Explaining Drop in Scores

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hey everyone! Long post ahead but please try to bear with me. Here’s the deal: I got a lower score on my second SAT than my first. I went from a 1420, which is subpar by UPenn’s standards as it is, to a 1360. My superscored score is literally just a 1420, but I sent the newer score before I even got it because $$$, so UPenn has them both. On a lot of other schools’ applications, I was able to sort of explain the drop without mentioning it at all through my essays - my parents were going through a really nasty divorce in late May/early June and my life at home was a mess, in case you were wondering - but UPenn’s writing supplement only includes a “why Penn” prompt.

So, here are my options:

  1. Don’t explain the drop at all. My counselor insists that schools will only care about the higher score even if it was the second that was worse, but I’m… just not sure if I believe this.

  2. Explain it in the “additional information” section of the Common App. I feel like this would come off as me making excuses…

  3. Replace my Common App essay - which is about my experience with the Summer Residential Governor’s School - with one of the essays I wrote about my parents’ divorce and how it has affected me (I’m trying not to be too detailed but I’m really proud of these essays and people who have read them liked them as well). This replacement would be UPenn-specific since they’re the last school I’m applying to, but I’m not even sure that’s allowed? Also, the divorce essays are quite a bit shorter than 650 words, but I can fix that if it’s really important.

I’m almost certain I’m overthinking the whole thing, but I just really needed to get this out there and see what other people think I should do. Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can give me!

2

Don’t explain the drop at all. This is hands-down the best course of action. Your counselor is correct.

Even if he/she wasn’t correct though, your other courses of action are too convoluted and will only harm your application. Do not write about your parents’ divorce and how it affected you, as the chief purpose is to basically complain (how it lowered your score). You never want to write a negative essay. And the drop in score is only 60 points. It’s not the end of the world.

3

Yup. You are overthinking.

Go with option 1. If a college says that they look at the highest scores, why not just believe them? Is there a better option.

Regardless, “explaining” your drop (which is only 60 points) will come off as making excuses at best, whining at worst. Neither will serve you well.

4

Personal turmoil explains difficulty in learning new subjects sometimes. It doesn’t really hold up for losing ground on your score. For schools thst say they take your highest score into account, believe them. If you don’t get into Penn, this probably won’t be the reason (because you sent your lower second score).

5

Thank you guys so much! :slight_smile: