<p>I'm thinking of applying to Harvard this year (I'm a rising senior), and I was wondering if it would be beneficial to send both my SAT and ACT scores? Would this affect my chance of admission in a positive way?</p>
<p>SAT - 2400
ACT - 35 (34E 36M 36R 35S)</p>
<p>Why would you want to show admissions a slight imperfection (your ACT score), when you already nailed the SAT? Send just the 2400 SAT! </p>
<p>BTW: When you submit both ACT and SAT scores, admissions converts the ACT score to an SAT equivalent and uses whichever score is higher. So submitting both scores doesn’t get you any closer to the ‘brass ring’. Other factors, such as your transcript, teacher recommendations, guidance counselor’s SSR, EC’s and your essays will be the determining factors.</p>
<p>What if you have a 2400 on SAT and a 36 on ACT? Do you think that sending both is better than sending just one of them?</p>
<p>No, as submitting two perfect scores could work against you – an admissions director might think you were certifiable for taking the second test after acing the first one. And besides, William Fitzsimmons has been quoted as saying that the SAT/ACT is NOT as important as other tests: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 2 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 2 - The New York Times)</p>
<p>"Standardized tests are generally more predictive of academic success at selective colleges than at others, but you make an important point: it is abundantly clear that one size does not fit all when it comes to testing. Some colleges have found that standardized tests are not particularly helpful in predicting grades at their campuses and have de-emphasized tests or made them optional.</p>
<p>That said, our studies consistently demonstrate that standardized tests are helpful in predicting Harvard grades. Of course many other factors are important too, including high school grades, teacher and counselor recommendations, and intangible personal qualities that are reflected throughout the application.</p>
<p>We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. High school grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT. The writing tests of the SAT and ACT have predictive power similar to the subject tests."</p>
<p>Are 10 APs (results), three perfect SAT IIs, a 6 on AIME, 2400 SAT and 36 ACT enough? What does Harvard want?</p>
<p>In terms of testing, yes – but being ‘Polly Perfect’ will not get you into Harvard; it’s not a meritocracy, whereby the highest scorers gain admission. Many perfect test takers are rejected every year. So much depends on other soft factors, some of them in your control (essays, transcript, EC’s) and some of them not in your control (teacher recommendations, guidance counselor’s SSR report, and every student who applies). </p>
<p>What does Harvard want? Again, I’ll go back to the man: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 3 - The New York Times)</p>
<p>"Each year we admit about 2,100 applicants. We like to think that all of them have strong personal qualities and character, that they will educate and inspire their classmates over the four years of college, and that they will make a significant difference in the world after they leave Harvard. So in a sense we think of everyone we admit as a good “all-arounder” — a person with outstanding academic, extracurricular, and personal credentials. And most of them are, with the following two caveats:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Several hundred of our admitted students each year have the kind of stunning academic credentials — well beyond test scores and grades — that our faculty believe place them among the best potential scholars of their generation. Such students are exceptional in their love of learning and intellectual curiosity and originality. They often present scholarly work that confirms their strong academic credentials and recommendations. Many such students are also outstanding extracurricularly, but it would be fair to say that it was their academic potential that was most attractive to the admissions committee.</p></li>
<li><p>There are also several hundred students who pursued some activity to an unusual degree. Such students — as well as those who are among the best potential scholars — have outstanding achievements largely because of their strong personal qualities. They have made a commitment to pursue something they love, believe in, and value — and to do so with singular energy, discipline and plain old hard work. Such students may continue to be involved in this activity in college — or they may use the personal qualities they developed pursuing the activity to do something else, perhaps entirely different. Such personal qualities are also useful long after one graduates from college.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Howard Gardner’s
ground-breaking theory of Multiple Intelligences argues that there is more than one “intelligence”: that each person has a unique combination of interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, mathematical, musical, artistic, kinesthetic, and naturalist “intelligences”. Extracurricular accomplishments allow students to express their varied “intelligences” or faculties beyond simply their SAT “linguistic” and mathematical achievements. Students who make the most of their potential in a variety of ways are more likely to make significant contributions to a world that values talents of all kinds.</p>
<p>The term “extracurricular activities” covers an enormous amount of ground. We are interested in whatever a student does: in addition to school extracurricular activities and athletics, students can tell us of significant community, employment, or family commitments. There are many who spend a great deal of time helping to run their household, preparing meals and caring for siblings or making money with a part-time job to help the household meet expenses.</p>
<p>Unfortunately many schools have had to curtail or eliminate extracurricular activities and athletics, or they charge fees for participation. In addition, many students cannot afford expensive musical instruments or athletic equipment — or have families without the resources to pay for lessons, summer programs and the transportation networks necessary to support such activities.</p>
<p>Admissions Committees keep these factors in mind as they review applications, and are concerned most of all to know how well students used the resources available to them. Extracurricular activities need not be exotic — most are not — and substance is far more important. A student who has made the most of opportunities day-to-day during secondary school is much more likely to do so during college and beyond. This applies to academic life as well as extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>The truth is that there is substantial overlap among the three categories — potential scholars, extracurricular stars, and the substantial majority who are most easily seen analytically as “all-arounders.” The attributes that led them to pursue their interests in secondary school will lead them to seek others in the same kind of context in college. Extracurricular activities and research opportunities in the lab or the library provide settings that allow students from many different backgrounds to educate one another in ways that make the college experience transformative."</p>
<p>
Let’s say this person has all that. So, no worry about not meeting Harvard’s standards. And I am sure this person could be rejected since this person is Asian.</p>
<p>
The man running Harvard’s admission is like an alcoholic running a bar. He basically says that he wants whatever he likes.</p>
<p>One thing for almost certain is that if this person gets into Harvard, this person would get almost 4.0 GPA at Harvard, and find a perfect job upon graduation, like my son did at Stanford.</p>
<p>“And I am sure this person could be rejected since this person is Asian.”</p>
<p>Cut the crap. If this person gets rejected it’s because they are a boring applicant.</p>
<p>@SATACT2013: your question makes me wonder about your analytical skills. It’s a head shaker. Congrats on the 2400/35 and all but is this a serious question or an invitation for people to slap you on the back? Sheesh – typical Harvard applicant…</p>
<p>@ewho: Many students, and their parents, feel that Harvard is the crown jewel of academia. It is not. As your son has proved, a person’s success in life does not depend upon the college they attend. Your bitterness towards Harvard, however, has no place in this forum or in the admissions process itself. Be kind, be joyous, be happy!</p>
<p>I just don’t want to see a person acting like an authority and giving all the inaccurate info or what the “the man” said. It is much more to that. Sorry if my statements offend you.</p>
<p>Please review my posts, I don’t think I said anything inaccurate. As a parent of a Harvard student, I was trying to assist the OP as best I could. Your comments took this thread off topic. My advice to the OP still stands – submit the 2400 SAT only!</p>
<p>College Board recommends the students to take SAT twice, though not sure about their purpose, at least the “average” score is more reliable than a score. ACT is a sideway to prove the reliability of a 2400 on SAT, even a 35 is not a perfect. And you should know how much difference between a 35 and a 36. Besides, if the ACT is converted to SAT scores, Harvard uses score choice, so it should not matter that much.</p>
<p>I was asking the same question because a person I am helping has everything you mentioned by “the man” - a perfect SAT and a perfect ACT, both in one sitting. Plus the other stuff, which you considered more important.</p>
<p>I would show to Harvard whatever I have, don’t hide anything, because you never know what they want to see.</p>
<p>I help kids to go to Harvard. I sent 3 last year, all accepted in EA.</p>
<p>“a person I am helping has everything you mentioned by “the man” - a perfect SAT and a perfect ACT, both in one sitting. Plus the other stuff, which you considered more important.”</p>
<p>Then you missed my point in post #4. An admissions director is going to question the sanity of a student who scores a perfect SAT in one sitting and then goes on to take the ACT (or vice versa). Admissions directors are going to question why a student was not happy with perfection the first time around. It implies that no matter where that student goes, they will not be happy, which is why I suggested the student only submit one perfect score.</p>
<p>ACT is easy. You don’t have to prepare it if you can get a 2400 on SAT, provided you are also strong in science.</p>
<p>It is true that those kids may not be happy regardless where they are. But that does not mean HYPSM do not accept them.</p>
<p>That’s where we disagree; colleges want students who will be happy at their school – especially at Harvard, which prides itself on having the highest retention/graduation rate of all US colleges.</p>
<p>What about 350/1670, or 21% of current graduates who do not have jobs or anything upon graduation?</p>
<p>I’m not going off topic; you can create another thread to talk about the reasons for that.</p>
<p>Okay, I will stop here. What I am trying to say is that there are always two sides of everything. Sided with one would mislead others, especially when the person is involved.</p>
<p>I would submit SAT only. It costs more to submit 2 sets of scores.</p>