<p>app status says additional SAT II test <strong>MISSING</strong></p>
<p>but policy says the tests are encouraged , not required, and then only for engineering students, for which son is applying. so is the app status telling us that it needs to be present or what?</p>
[quote]
Swarthmore Policy on Standardized Test Scores
Applicants are required to submit scores for any one of the three following testing scenarios:</p>
<p>1.) The SAT I and any two SAT II Subject tests;</p>
<p>2.) The ACT with writing;</p>
<p>3.) The SAT I and the ACT (with or without writing).</p>
<p>Prospective engineers, regardless of whether they opt for the SAT or ACT, are encouraged to take the Math Level 2 SAT II.
<p>roderick, I know you started a thread about this on 1/18 and I answered you there. Are you implying that your son took the ACT and that Swarthmore has now acknowledged receipt of those scores?</p>
<p>Assuming yes to the above question, I think it’s fairly clear that even if he took the ACT as opposed to the SAT, the college is encouraging prospective engineering majors to take the Math Level II SAT. It’s not required, but it is “encouraged.” If this were my child, I’d submit a Math Level II SAT score.</p>
<p>yes, son submitted the ACT with writing. I thought that was ‘good enough’. Maybe not? I am trying to interpret SC’s requirements and its status feedback. Nearby HC has similar requirements, but in its feedback grid clarifies this with the following line, which is the kind of line I’d expect from SC.</p>
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<p>does anyone know what the avg or mid 50 pct is the SAT II scores submitted to SC? I have seen the ACT and SAT (general) reported, but I have not seen SAT II’s. I ask this for the obvious reason: if we see that the SAT II’s are significantly under SC’s avg (and they are not req’d), then why submit them? College applicants, as doctors practice, ‘should do no harm’. As long as I am at it, invoking another profession’s standard, that of the lawyer, maybe an applicant should ‘take the 5th’, since any score can and will be used against the applicant. :)</p>
<p>1) Has Swarthmore acknowledged receipt of the ACT Score? If not, I think you should pick up the phone on Monday morning and call them.</p>
<p>2) I think that Swarthmore’s requirements are clear. SAT II’s are not required if a student submits the ACT with writing. HOWEVER, the Math SAT II is encouraged for prospective engineering majors even if the ACT with writing is submitted. If you are still confused, perhaps you should just straighten this out by having your student get in contact with his/her regional admissions officer and ask the question directly.</p>
<p>yes, SC acknowledged recpt of the ACT. I didn;t think there was a problem, but the cklist implies that there might be a problem. yep, we’ll call them on Monday. I was just throwing it out here to the ‘city that never sleeps’, college confidential. hey, mom of 2sons, you are A number 1, top of the heap. :)</p>
<p>anyone know the avg or mid 50 spread of SAT II (math) scores for SC?</p>
<p>Like momof3sons, I’ve never seen a published breakdown of SATII scores for Swarthmore, and I doubt that it exists outside of the admissions office. If SATII scores are optional for your applicant, which they certainly seem to be with the ACT plus writing, I would consider sending any score over 700 and definitely send any score over 750, especially if the scores illuminate a particular talent or interest of the applicant.</p>
<p>If it is not required, I wouldn’t recommend sending a SATII score of 590 for any applicant. Just my opinion, though. 650 or above, especially for foreign languages, might be useful, again assuming that the SATII scores are not needed, but would be sent in hope of making the complete application more attractive to Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Roderick,
If that 590 score is for Math II for a prospective engineering student, I would not send it, even though it’s encouraged. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I would expect the Math II scores submitted to Swarthmore for prospective engineers would be quite high, probably in the 750+ range. Does the student have a very high math ACT score to counterbalance this?</p>
<p>We’ll see. Some of the top engineering programs in the country already have accepted him - UIUC (#5 and #3 in the brand he has chosen, computer), UMich (7), UWmadison (12) - already based on his 4 yr academic record and ACT (30 comp). He might not be the greatest test taker of the type of test that the SAT reflects, something based on the performance in a 3 hour sitting, but he has a great work ethic over the long haul - straight As in a pretty hard school, 10 APs with mostly 5’s (so far), and seems to have a mind set for engineering. One would hope that you wd not design that bridge in 3 hours. He might be more of a patient double checker, trying to get it for sure. One should not overthink in the SAT/ACT tests. Bridge and computer design, yes. </p>
<p>His academic seriousness, militaristic time management, and work ethic seems a match for Swat. THere is good in math, and good enough in math. But the SWat adcons are adept at knowing who will be successful at Swat.</p>
<p>First off, the subject tests only take an hour. I’m not saying that he can’t get into Swarthmore, I’m just saying that a 590 in math – the 30th percentile – no matter what the circumstance – is not going to cut it for Swat engineering. I’m not saying this to damage your son’s pysche (or yours) but am simply pointing out that the experience will be pretty hellish if certain abilities aren’t up to snuff. He could get by, sure, but I’m not saying that it would be fun.</p>
<p>As a note I’m dubious of your usage of “not the greatest” test taking skills given that a score of 30 on the ACT is hardly indicative of test taking inability. In other words, you can’t use a test score to bolster his abilities and then subsequently state that testing is a general weakness. </p>
<p>Yes, let’s trust the “adcons,” and see if he gets in – then we’ll worry about it.</p>
<p>For whatever it’s worth, I was just admitted [Early Decision II] only having taken the SAT Reasoning and one [US History] SAT II. The rest of my application was more than in-order, and now I’ve just got to take an additional SAT II in whatever subject between now and June. They appear to be very flexible with this sort of thing [however, I’m not sure if this treatment is exclusive to future athletes there].</p>
<p>Yes. My stats are solid [10th of 450+ in my class, 2170 (1470) SAT, 770 SAT II], but I’m not going to deny that my admission was probably helped to some [probably significant] degree by playing baseball.</p>
As long as I am at it, invoking another profession’s standard, that of the lawyer, maybe an applicant should ‘take the 5th’, since any score can and will be used against the applicant. :)</p>