If my daughter’s high school transcript lists ACT scores from tests she took in middle school and the 9th grade but she has not requested these scores to be sent to colleges she is thinking of applying to. Do colleges look at these scores and use them in their assessment for freshmen acceptance? My daughter has done much better on the SAT than the ACT and does not want to take the ACT again to improve those scores. However, she is worried schools will look at the scores printed on her transcript. Any input would be appreciated. She is looking at UF, MIT, CalTech and Duke.
Your D’s high school counselor is the best person to ask.
Any test taken in eighth grade or before will not be used because colleges do not use those for admission. Any ACT tests taken in ninth grade will not be used for admisison if SAT score is better because colleges universally, including the four you list, use only the better test to determine admisison in that situation.
Guidance Counselor should be able to remove any scores from your transcript that you do not want colleges to see. Of course you can also request to have ACT scores deleted from ACT.
If ACT were to delete the score, will it still show up on the transcript? I assume it will.
My nephew had to ask his guidance counselor to remove his ACT score from his transcript (he did much better on the SAT but everyone in his high school had to take the ACT through the high school which is why it was on his transcript). I think schools will look at the score even if they say they only consider scores officially sent. I would ask her school to remove them.
Middle school?
Not worth worrying about. If they see them, they may privately react, then go back to her better, more recent scores, per policy.
I’d worry more about knowing what MIT, CT, and Duke value and look for, well beyond stats. A 9th grade score is far from being a detetmining factor. Showing your match is more than having good stats.