Question about SAT scores and undergrad admissions

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>Currently a junior, planning on applying to Cornell ED next year. First SAT score came back from the january test and i had a 2120. Second time around, took it during march (bad idea, thanks mom) and scored a 2060. Seeing as you have to send ALL your SAT scores for undergrad admission, would I be better off taking the ACT and not submitting my SAT scores with my application, or would the slight drop be not a big factor? Side note, planning on taking again in the fall and shooting for above 2200. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>2100+ makes you a competitive applicant (or a 31+ ACT). The higher your scores are, the more competitive you become. No matter how high your scores get, you are never guarenteed admission.</p>

<p>I hope you can make a conclusion based on the information given above.</p>

<p>You don’t have to send in all your SAT scores- I took it 3 times, and only sent in one.
Either way, the slight drop isn’t a big deal at all and they won’t hold it against you.</p>

<p>I got your SAT score and was accepted into Cornell. But, like the person above me said, you’re not guaranteed admission based on tests.</p>

<p>You should take the ACT anyways. I got a 33 on that and a 2130 on the SAT…so a slight improvement. </p>

<p>Just to give you an idea on how those scores went for Cornell, I was waitlisted.</p>

<p>Good luck next year!</p>

<p>My son submitted ACT scores as well as SAT II scores in both math 1,2 and biology. He scored a 31 combined on his ACT(got a 36 in math, fell down on english) and was high 700’s on all his SAT II scores. What set him apart, I believe, is all his EC work…did a ton of volunteer work at local hospitals. He had competitive scores…but it clearly was not the only thing they looked at. Also,his unweighted GPA is a 98. He was accepted into CALS and he could not be happier. Good Luck</p>

<p>Thank you all. I’m hoping by sports/ECs/service will help me get in as well.</p>

<p>Just saying - if you take the SAT more than once, make sure that score increases.
Well, if the total doesn’t increase, have your weakest section increase by at least 40 or 50 (my CR went from 590 to around 700).</p>

<p>Took the SAT four times with the same composite score (did better on individual sections on different days though, 2160 superscored) and took the ACT (33) once. Sent them all scores and still got in. I doubt they’ll hold it against you that you took it multiple times. Your score dropping may have an adverse effect unless you did better in individual sections (Not sure about this though). Just show them all your scores, It’ll make you seem honest that way too.</p>

<p>The ACT is a better test for applicants who have a large CR / M discrepency on the SAT. When colleges are reporting “average scores”, the ACT is not broken down into section as the SAT is, thus scoring low in one section isn’t going to hurt the colleges “stats” as would scoring low on an SAT section.</p>