I’m trying to get into NYU. I’m currently a senior in Texas, and I took both the SAT and ACT last year and got pretty okay scores, but I’d like to get higher scores to secure a place. I’d like to retake my ACT this year since it’s stronger than my SAT. However, will NYU process my application based on my first ACT score or on my retake score? When do colleges begin accepting or rejecting applications? When would be the ideal time to retake? The deadline for applications is the beginning of November, so does that mean I need to retake before then? Also, I plan to take a lot more AP tests this year. Will they see my senior year AP scores before accepting or rejecting my application? Sorry for all the questions, I appreciate your time to answer them.
On the NYU website it should tell you somewhere the cutoff date for considering scores. Are you applying ED to NYU or RD? Your senior year AP tests usually aren’t taken until late May so your scores won’t be considered for admissions but they will help you finish NYU quicker or double major. i would think Nov results would be available early enough unless you were applying ED
I’m applying RD. The deadline is January 1, 2016. Does this mean that in terms of admissions, retaking would have no effect on my chances of getting accepted? There are ACT test dates in September, October, and December. Taking into account how long it takes to score the exam, would taking these tests on any of these dates be helpful for my application?
You can ALWAYS retake the ACT. NYU will use your best scores so you can retake in October (registration deadline: September 18) and December. Both of those would “count” if you apply RD.
Have you taken your subject tests yet? If not, you have to take them too (there are dates in October, November, and December).
Taking AP classes matters more to colleges than AP scores. Lots of students take the class, not the test.
What colleges are you applying to beside NYU?
What’s your family’s budget? (NYU is notorious for its bad financial aid).
I took 2 subject tests last year, but I didn’t do that well since they were for science classes I had never taken before. Do colleges have a general rule towards retaking SAT subject tests? I’d rather use AP test scores for the courses that I’m taking this year, since they’ll likely be at least 4’s though. As for other colleges, I’m actually applying to the UK, and NYU is my main backup, but I would seriously considering making it my first choice if I was accepted. Probably University of Texas (Austin), Rice, and UC Davis will be my backups. I saw on their website there’s an NYU in Shanghai. Since my parents are Chinese, I might research it a bit more.
For most private colleges, it is totally OKAY to take standardized testing after you submit your applications as long as it is in 2015 (colleges won’t accept scores you take in 2016). I did the same thing last year and still get accepted to many competitive schools. Keep in mind you have to update your scores by sending scores to the school through collegeboard or ACT, there is a deadline for that, so make sure you check NYU’s website about score sending process. Overall, you are good to go:)
You’re supposed to take subject tests in the subjects you’re strongest in, based on your high school record. Taking subject tests in subjects you’ve not taken is silly. So, if you’re excellent in English, take the Literature test, if you’ve taken Honors Physics and gotten an A+ take the Physics test, etc. For the UK you’re expected to have 3 700’s in the three subjects most important to your “course” (major). For the US, students applying to very selective colleges are actually expected to take the tests twice (very few students take them only once!) or three times. Some colleges will request you send all your test scores, so if you bombed your two science tests you’d have to retake them, or take 2 other subjects that you can do better in. My advice to you would be to retake ONE of the two you bombed and take 2 others, all on the same day if you can handle it (it’s only 3X1hour after all, you must be used to 3 hour tests and longer, right?)
Yes, NYU Shanghai is a college; you can spend up to a year on another NYU campus. There’s also Yale NUS in Asia.