<p>On their website it says that they consider the highest composite and highest subsections, but will not recalculate the composite score. What does exactly mean?</p>
<p>I think they mean it works like this,
You ace the pre-alg subsection but bomb the other two on the first test, math score 20 composite score 30
You ace Alg/coord. geom. but bomb pre-alg and trig, math score 20 composite score 29
You ace trig but fail the other two, math score 20-something composite score 31</p>
<p>Duke would superscore all of these subsections and you could end up with a 36 math score, but your composite score would still be 31 even though it would be higher if they recalculated it with a 36 math score.</p>
<p>If they look at all the highest subsections why don’t they just recalculate the composite score?</p>
<p>Because we don’t work for Duke admissions.</p>
<p>I agree andrew, I seems like thats basically what they do anyway. I wonder if they put more emphasis on individual subscores or the composite…</p>
<p>No they def dont recalculate the individual subsections within any subjects. It just means if you got a 30 math 34 science 30 reading 34 writing one test date (comp 32) and a 34 math 30 science 34 reading 30 writing another test date, they would view your profile as a 34 in all areas, but still say you have a 32 comp</p>
<p>Hmm… I wondered about that too, but it’d be really peculiar if they would simply take the highest subscores and do absolutely nothing with them. They recalculate the SAT composite score which is made of three sections, so why not an ACT score comprised of three subsections? I also think that if they didn’t recalculate section scores, they would mention it. Just my ¢2.</p>
<p>@1995Andrew: My guess is that it’d be wayy too easy to make a near perfect or perfect score if they recalculated your composite every single time, as you will have eight possible chances to make flukes per test. Hell, speaking from personal experience the SAT is already easy enough to get lucky on.</p>
<p>do they put the same weight on the highest composite that they recalculate as they do the actual composite? so say someone had a 33 super score but a 31 composite is the 33 considered the same amount, more or less than the actual highest composite?</p>
<p>Duke does not recalculate the ACT composite score, they simply take the \composite from the single highest scoring test.</p>
<p>But if they have the highest subscores, it’s basically superscoring.</p>
<p>To each his own interpretation, in either case you’d be just as competitive as your in relation to your peers.</p>
<p>From the Duke website- “For students who choose to submit the ACT with writing, Duke will consider the highest composite score and highest subscores on each section, regardless of test date, but will not recalculate the composite score.”</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/apply_testing.html[/url]”>https://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/apply_testing.html</a></p>
<p>I disagree that everyone would be just as competitive. An applicant who takes the ACT ten times has a far greater potential to “get lucky” on individual sections than someone who only takes it once. </p>
<p>There is clearly a lack of transparency here. Who has the advantage when the applicant pool is considered? Does the adcom prefer someone who takes the test once and gets a solid, but not perfect, score? Or is the applicant who has taken it ten times and has perfect subscores but a lower composite preferred?</p>
<p>I always wondered that. Same with SAT, it seems relatively easy to game the system if you take it lots of times. Study for each section, 800 or 36, next time study for another section. although i assume adcoms would know this and frown upon it…</p>
<p>Yeah, colleges have been involved in the standardized testing business for so long that I would be nonplussed if they aren’t dichotomizing those who submit one test score and those who submit many. This is what I meant when I said that either way, no one would be at an advantage.</p>
<p>I have to say, though- in a perverse way, I think that I actually prefer this lack of transparency. If colleges had explicitly stated that they consider all SAT scores one sends like Cornell did until a few years ago, then I’m certain that I would have performed worse last year. Even without that kind of pressure, I managed to puke during my first SAT test. But as we all agree, being able to take a standardized test multiple times without any caveats is such an advantage that it behooves all colleges to address it somehow.</p>
<p>also, I do think the adcoms are more impressed with a single sitting that is strong in one area rather than, as stated above, doing well on one subject each test date</p>
<p>i actually just called the undergrad admissions office today, and the woman i spoke to said that it’s always better to send more scores bc it wont really hurt you, but obviously within reason. they do look at the breakdown of all of the tests, but will focus mostly on the highest composite. also, she said they will especially look at subscores for pratt applicants and focus on math and science. so fo me, i am sending my two tests- i have a 31(29 e/s, 33 m/r) and a 32 (33 s, 30 m, 32 e/r) so they will take note of the fact that i did have a 33 math/rdg on the first test but will mostly focus on my 32 composite</p>
<p>So… The lesson we should get from this thread is that we should all take standardized tests as many times as humanly possible?</p>
<p>I would still be hesitant to take the tests too many times (plus the ACT is limited to 12 trys). While there may be no advantage to a single sitting as compared to two or three sittings, I would have to think that an adcom that looked at eight or nine separate scores would have to think that: a) this is an applicant who has plenty of money for test taking and likely preparation course fees; b) this is an applicant who is trying to game the system; and/or c) this is an applicant who might struggle with OCD.</p>
<p>You don’t have to send all test scores, just your best, at least at Duke. Some other schools require every school, but Duke lets you choose which ones you send.</p>