<p>Hey everyone! Long time reader, but I just decided to start an account.</p>
<p>I'll be applying ED at Columbia for the Class of 2014. I am having an issue figuring out what to do about my standardized test scores. </p>
<p>I took the SAT I in June of this year and three SAT IIs in May. I was satisfied with my scores for all of the exams I took (except the third SAT subject test... but that's somewhat irrelevant to this thread) and therefore decided to forego any retakes. </p>
<p>However, I did decide to take the ACT just for kicks to see if it happened to be higher. Based on the conversion tables I have seen on the internet, I scored worse (statistically) on the ACT than on the SAT. Now, I am not saying that the ACT score was terrible; it is still within the 25-75 Percentile range for Columbia and all other schools I want to apply to. However, it is less strong.</p>
<p>The issue comes here: Columbia says that it wants all test dates to be submitted, but does this include all tests taken? For example, can I have the College Board send all of my SAT scores to Columbia and just forget about the ACT? Or am I required to submit the ACT also? </p>
<p>I am pretty sure it is SAT or ACT. Frankly, they prefer the SAT. Just call the admissions office and ask, but i do not think you ned to send both. They want allthe SAT II scores, though.</p>
<p>The conventional wisdom is that east coast schools prefer the SAT. The SAT is the dominant test in the region, though the ACT is gaining ground (in my experience, but I would suspect the numbers support that). As you pointed out, most schools - such as Columbia - officially support both tests. Note that on their site, though, Columbia lists the ACT as an alternative; the implication is that the SAT is the typical test students take (which is true: college board date says 97% of students submit an SAT score, whereas only 24% submit an ACT score).</p>
<p>That being said, the admissions committee isn’t dumb - they have access to the percentile data for both tests, and (I would assume) have a system in place to fairly compare the two scores. (Aside: Based on the college board’s data, the 25th percentile ACT score (29) for Columbia is actually slightly lower than the 25th percentile score SAT score (1360), depending on the conversion table you use. Though this difference is really quite minimal).</p>
<p>That being said, if your scores for both tests are comparable, I don’t think it matters too much. In general (again, in my experience), standardized tests are disqualifiers for competitive schools; that is, SAT/ACT scores don’t get you into Columbia, they just keep you out if they are too low. Having a 33 ACT versus a 1500 SAT is not realistically going to affect any admissions decision.</p>
<p>To answer the original question, Columbia’s site says: “Columbia has always expected applicants to report all required standardized testing for which they have sat and will continue to do so for 2009-2010.” This indeed suggests that they want you to send all your test scores. I would call to make sure, though; if you make a 5 minute call that saves you 15 dollars in fees, it’s like you made 180 dollars an hour. :p</p>