<p>Here is my ACT Testing Background.</p>
<p>The end of my sophomore year I took the ACT and got a 30. Then midway through my junior year I took it again and received another 30. Upset with the double 30's I took it at the end of my junior year and received a 32 with an 11 on the essay. I have only taken the SAT once and received a 2030 with a 730CR, 690Math, and a 600Writing. I was planning on sending my ACT score when I apply to colleges in the fall this year. I have really been looking at Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, Washington University, Cornell and Duke. At the moment I am valedictorian in my class of about 600. I need advice on whether to take the ACT again and try to raise it, take the SAT, or take neither because the ACT score is fine. I have one more question. I was looking on the Vanderbilt and Duke website and found this... "Students must take either the ACT including the writing exam or the three-part SAT plus two SAT Subject Tests". Does this mean that if I submit my ACT score that I will not be required to submit SAT II scores? I have not taken any SAT II tests yet, and I need to know if I should take them at the first opportunity this spring. Thanks a lot everyone I know that there is a lot of information in here but any help you can give me will be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>I say just take the ACT w/ writing one more time to see if you can bump it up one or two points, so that you don't have to take the subject tests. If you haven't taken them yet, it will be a lot of work especially if you want to apply early anywhere.</p>
<p>if you really want to, it's your choice</p>
<p>you're a valedictorian though, and that's more important than your test scores.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if it's the same at Duke or Vanderbilt, but Princeton, Harvard, and the other schools that require subject tests, you need to have those tests even if you're submitting your ACT. So be sure to do some research, it would suck if you don't get to apply because you mess up on that part</p>
<p>Quite honestly, I believe that if you feel up to it, you should probably retake the ACT. The 32 is not a subpar score by any means, but to have a really competitive chance at the colleges that you have mentioned, your test score will have to be improved. Additionally, it is even more important to take those SAT II subject tests. I'm not sure that all of those schools you mentioned take the ACT instead of the SAT II, but check with their websites to make sure. If it becomes apparent that you do have to take the SAT IIs, I wouldn't be as worried about the ACT score as your SAT I score, because to be brutally honest, your 2030 probably won't cut it for several of the schools you mentioned, unless you have some killer essays and extremely unique ECs. Unfortunately, being a valedictorian might not help you because there might be people with better test scores than yours, and they are the ones with the competitive edge. My advice would be to first concern yourself with signing up for the SAT IIs and to retake the SAT I, and then if you still feel up to it, consider retaking the ACT.</p>
<p>I just checked... Duke's website specifically states, "Students who take the ACT are not required to submit SAT scores, but they should plan to take the ACT that includes the writing exam.". Vanderbilt doesn't require subject tests. WashU's website says, "Subject Tests (formerly SAT II: College Board Achievement Tests) are recommended, but not required." UMich doesn't mention them on their website. I also checked Emory's website, I am interested there also, and they don't require SAT II's. Johns Hopkins also doesn't require SAT II scores. Northwestern doesn't require them. The only college that I have seen so far that requires them is Cornell.</p>
<p>Which brings me to my next question. It appears that the SAT II's are not required by most of the schools that I am looking at. In my mind, since I am not going to apply ED to any of these schools, due to needing to compare financial aid packages, I have until November/December to take the tests that I need. The ACT will be given on October 27, it will also be given on September 15, but not in the State that I live. The SAT will be given on October 6th, and Nov 3rd. So I have 1 chance to take the ACT, or two depending if I wanna drive to Indiana or Michigan to take it. I also will have 2 chances to take the SAT. But really I would need to use once of those SAT dates to take the subject tests and then I will have one chance to take the SAT I. I am leaning more toward taking the ACT again but not the SAT. Most colleges that I saw require the SATII's only if you submit the SAT score. Do you think that I will be able to raise my SAT score enough and do well enough on the subject tests to warrant me to take the SAT over the ACT?? I went into both the ACT's and the SAT that I have taken cold. Isn't it easier to raise your ACT score by studying than your SAT score? I know there are a lot of questions here, and thanks for any response that you can give me.</p>
<p>I'm a noob on these forums and as you will see from my next question, I am still not familiar with all the lingo that is thrown around. So what exactly does 110char mean? or just char in general?</p>
<p>you cant post anything that has less than 10 characters, so people write 10 char to fit in what they want to say</p>
<p>HAHA wow i feel stupid... thanks</p>