<p>Are there any UPenn students or future students who got in by relying on their ACT scores? I posed this question in the Cornell forum as well; I’m just doing a bit of research.</p>
<p>Well, since my ACT is a 36 while my SAT isn't perfect, I'll be using my ACT score. Is there, however, an institutional bias against ACT? I've heard that people consider the SAT an IQ test while the ACT an academic skills test, and so prefer the SAT in admissions. Might be bullcrap, however. Any ideas?</p>
<p>The SAT is not an IQ test; it is an aptitude test while the ACT is an achievement test. These are psychological approaches to test-making; an aptitude test tests innate abilities while an achievement test tests things that you have learned, for example in high school as the ACT does. In a way the ACT is actually a cross between the two since it uses very strict time limits to test your abilities while also testing your knowledge.</p>
<p>As far as an institutional bias goes, Harvard stated that they don't care what test you take as long as you take one for the admissions process. All schools in the United States take both tests...</p>
<p>But, please can we get back to the original question...</p>
<p>SAT is not a "scholastic aptitude test" - they used to call it that, then the A became "achievement" and now they have giving up claiming it stands for anything . ACT and SAT measure about the same things - scores are highly correlated between tests - nearly as much as one SAT administration to the next. Penn accepts them as full equivalents and doesn't prefer one over the other. In fact they take the ACT in lieu of both the SAT I and II. I gather that they convert the ACT score to SAT equivalent. Maybe at one time there was a bias against ACT but not anymore.</p>
<p>So, if I take the ACT, then I don't need to take the SAT at all? Wow, that's amazing because I don't want to show them by dreadful SAT score.</p>
<p>I was just admitted to Penn with just taking the ACT. Basically, I knew going in that the ACT isn't automatically reported unless you physically do it and that any SAT score that you take is automatically going to Penn since you need to take SAT II's to get in anyway, so I took ACT tests as early as the fall of my junior year even when I hadn't prepared too much. I got a 31 the first time I took it, and then a 34 the second time in december which was higher than what I was aiming for. I decided that since I definatley couldn't reach that on the SAT, as I hadn't come close to what the equivilent was for the SAT on any practice test, that I would just go with my ACT score. Once I got my SAT II scores back (770 and 750) i figured they couldn't look at my ACT and say it was a fluke. I actually did apply ED though and was deferred and later accepted, but I don't think it was because of my ACT score for either. My stats were good but I didn't really have a hook, and I think the reason I got in after being deferred was my contact with my regional admission officer and the steps I took to ensuring they remembered me, which became my hook. That's what I was trying for anyway. Honestly, I looked into this a lot because I knew my vocabulary was relatively weak, and thought that trying to ace the ACT was my best bet. Obviously, its not the same for everyone though. I truly believe after going through the admissions process that standardized tests are not what get you in to the school. I think most schools rather use standardized testing to weed out the inferior candidates, and it just becomes another check box for those with high scores. As far as the differences between the tests go, I really think the ACT tests your ability to take tests from your high school experience. It isn't testing your knowledge per say but rather the skills you learn. SAT is more geared toward testing specific facets of your knowledge.</p>
<p>Percy is wrong. They won't take it in leiu of both. You still have to take SAT II's if you take the ACT. That isn't the same for all schools but it is for Penn. Trust me.</p>
<p>Percy is right about the SAT policy</p>
<p>Wow, that makes me very happy. However, would it still be wise to take like two or three SAT II scores anyway even though SAT scores would show up on there? I'm considering applying for ED in November.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you have to (or are <em>strongly</em> recommended to take 2 SAT IIs tests). But, I heard from the UPenn rep at a UPenn presentation that if you send in your ACT and SAT scores (as you might have to, as College Board sends in ALL your scores, whether you want them to or not) that they'll take the higher comparable score. So a 36 ACT counts as a 2400 SAT score, in their minds, even if you did much worse on the actual SAT.</p>
<p>I submitted only my ACT and was admitted.</p>
<p>I was accepted to Penn ED. I have never taken any SATs or SATII's. Unless they changed the policy for 2012, don't listen to anyone who states that you have to take SAT subject tests for Penn. They don't know what they are talking about. I took the ACT 3 times, and sent them 2 since they mix your subscores from multiple sittings.</p>
<p>taebubu and waterfall1007, could you post your stats so I could compare. Thanks.</p>
<p>I submitted only my 34 ACT and made it in.</p>
<p>My Daughter submitted only her ACT. She did not submit any SAT II scores. They considered her file complete, and she is currently waitlisted for Wharton. She had a 31 ACT, rank 1/511, 4.0 UW 4 years varsity golf, and lots of EC with leadership. She is also taking AP cAlc with a strong A. I was hoping that they would look a lot more at her transcript vs. test scores.</p>
<p>I think this was an especially tough year for admissisons, as she was waitlisted to UPenn and WashU. She will probably end up going to U of Illinois Champaign. It's not the #1 school, but #13 isn't too bad in the grand scheme of things. She can always go Ivy for grad school.</p>
<p>Do you guys think a 33 or higher is a good score that'll allow me to get in if everything else is good?</p>
<p>hopefully???</p>
<p>I'm just wondering what to be happy with. I want to get the ACT done with on the first try and I'm starting to get sold more and more on UPenn instead of Cornell.</p>
<p>get in first, then get sold</p>
<p>admissions are a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Well, I want to do ED to one of these schools.</p>