Lang match up well to the respective Subjet Tests.</p>
I don't think there is a provable bias. Although Texas is arguably an SAT state my D sent only the ACT test score to these NE school: Hamilton (received their highest scholarship-Schambach), Colgate (received their highest scholarship-Alumni Memorial ), Amherst (accepted RD), and Yale (accepted RD). </p>
<p>I really think it's good advice, but hey - I could be wrong. ;)</p>
<p>As to those schools that will not accept the ACT in lieu of SAT Subject Tests, I offer no opinion as D wouldn't take them so I never had to think about it much.</p>
<p>Well as Cur's D fared well on the East coast then there seems to be no preference for the SAT over the ACT. Moreover if they convert both it is irrelevent as to which one is sent. My D will take the AP test for each AP class she takes in HS this Spring. She is traveling in May when the SATII's are given and the June opportunity to take them will be precluded by her second sitting for the SATI. As such taking any SATII's prior to early action will not be possible. Hope it does not hurt her chances since the schools she wants do not "require" them. What a work load! All these AP and Honors classes plus the ACT, SAT, taken multiple times, the AP's and SATII's. My D knows how important testing is, but I for one think it is all a bit much... so do an increasing number of colleges as well. More power to them!</p>
<p>Last year there were (at least) 2 CC'ers admitted to Yale with ACT only --Cur's daughter & Quiltguru's daughter. My daughter, coming from California, an SAT-obsessed state - and submitting only ACTs, was admitted to Barnard - particularly notworthy because her ACT score was in the lower part of their range. (Her SATs were significantly below their 25th percentile, so the ACT-only choice was rather obvious to us).</p>
<p>I don't think the colleges favor one over the other. The evidence seems to be to the contrary -- the score ranges seem to be broader for the ACT than SAT, so it looks they are willing to take ACT submitters with somewhat lower equivalence scores than the SATs. Why this would be, I don't know -- but they may feel they have a better overall picture of the student with the ACT composite score than with the SAT's.</p>
<p>Nightingale,
If she's already taken the SAT-I, why not have her do the SAT-IIs in June while fresh and take the SAT-I for the second time in October? October is fine for EA schools. Is the issue that you think she would want to take the SAT-I a third time?</p>
<p>I have noticed at a couple of places that post said stats (Brown and Wellesley, in this case) that the acceptance rate for ACT only is significantly lower than the overall acceptance rate. That is a very vague stat though--it doesn't break down the ACT scores and acceptance rates (as they do for SAT's), so who knows--perhaps overall, the ACT only kids have lower scores than the SAT kids. Not trying to disprove the stated non-bias--just throwing out a stat that I found interesting.</p>
<p>Thanks CountingDown. Are you sure scores from an Oct. SAT would be back in time for early action application deadlines due anywhere between
November 1st and the 15th?</p>
<p>I have seen quite a few applicants change their lists during the fall of senior year. They were able to do that because they had gotten a lot of testing out of the way during junior year. That might seem to argue for taking the SAT IIs in case an SAT II school suddenly became attractive, or your child's grades dropped and having strong tests might help counter that, or something else unexpected came up.</p>
<p>If it were my child, I would view the SAT II situation as an "upside only" situation and suggest taking two in case the results were srong and would help with the applications even though not required (but without a downside if they weren't good). And if my child thought about it and decided against it, I'd back right off.</p>
<p>My daughter actually took a third SAT II after submitting her ED application to a college that only required two (and with no schools that required three still on her list). Her reasoning was that she had already sent her scores to all her schools so no one would have to see this result but she'd have it and could use it if it were strong. It was in a very different area than her other two, came out very well, and confirmed her strength across a wide range of subjects. It also made up for one weak SAT II (she had actually taken a third SAT II already but that hadn't gone well as she was exhausted by her AP exams when she took it -- with this new high score, that was clearly revealed for the fluke that it was, a "correction" that still means a lot to her). At the time she took the December SAT II, my daughter was thinking about what would happen if she didn't get accepted ED -- she would have been very happy to have her strong new SAT II score as a piece of ammunition in trying to turn a deferral into an acceptance and one more strong SAT II would have helped her be more confident about her other schools after being deferred by her dream school. As it turned out, she was accepted early decision and didn't need it, but she doesn't regret the use of that December morning. I don't regret paying for the test, either, especially after watching other students struggling a few weeks later to pick themselves back up from deferrals and rejections.</p>
<p>My point is: encourage your child to think through the possibilities and stay flexible rather than making a choice so far in advance. [Also, some of the SAT IIs don't require much, if any, studying -- that was the case with my daughter's December one (literature).]</p>
<p>P.S. Even with the new delayed score releases, the Oct. SATs seemed to work for EA and ED at a lot of schools this year. Many admissions websites spell out what the last acceptable testing date is for that school. Of course, if the College Board has another scoring disaster, all bets are off. And you should be mindful that, while they release most of the scores on the date they say they will, some scores are not available until several weeks thereafter and there's no rhyme or reason to it -- this happened to my daughter twice.</p>