High ACT subscores, low ACT, what does Admissions look at?

<p>I was just wondering if Admissions looks more at the ACT subscores than the actual composite score. I got a 31 ACT, and am really interested in Penn (which has a middle 50% score of 32). Here are my scores:
C- 31
E- 32
M- 32
R- 32
S- 26 </p>

<p>As you can see, I did fairly well on the ACT, but FLUNKED the science section, which really isn't too "sciencey" but more reading. I also want to major in science, which makes everything worse...</p>

<p>they basically see the 31 composite, u cud always study and take it again in september just focusing on ur science</p>

<p>true, but I am a really inconsistent test taker, and I don’t want to get below a 30 composite (which happened before…).</p>

<p>but, u dont have to send in all of ur scores for the act, so if u take it and get a 33 great if u take it and get a 23 the college never knows</p>

<p>but Penn says “send all scores”, which is really really annoying.</p>

<p>I have a similar question. I’m an idiot and have already sent all of my scores. You know where you register online and you can pick 4 colleges? I thought this was the only time when you could send in your scores for colleges for free and after you take the test you’ll be charged to each college sent.
I already took it 4 times. Sent all 4 times. 25,25,27, 25. Would colleges view my 27 as less significant now? I know they choose the best of them all, but will all of those 25’s weigh me down?</p>

<p>So to apply to Penn you need to send ACT scores from EVERY test date?</p>

<p>Yea, you need to send EVERY date; even if you only want to use the ACT, you still have to send your SAT; and both for every time you ever took the test(s). That was their response to college board’s score choice.</p>

<p>and Forever Alone, I think they’ll most likely see you as a 25. That was your most consistent score (and they look for that, hence I don’t want to take my ACT again). Maybe if you got 25,25,25,27, they’ll see you improved yourself, but since you got a 27 and a 25 the next time, they probably won’t take that 27 too seriously. sorry for being so pessimistic; but also keep in mind that what I say might not be correct, and is just my opinion.</p>

<p>colleges definitely look at the composite score, but they’ll see the individual subject scores, so it depends on much weight/importance they put on each.</p>

<p>@ben, I am in the same position, higher subscores in E and M, lower composite (32C, 34E, 34M, 30R, 28S). It does seem that colleges just report English and Math, so I’m not sure if I should retake. Will Penn and other schools notice that I did well in those sections?</p>

<p>actually when you read the page for penn’s admission it does not say that they want scores from the SAT even if you want to use your ACT. The sentence “Penn requires that applicants submit all testing results from each administration of the ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests” in actuality means that there is no score choice. If you want to send your ACT then you send everything you took by the ACT and you don’t need to send any SAT tests.</p>

<p>@sacajawea, All schools look at your individual components to your composite score. It would be pointless if they didn’t. It’s just like schools looking at your combined SAT score and then each section. I think you are fine with your ACT, you are in the average range for all ivy league schools.</p>

<p>* Sent all 4 times. 25,25,27, 25. Would colleges view my 27 as less significant now?*</p>

<p>What colleges will you be applying to? I’m guessing that with those scores you’re not applying to elite schools. If you’re applying to mid-tiers or below, they aren’t going to care about your 25s…they’ll only care about the 27. </p>

<p>If you had a 25, 25, 35, 25 and you were applying to ivies, then maybe there would be a problem.</p>