Hello all,
I am interested in applying to Columbia (as well as some other competitive colleges) as a junior transfer student for Classical Languages and English. I would be transferring from a well-ranked state school (in Classics). But Columbia is appealing to me not just because of their Classics program, but also because I have always been interested in their Creative Writing/Translation MFA program as well as their law school.
If one has what I would consider a fairly robust college resume—all A’s, departmental awards (scholarship essay and literary translation), publication (for fiction), good recommendations from professors, involvement (albeit generic) in extracurricular activities and community service, as well as research and fiction writing samples for the supplement—would it still be prudent to submit an ACT score?
As the title of this thread suggests, my central question is this: just how important are standardized tests for a junior transfer? And how important are high school achievements at this point?
As I wasn’t expecting to apply to a competitive school as an undergraduate, I didn’t really sweat the high-school standardized tests, but seeing as circumstances have changed I am having to reevaluate. I got perfect scores on the subjects that at the time I felt were relevant to my field of study—reading and English— but only an average score on the science section and a poor one on the math, altogether combining to make a total score of 29. However, I did do well in my math classes, so I am fairly confident I can bump my scores up a few points or more if I put in the work.
As annoying as the process may be, does retaking the ACT seem like the wisest course of action? Or am I at the point in my degree that it not matter quite so much? Many schools (including Columbia, I believe) say they are test-optional, or test-blind. But I am skeptical.