I have a 2370 on the SAT and two 800s on Subject Tests. I will be taking the ACT next week only because one of the schools I’m applying to requires the ACT, but I feel unprepared right now. For schools that see complete testing history, does this mean complete SAT testing history (as in you can choose which test to send in everything of) or both SAT and ACT? It’s probably the latter, but I wanted to make sure. Obviously I will try to do my best on the ACT but I’m a little concerned if schools see an ACT score that isn’t as good. Also, Penn is the main school I’m thinking about that has this policy. Thanks!
First, I am fairly certain you are wrong in believing you must take the ACT because one of the colleges to which you are applying requires it to the exclusion of the SAT. To my knowledge, there is no four year college in the US that accepts only one of the two tests; all that require tests accept either SAT or ACT.
Second, as to whether you must send the ACT to a college that requires “all scores,” be aware there are only three colleges that actually require you to send both all SAT and all ACT scores, rather than all of one or the other. Those three are Georgetown, Stanford, and Penn. Thus, one of those to which you want to apply, Penn, does require all of both tests.
Third, do not assume you can necessarily hide a score from a college even if it does not require all scores. There are many high schools that put all your scores on your official high school transcript sent to colleges and thus not having the testing agency send it may accomplish nothing if your high school puts the scores on your transcript.
Thanks for answering! The school that requires the ACT, Sophie Davis (a 7-year BS/MD track program), requires both SAT and ACT scores so I have to take the ACT. And yes, I’m really interested in applying to Penn.
My school doesn’t put my scores on the official high school transcript, but they are on my Naviance account–do you know if that means colleges will see all scores even if I choose not to send one of them?
So you are applying a special pogram that appears to require both tests (likely done instead of requiring subject tests). I have some familiarity with Naviance but I do not know the clear answer to your question. My understanding is that the sending of offical test scores is something you need to do separately from Naviance but that does not exlcude the possibility that scores are provided to colleges in a Naviance report.
Please note as to the issue of whether your transcript provides test scores, you need to confirm that with your high school if you have not already done so. If instead you are relying on an end of the semester transcript you have received which does not show test scores, that does not eliminate the possibility that the transcript sent to colleges does contain the scores.
I see, thanks! Maybe I’ll ask my counselor about the Naviance thing.