SEND IT BOTH ACT AND SAT SCORES??

Test Preparation
1

Hey Guys,
So I recently took the SAT and got a 1930 and so I am planning to take it again so that I could reach the 2200 mark. I am also going to take the ACT in a week… I am planning to apply to competitive schools like UPenn and other universities with good pre-med programs. I really want to do good on both the ACT and the SAT so that I could send both scores in to these colleges. I feel sending both tests will show all-roundness in my standardized test scores.

Do you recommend sending in both my SAT and ACT score (if i relatively do good on both of them)?

2

For UPenn, you do not have an option because it requires you to send your scores for all SAT’s. SAT subject tests, and ACT’s you have taken. As to your well-roundedness belief, you are reading into college’s use of test scores far more than the colleges put into it. If you send both, they will use the one they believe is higher. For certain colleges, like Yale and Upenn, the ACT is used alone separate from the SAT and SAT subject tests and if they believe your ACT is better than the combination of your SAT and subject tests, your ACT will be used, but if combination of SAT and two subject tests is better, those will be used. It can be to your advantage to send both to those and otjher colleges simply because you often won’t know which one they will consider to be the better test score but don’t do so under any belief that you are demonstraqting well-roundedness to the college. Your grades, courses, EC’s, essays rec letters, etc. are what demonstrate any well-roundedness.

3

@drusba Are you sure about this? What if you have taken both exams but refuse to send in one? I got a terrible score on my SAT (and I mean TERRIBLE) but a very decent score on my ACT. It’s not like they KNOW if you have taken certain tests or not. I’m sure that kind of analysis for a pool of thousands of applicants is unnecessary. Perhaps one could just send in their ACT and not send in there SAT. Matter of fact, I might just delete my college board account because i’m 100% done with those people ugh.

4

I assume you are referring to UPenn’s requirement that you provide both SAT and ACT test scores. Yes, I am sure. As Penn states, it requires you to submit your entire testing history, both SAT and ACT, see http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/required-testing

Penn’s possibly not knowing you might have taken both ACT and SAT is not the issue, i.e., your successfully concealing scores from it does not make it proper to do so. Also, if you attend a US high school, you need to find out what your high school puts on your offical transcript sent to colleges. Many put all your test scores on the transcript and thus not having College Board send scores may simply prove that you attempted to withheld scores when the college gets your transcript with the scores and gets no offical scores from College Board. Moreover, you cannot “delete” your College Board record. Regardless of what you do, College Board will still have your record.

If it is any consolation, colleges, including UPenn, uniformily claim that they do not hold lower test scores against you and use the highest to determine admission.

5

Thanks!! UPenn and other select schools require to see the full testing history so I think I will just take the SAT october of senior year for the second time and try to do better…

6

Why are you relying on a huge jump in your SAT?

7

@onceuponamom When I took Blue Book Tests the highest I scored was a 2170 and all my other scores were around this range…I scored lower due to nervousness and it was my first time taking it… I am willingly to put in the effort and know for a fact I can get at least a 2200.