I am a rising senior that is just starting to fill out applications for colleges and I am having a problem deciding whether to turn in both my ACT and SAT scores or just my ACT. To put this in perspective, I received a 35 on my ACT (36E/36M/33R/35S) with only an 8 on my essay while I earned a 2230 on my SAT (730CR/760M/740W) with an 11 on the essay. Obviously, my ACT is a better overall test than my SAT, yet I scored significantly better on my SAT essay (which I was much more prepared for with another year of writing-intensive AP English under my belt). This leaves me in somewhat of a predicament. I plan to apply to schools like MIT and CalTech because I really want to go into a STEM career, so I’m wondering if the essay matters that much; however, both schools require that you take the ACT w/ writing, which suggests to me that they care about my essay score. So what do you think? Should I turn in my SAT in addition to my ACT and show off my better essay score or leave it off my application and stick with the better score on my ACT?
The 2230 on the SAT is not something to be ashamed of. Send it in. The schools want the essay/writing scores because communication skills are important for any field of employment and for doing well in college.
The essay is the least important part because it does not reflect your real-world communication skills. First, most people type, not write which slows down many students. Second, how many fact/figures/supporting pieces of evidence can anyone complete in 25-45 min?
Your application essays will reflect your writing ability far better than ACT or SAT.