<p>My daughter is applying to Duke. She has a 34 ACT w/ Writing score and has a 3.9 unweighted average (4.5 weighted). All her courses are either AP or honors. It appears from the Duke website that the SAT Subject tests are not required those submitting ACT scores. So how helpful is it to send these scores (she takes her first set of subject test next week)?</p>
<p>^ ^ ^ ^ </p>
<p>You’re right, Duke does not require SAT Subject tests, when ACT with writing results are provided. However, I’m not sure anyone can accurately answer your question, especially with the fragmentary information provided (I intend no disrespect). While it certainly appears your daughter’s grades and ACT score are excellent – likely making her a highly competitive Duke applicant – we don’t know how comparatively difficult her secondary school is, or whether she’ll apply to Trinity or Pratt, or if she has any “weaker” areas for which excellent SAT Subject tests might potentially compensate, or if any admissions “hooks” exist, or even if she is applying ED or RD, and so forth. </p>
<p>I congratulate her on outstanding high school accomplishments and I wish her very good luck with Duke. </p>
<p>I submitted my ACT as well as three SAT II test results to Duke when I applied. I wouldn’t say it’s important to send them, but if your daughter does well on them, it simply serves as yet another datapoint that reinforces academic achievement. They try to paint a picture of an applicant when evaluating and if they see a person who has demonstrated success across a wide array of avenues (grades, test scores, etc.), they feel more confident that person could excel in the Duke environment. However, I wouldn’t send the scores or sweat it too much if they don’t end up being super high – the ACT is sufficient and many students get in sending that alone. Good luck to your daughter. </p>
<p>I agree with blue dog (as usual) . . . use the SAT IIs to complement the full data set provided to Duke, but don’t submit the Subject tests if they might result is an ambiguous evaluation. </p>
<p>I submitted the ACT but also submitted my 3 SAT IIs that were all 700 or above. If you do well on them, they are worth sending. If not, then don’t send. </p>
<p>I had no idea you could submit ACT with writing instead of subject tests!!! I never heard this and was sure they required 2 subject tests! Is this info on their website? </p>
<p>Do you think an ACT composite of 34, and Math 2 SAT subject test of 780 is good enough (as I don’t think Chem score of 680 should be submitted). GPA is 4.8 and SAT score (one sitting) 2290. </p>
<p>^I would probably submit the ACT and SAT (and not the SAT IIs). Submitting just one test might look a little bit odd…but maybe opinions vary on this. 34 & 2290 is definitely “good enough” to be a competitive applicant.</p>
<p>My DD faces a similar problem. Her two ACT scores were 34 and 35 (with 36 superscored) but her SAT II results are not stellar: 760 Chem, 730 U.S. History, 700 Physics). She doesn’ t have much desire to repeat these tests or to take some other subject SAT tests, she rather wants to concentrate on her essays. She will apply to Trinity. Should she submit the SAT II results or only the ACT? </p>
<p>@Andris: One individual’s opinion ONLY: submit the ACTs (with writing), the aforementioned SAT IIs (they aren’t bad), and devote maximum time and thought to the essays (which frequently are decisive in separating a truly excellent Duke applicant from the 25 or 30 thousand others in the “distinguished pack”). </p>
<p>My D didn’t take any SAT IIs. She just submitted her ACT w/ writing. She was accepted ED.</p>
<p>@sherpa may I ask what your D’s ACT composite was?</p>
<p>Sure; her ACT was 32. Objectively, this was probably the weakest part of her application. She had an UW 3.9+ with an extremely rigorous course load (eventual State AP Scholar), a rank of 3/ 330, and excellent ECs.</p>
<p>Surely being a recruited athlete helped her.</p>
<p>I just heard Duke now requires that you send all SAT scores. In other words, if you submit SATs you have to submit SAT subject tests. The only way around this would be to just submit ACT with writing. </p>