Hello all,
Please forgive me if this is in the wrong place; this is my first post on CC.
As the title indicates, I am a homeschooled high school senior in need of some advice regarding the submission of standardized test scores. I have taken the ACT once and SAT twice and will absolutely not be taking either again (I somehow did worse on the SAT my second time despite having done more prep). I will be submitting my first SAT score, a 1380 composite with a 740EBRW/640M split. What I’m wondering is whether I should submit my ACT score, a 30 composite with a 36E/24M/34R/25S. Part of me wants to just submit it because of the perfect English and near-perfect Reading scores, but the other part of me feels like my ACT math score is low enough it may count against me or discredit my SAT math score. I will be applying to semi-selective to selective liberal arts colleges if that makes a difference at all. Please help!
What colleges specifically? Do you have non-homeschooled class grades to submit as well (like from a community college)?
Those aren’t bad test scores at all. CollegeConfidential can make it seem like anyone who didn’t get at least a 1500 on their SAT did poorly, but that’s just not reality.
We have a good friend who is a college freshman now and she was homeschooled, but she did do several outside classes as well. She did well in those and did not submit her ACT scores (which were not great) and got in the colleges she wanted to go to, but she wasn’t applying to super selective schools. I think having the community college courses bolstered the credibility of her homeschool GPA. If you don’t have outside courses I would definitely submit either or both.
If you are more comfortable with the SAT math score I think your plan to submit that is fine. Your english skills will shine on your essays.
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Thank you for your feedback! I’m looking at schools such as Mount Holyoke, Colorado College, Lewis and Clark, St. Johns College, Trinity, Reed etc. I have taken some online classes with a couple different teachers, but only one CC class (our CC is not very challenging). I’ve taken two AP tests and got 4s on both, so I’m hoping that will also provide outside validation.
I will definitely be submitting at least the SAT, just not sure whether it would be detrimental to submit the ACT as well.
According to the concordance tables, a 1380 and 30 are nearly identical, and the 36/34 is equivalent to a 750 on the EBRW: https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-SAT-Concordance-Tables.pdf
I think most schools will not cross-superscore the ACT/SAT, but they will let you put your best foot forward. If the math/science side of your transcript is solid and you don’t intend to major in anything very STEM-y, then it’s probably worth submitting both.
From the published tables, EBRW 740 concords to a 69 E+R, compared to your 70.
An M640 concords to a 27 vs. your 24.
Your (rounded) 29.75 is 1360-1370, so the 1380 is marginally higher, though not meaningfully so.
I’d probably choose to give up one EBRW point for three M points and avoid the 25S.
You could also submit both and let them choose which is better for you - many claim to do this.
Thank you! I’ve seen different concordance tables so I wasn’t quite sure how they compared. I think my STEM is fairly solid (four years of science and four years of math through calc), but it is my weakest area. I am not looking to be a STEM major!
Thank you! I’ve read colleges don’t really care about the science, so I wasn’t sure how much that subsection mattered.
I think you have a good shot at getting in all your selected schools with the SAT and your APs. You could do both if you want, but not sure it’s worth it. Write a killer essay and they will know you’ve got English chops.
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