Do They Take the Best?

<p>I’ve heard Upenn takes the best SAT Scores from each section. Does this apply no matter how many times you’ve taken it? In my case, I’ve taken it 4 times… and each time I did good in one section and then bad in the other 2. Will this look erratic and/or bad or do they just see your best 3 scores from each section? </p>

<p>In my case I got:</p>

<p>First Time:
770 CR
700 M
660 W</p>

<p>Second:
670 CR
740 M
700 W</p>

<p>Third:
720 CR
800 M
700 W</p>

<p>Fourth:
720 CR
710 M
710 W</p>

<p>I’ve heard that many times it’s a college student or secretary that inputs the best scores from each section so the adcoms do not even see your other scores, is this true? My scores look like they are all over the place but I just tried to focus on one subject each time I took the test like CR the first time, Writing the Second time, math the third time, and then writing the fourth time(writing didn’t work out lol…)</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>At a lower letter they would try to look at your scores. But at Penn's level, where everything is so close and everyone performs at such a high level, declining SAT scores is not very good. Colleges like seeing consistency or improvement.</p>

<p>You're wrong -- They only take your highest scores, regardless of whether you've improved/declined. I specifically asked my regional rep this question because I was concerned myself, and she said Penn gives you the best academic profile possible. So for you that'd be a 2280 I believe.</p>

<p>with<em>one</em>voice is 100% correct.</p>

<p>Does this include the ACT?</p>

<p>I suppose so. Why would they exclude ACT from the same treatment?</p>

<p>how is that even fair? i took the sat's once and got a score and kept it..taking it over once is perfectly fine because it might have meant you just had a bad day the first time(nervousness, sickness) but 4 TIMES??? come on, that clearly shows u've been prepping like crazy with tutors and such, which means ur sat is not fully representative of you, which is cheap if college admissions officers don't see that you've taken it 4 times. i'd appreciate if maybe whartonadviser or Mr. Dooley could comment on students taking multiple sat's...thanks</p>

<p>I'm not nearly as qualified, but colleges do see how many times you've taken the SATs.</p>

<p>I don't think colleges care if you take it once, twice or even 4 times. If you take it five times or more, I think its a waste and may possibly hurt you though that too is a stretch. The only thing colleges and your GC will say is that taking it more than twice usually results in a decrease in your score but that is not always true. The college application is supposed to make YOU LOOK YOUR BEST. That means they take the best scores, no matter what the context...to a reasonable extent.</p>

<p>PS: For ACT, I don't believe they take the best possible scores. Last year, I encouraged people who asked that same question to call Penn and ask but they never posted the results of the conversation.</p>

<p>Penn only looks at your best composite ACT, they don't combine from subscores. Does anyone know if it's true that most times its a secretary/college student that inputs your best scores and the adcoms just see your best combined score?</p>

<p>^ When I applied last year, one school had a website where you can check the status of your application. My SAT score was listed as the best combination of scores which meant that someone (most likely a secretary/college student) logged in my best scores. It may be different at Penn.</p>

<p>they see all the scores</p>

<p>Does this apply to SAT2's?</p>

<p>"You're wrong -- They only take your highest scores, regardless of whether you've improved/declined."</p>

<p>what a naive and HORRIBLY wrong statement</p>

<p>I am positive that the adcom reps who read your app will see ALL YOUR SCORES. </p>

<p>Thought Penn claims to only consider the highest scores, the readers are human. they will inevitably become skeptical w/ people who look like they have nothing better to do but take tests.</p>

<p>this is my point. If they see a decent score, then a couple of horrible ones in the same section(s), they will start to question that applicant's true ability and proficiency in that area. And this undoubtedly may affect chances of admission, especially at a place like PENN where competition is so fierce and almost everyone has stellar stats</p>

<p>yes it applies to SAT2s.</p>

<p>the official report that comes from Collegeboard goes directly into the applicant's file.</p>

<p>So what does this mean for me?</p>

<p>I also go a 34 on my ACT in one sitting. I sent my SAT scores just for the SAT II's which I did well on. Do you think the 34 on the ACT will still show some consistency of my proficiency on standardized tests? I believe a 34 ACT at Penn is the upper 75% percentile.</p>

<p>i have the same situation as the above poster..i got a 34, did way worse on SAT I(2010!), but well on SATII's (780 in mathIIC and 730 history). i sent both but I'm worried my not up to Penn standards SAT score will throw them off. Will it?</p>

<p>Well if i take my combined highest, it turns out to be a 2280, which is around the same as a 34 on the ACT...</p>

<p>I got a 780 on Chem and 740 on math 2</p>

<p>Is the 740 on math too low for wharton?</p>

<p>any thoughts?</p>

<p>They take your best subscores from the ACT. I know this for a fact because I called my regional admissions counselor.</p>