<p>If someone had a 35 an their ACT but only a ~2000 on the SAT, would you have advised them to re-take the SAT or not bother (4.0 GPA, perfect AP and Subject Test scores)?</p>
<p>I know most schools say they take the higher score of the two tests, but will the lower SAT score potentially jeopardize any admissions decisions?</p>
<p>I was in this exact situation (2020 SAT/ 34ACT - 35 Superscore). Luckily, none of my colleges requested all my standardized testing. Therefore, I just sent my ACT to the school to which I applied. That way I didn’t have to worry about my SAT holding me back.</p>
<p>With relatively few exceptions, most schools let you send either the SAT or ACT.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure S sent both his SAT and ACT scores too all of his schools, most of which requested ALL test scores. Do we think this will hurt his chances? </p>
<p>His counselor advised him NOT to re-take the SAT as it “would make him look desperate with all those other high scores”, but I’m afraid some AdComs will see his SAT score and sort into the no pile. Or will the 800s on Subject Tests make up for the lower score?</p>
<p>I say go with what you have. I believe most school admissions offices will go with the higher score. I have two kids in college–one did much better on the ACT than the SAT. The other did about the same on both. Everybody is different, and it maybe that the ACT is easier for your child than the SAT.</p>
<p>While my first recommendation would be to only send the ACT to schools that don’t require all tests taken, I don’t believe a lower SAT will hurt him. Schools do look at the highest score and aren’t going to deal with the minutia of the application, especially since all of his other academic indicators are on par with his ACT score.</p>
<p>does this hold true for hypsm . will they allow you to submit only act and not sat?</p>
<p>^I could tell you (and somebody else probably will soon), but it’s best to get that information from the primary source, the college website, then you are assured it’s correct and up-to-date.</p>
<p>Yale only required one of my scores, as in ALL of my ACT scores or ALL of my SAT scores: not all of both. So my significantly higher ACT score (34/1980 <em>grr writing…</em>) went in instead of the SATs. I can’t imagine that the rest of the ivy/ivy comps would be any different. Most admissions people want to be able to see the best you, so they won’t begrudge you one bad score on a fifty million hour long test.</p>
<p>Thanks all for sharing your thoughts!</p>
<p>When schools compile their stats on students who matriculate, I wonder if they only need to report the highest test score (either SAT or ACT) for each admitted student or if they have to report all scores. I guess if they would have to include his lower SAT score in their stats that might be a disincentive to admit him.</p>
<p>I think the reason he included the SATs was because he had to send the SAT IIs, and most schools he applied to did not accept Score Choice.</p>
<p>It’s water under the bridge for him now, but I guess if he is rejected everywhere we’ll know he shouldn’t have sent those SAT scores. ;)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Imagine.</p>
<p>[Testing</a> : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/testing.html]Testing”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/testing.html)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is why I stated earlier that the member needs to go to the college websites rather than relying on well meaning members for this type of information.</p>
<p>Also, Y is different from H & P and many others in not permitting score choice, further proof that generalities cannot be made when it comes to standardized testing requirements and reporting policies.</p>
<p>thanks , great information to have, sounds like a worthwhile strategy is to take ACT and also SAT just in case the results are incongruous and go with the gold.</p>
<p>S was deferred from Stanford (which as @entomom says required ALL scores), so at least there his “Meh SAT” wasn’t instant death, but OTOH it wasn’t an instant Yes so maybe re-taking the SAT might have helped?</p>
<p>replies appreciated and points well-made and taken. </p>
<p>i can see analyzing the intended schools, the timing of the tests and results, and devising an optimal strategy. </p>
<p>i think that a 2300 is better than a superscored 2300, and a 2300 is better than a 2100 followed by a 2300, even if a school says they cover the extraneous scores with a folded post-it note. big :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>S’s ACT 35 was a single sitting, as were his 800’s on all Subject Tests and 5s on all AP tests, so his counselor assumed schools would “get” that he had a bad day for the SAT, but I thought it wouldn’t have hurt to have taken it again to bring that score in line with his other stats.</p>
<p>I guess we’ll know by April 1st. :)</p>
<p>Most schools ask for the SAT or ACT.
Heck, do it again if you are worried about it.</p>
<p>I think it’s at least a month too late for a do-over now, but hearing people’s opinions about this might be useful for someone in the same boat for a future admissions cycle. </p>
<p>If anyone else has been given advice by AdComs or counselors, or has a similar experience from past years, it would be great to hear your insight.</p>
<p>One thing to consider regarding the lower scores followed by higher scores (re: the post-it note (heh))…many, many schools have staff which put together the “package” for the adcoms to review. I’ve read several times that whatever the policy is from the school (superscore, single sitting, etc.) the only thing which ends up in the package for review is actually the best score, not “wow, they got lucky, didn’t they!” type lists. I’m sure they are trying to make the packages manageable for review. Maybe some have a policy to indicate how many times a student sat for an exam…but in the scheme of things, it’s just more data to plow through.</p>
<p>There is just so much stuff to be considered. For a candidate with a 4.0 and generally stellar test scores - I wouldn’t worry about one set which stands out because it’s lower…and I wouldn’t assume if you don’t get admitted that this one lower test score set did you in. I think the adcoms are looking more for the package that “speaks” to them, than one test score.</p>
<p>Best of luck everyone - this last little bit of time before final decisions are due is really kind of tough!</p>
<p>Thanks for those great points!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Agreed. This is new to me and I’m pretty sure I’m second guessing S’s choices during this lull more than he is. Fortunately he is far too busy, as always, to be giving it much thought. ;)</p>