Alrighty, I’ve wrapped up with almost the entirety of my application with but one shortcoming-the SAT subject tests. Although most schools say it’s not mandatory, I know that it certainly helps engineering applicants. With that in mind, I registered for the Jan 21 date. Now for big shot colleges like Harvard, MIT, UPenn and John Hopkins (the 4 really good colleges I’m applying to btw), a January SAT is fine.
However, for most mid tier colleges, a January SAT is beyond the documentation deadline. Therefore, I thought that I should self-report my scores even before I get them, for my subject tests. Firstly, is that even allowed? Secondly, I acknowledge the serious risk factor but I’m confident in my academic abilities (coincidentally I study A-levels), and I believe I can get 800s for each of the tests.
Question 1: Is this a good idea? For example, I’m interested in Georgia Tech so on their website says that I can self report scores so long as my official score report reaches by the 1st of March (which it will, for the Jan session).
Question 2: Have any of you done something along these lines before? I’m an international applicant from Bangladesh so proper counselors and advisers are not plentiful (plentiful is probably a hyperbole).
Please do reply if you know anything about this. All help is very much appreciated!
You cannot report scores you do not yet have. That is an act that could result in rejection merely for providing misinformation in your application. All Gtech means by what it says is that you can self-report scores if you already have them. What you can say in your application is that you are taking the future tests so the colleger can expect them later.
Thank you for the reply.
However, I’m still a little confused because on the Common App ‘Testing’ portion it says you can indicate the “Number of SAT Subject Tests you wish to report, including tests you expect to take” and then there is an area where you can input scores, however that area is not mandatory.
I just talked to my counselor and I got an email reply from Common App. Both said that I can put scores before I sit for them, but it’s very risky to do so as not achieving those scores could be a potential disaster. I think I’ll take the risk anyways…
The section of the Common App to which you are referring is asking number of tests you wish to report, and you can include in total number the future tests, and for those future tests you can provide their subjects and when you will take them, and thus a college will know when it gets the app that future test scores are coming. However, nothing in that section suggests you are supposed to add scores for tests you have not yet been taken; in fact as you will notice, you do not have to put anything in the scores box for a test you have listed.
I am not sure what you were told by someone at common app or your counselor, but I seriously doubt the answer you got is that it is proper to actually provide scores you do not have – it may be phsyically possible to do so on the form but that does not make it proper. Moreover, those at the common app may be able to tell what you can physically do with the electronic form, such as add scores, but they are in no position to tell you what is permitted by the colleges to which you are applying, which are the ones who will determine whether you have misrepresented something in your application. If you want a definitive answer, contact the colleges to which you are applying and ask if it is permissible to provide fictional scores for the subject tests you are listing in the common application.
You need to understand that if you do provide fictional scores, doing so itself can be grounds for rejecting you. Moreover, a misreprestation in a college application, that the college does not realize has occurred until after you have started college, can be grounds for expulsion.
In my opinion, putting in score results that you have not achieved is more than flirting with disaster, it is fraud that should get you rejected outright.
I think people need to understand that international schools doing an IB curriculum provide “predicted scores” to universities for the high school students. So a student talking about “predicted scoring” is not really differentiating between what is routinely done, and expected, within the IB system and the score reports for SAT and ACT. I agree 100% that you cannnot and should not report predicted scores for the SAT and ACT - horrible, terrible idea.
My main purpose to find out if it was illegal. I still have not received an answer for that thought. I am surely aware of the mistrust I may create or the risks I may take, but is it illegal and not allowed?
Whatever the answer, my decision stands. I won’t report scores I haven’t sat for.
