How much does the SAT/ACT factor into one’s admission to schools such as KCL, UCL, Oxford and Edinburgh? I took the SAT three times and scored a 1470 on my second try (as my highest composite), however I’m taking the ACT soon for the first time and I’m sure that I will score within the 34-35 range. Do these scores hold much value, specifically in gaining admission to UCL and KCL?
You have to report all scores, and it doesn’t look good to have failed to achieve Oxford’s target three times in a row. The UK is generally a one and done exam culture. That ups the pressure to really excel on the admissions test if you are going to get an Oxford interview, especially if you don’t have perfect AP results.
It won’t be held against you quite as much at UCL and KCL, but it still isn’t a particularly good situation, even if you do get 34-35 on the ACT, because the SAT is more respected: it is seen as more challenging than the ACT (because the ACT is mostly a test of speed) and all US tests including APs are significantly easier than UK A levels.
Agreeing with @Twoin18: SAT/ACT are seen as minimum qualifiers. Once you reach the threshold they move on to the next element of your application.
@Twoin18 @collegemom3717 yeah, that’s what I figured. Besides 5’s on APs, a high ACT/TSA, and reading around PPE, is there any other advice that you would give me? I’m not going to get my hopes up on these schools, but I’m going to give it my best shot! Also, thanks for all of the valuable input on my threads, as I wouldn’t have gained this info from other sources!
Also what is “the threshold”? I understand that most successful applicants are in that 1550+ range, but if I’m successful in the other parts of the app, would this seriously be the reason for not getting an offer? (this probably doesn’t change the situation, but the 1300 was during sophomore year)
SATs: students sitting this qualification will need to achieve a total score of 1,470 (out of 1,600). We do not require the optional essay in the SAT.
ACT: students taking this qualification will need at least a score of 32 out of 36. We do not require the optional essay in the ACT.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications?wssl=1
So you did meet the bare minimum for Oxford (I was thinking of Cambridge which has a cutoff of 750+750 for economics). Cambridge interviews most applicants, so has a higher threshold to apply at all, whereas Oxford cuts up to two thirds of applicants pre-interview. So the salient question for Oxford is whether you get an interview, not whether you get an offer. If you have the bare minimum to apply, less than perfect AP scores and a TSA score that barely exceeds the average to be interviewed then its highly likely you would be cut before the interview.
If you search the UK site (TSR) you can find links to spreadsheets with the full score distribution and outcomes for the Oxford entrance tests on an individual but anonymized basis (since this information can be requested under the UK freedom of information act). So you can see how the combination of scores comes together - getting an interview with a borderline TSA score generally means you have very high scores elsewhere (or significant contextual adjustments related to being at an underperforming school).