Super-scoring and the ACT ?

Parents Forum
1

<p>DS#3 just took the ACT for the first time. He did well on the PSAT and wanted to try to ACT before taking the SAT this spring.</p>

<p>On the ACT forum here on CC a lot of kids are talking about schools super-scoring the ACT in the same manner that schools choose among a student's highest SAT scores. I've never heard of schools doing that for the ACT.</p>

<p>Does it happen? Which schools do it?</p>

2

<p>Hendrix College in Arkansas does it. There is a list of sorts floating about the ACT thread. Ithaca has some internal formula they use to convert your ACT score into an SAT V/M score. Some schools post this info on their admissions page, others you have to call them to find out.</p>

3

<p>Florida State does it, as I learned from a CC post and confirmed by checking the Florida State website.</p>

4

<p>Trinity U in San Antonio does, too. From their website:

[quote]
The admissions committee considers the highest subtest scores from all testing dates. For the SAT I we combine the highest verbal and math scores, for the ACT we re-average the score based on the highest verbal, math, reading, and science reasoning scores. Therefore, submitting additional scores can never hurt an application.

[/quote]
</p>

5

<p>There are some that do superscore, but the majority do not. As other posters mentioned, check the websites for colleges your child is interested in.</p>

6

<p>" Take the ACT or SAT early. Take it in your Junior year, and again in the fall of your senior year. You may retake these tests. We use "super scoring," so it certainly can't hurt."</p>

<p>I googled and found that the University of Tennessee-Knoxville does. The quote above is from their website.</p>

7

<p>WashU and Michigan.</p>

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<p>The United States Military Academy at West Point also superscores. My son took the ACT 6 times, from the summer after his sophomore year to fall of senior year. USMA takes the top score from each subcategory, then refigures the composite based on the highest subscores. This was definitely to his advantage since his top scores per subject were all on different test dates.</p>

9

<p>NYU superscores the ACT, too.</p>

10

<p>Wow! I can't believe all the schools that superscore. My son just found out this morning that Duquesne will superscore for him. He's ecstatic! It may mean he gets into the program he wants afterall. Ohio University superscores the ACT.</p>

11

<p>I actually find it more interesting that there are lots of colleges which supercsore the SAT but not the ACT. Still waiting for an explanation for that...</p>

12

<p>Michigan does NOT superscore either test.</p>

<p><a href="https://umich.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=160&p_created=1053364302&p_sid=eN7OPJYi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD01ODMsNTgzJnBfcHJvZHM9JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9NQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://umich.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=160&p_created=1053364302&p_sid=eN7OPJYi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD01ODMsNTgzJnBfcHJvZHM9JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9NQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>@barrons</p>

<p>Michigan DOES superscore -- both SAT & ACT</p>

<p><a href="https://umich.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=160&p_created=1053364302&p_sid=ACiYRJYi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MzYsMzYmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWFjdA**&p_li=&p_topview=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://umich.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=160&p_created=1053364302&p_sid=ACiYRJYi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MzYsMzYmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWFjdA**&p_li=&p_topview=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]

There is no limit to the number of times that you may take the SAT and/or ACT test. The University of Michigan will use the highest combined test score from any one sitting of either test in our evaluation of your credentials.

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>ONE SITTING. That means your highest one-time score--not the sum of the highest subscores. Reading comprehension 101.</p>

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<p>Reading Comprehension 101 -- keywords.</p>

<p>The keyword is COMBINED. </p>

<p>Combine means to put or add together, and you cannot COMBINE a score from just ONE sitting. </p>

<p>Why would they use the phrase "highest COMBINED test score", if what they really wanted to say was that they will consider either your highest SAT or ACT score from one sitting?</p>

16

<p>
[quote]
Why would they use the phrase "highest COMBINED test score", if what they really wanted to say was that they will consider either your highest SAT or ACT score from one sitting?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is really reading comprehension 99 (remedial level). A combined score on an SAT is a composite score, e.g., 800 critical reading plus 800 math equals 1600. A combined score on an ACT is also a score that considers all section scores from ONE sitting of the test. Superscoring refers what is done if scores are considered from more than one sitting of the test, so barrons is correct that looking at the most meaningful keyword will show that Michigan does not superscore, which is the question in this thread.</p>

17

<p>I also apologize for being snarky about it. It was not necessary.</p>