Hello, I’m a rising senior who is planning on applying to Rice. On their website it says to submit either the ACT or the SAT with subject tests. I have a 34 on the ACT and a 1490 on the SAT. I am planning to take the Math level 2 and Chemistry Subject Tests soon.
Does Rice prefer the ACT or should I submit the SAT with the subject tests? Which one will look better?
Wait and see how you do on the subject tests then decide. Look at the Rice Common Data Set for more info on tests and scores.My D sent in the ACT and 2 subject tests and was admitted. She never took the SAT. In the 2015-16 class, 697 took the SAT and 564 took the ACT. Some probably submitted both. See the Rice Common Data set for the past few years for more info. https://oir.rice.edu/uploadedFiles/Office_of_Institutional_Research/Content/Common_Data_Set/3.%20CDS_2015-2016_WEBSITE%20-%20Corrected.pdf
Neither looks better, they are equally valued. Your ACT score is excellent, as is your SAT, so if you do well on the subject tests (720+ on chem, 740+ on Math 2) I would just send all of it to them. Congrats on exemplary standardized test scores. Once you’re done with your last SAT sitting, move on to what matters - essays, application flow, sculpting of your presentation and narrative.
Your ACT score is better than your SAT score. A 34 ACT is equivalent to 1520-1550 on the SAT.
If you need the SATII’s for other schools, then go for it; but right now it looks like you’d be better off as far as Rice is concerned if you just submitted the ACT. My D who just graduated from Rice did exactly that; she got a 34 ACT, which was better than her SAT score, so she never took subject tests at all. She wasn’t applying to engineering or CS, though; so if you’re going for STEM, you might want more “standardized test cred” in math/science. But then again if you’ve got stellar AP scores already, that might be all you need. Depends in part on your ACT subscores, and how the specific subject areas that are important for your desired field came out. It could be that a retake to boost subscores could be a better use of time than the SATII’s - but it all depends what profile you’re trying to demonstrate and whether your current scores show your strengths.
@Nerd4Science56 - you can submit the ACT and the 2 subject tests if you want to. You can submit all if you want to. Remember - test scores are not the only factor in admissions.
The kids in my D’s class of 2017 were the guinea pigs for the new SAT. My D and many of her classmates took the ACT rather than risk the new SAT. The numbers of kids submitting the ACT vs SAT may be a bit skewed for 2017. As others have said, Rice accepts either test. Your scores are very good.