<p>So, I just posted on a thread that I have no allegiance to....</p>
<p>apparently, there are some schools (this was VAtech) that are taking the ACT math and english ONLY and converting the subscores to SAT math and CR......I have heard of this before so it's not new....but I do not understand it at all.....</p>
<p>can someone please explain the rationale? Is it only me or shouldn't the relationship be between ACT reading and SAT CR? and ACT english with SAT writing?</p>
<p>It’s probably a shortcut to equalize everything for the quick amount of time colleges have to analyze each app and since kids take either or and sometimes both and schools accept both. There are many tables that beakdown the equivalent SAT and ACT subscores. For example an SAT 680 reading is an ACT 31 for reading and a 30 ACT Math is equivalent to an 740 SAT math and so on…there might be various tables that differ slightly but you get the general idea. I would think the SAT writing relates in someway to the ACT writing, but I haven’t spent anytime thinking about it or looking into it and the whole writing component is relatively new.</p>
<p>momofthree: that’s what makes no sense…you compare the SAT 680 reading to a 31 ACT reading…that’s fine…but apparently, some schools compare the ACT english to the SAT reading…</p>
<p>this discussion does not involved the writing portion on either test…it’s assuming only two sections being looked at…SAT: m/cr vs ACT math/english…it assumes that the ACT reading (and of course, science) does not exist.</p>
<p>bumpity bump for more opinions…</p>
<p>I haven’t looked at the tests that closely to break down the types of questions, perhaps it IS the ACT English that more closely corresponds to the SAT CR. My S got a 36 on the ACT Reading, 31 on the ACT English, and 680 on the SAT CR.</p>
<p>^^nope: ACT reading is critical reading; the english section is all grammar…</p>
<p>rodney, I agree that it does not make any sense other than perhaps to put things in nice little box for those that rank schools. In other words, English on the SAT equates with English on the ACT, EXCEPT that it does not equate at all! I agree 100% with you.</p>
<p>^^if only that’s what they were doing…why wouldn’t they equate english with english? </p>
<p>Why would they equate critical reading (SAT) with english (ACT)?</p>
<p>I have no idea, rodney. I only thought that it had to do with rankings. I really don’t have any other ideas because English on the SAT is obviously not the same as English on the ACT.</p>
<p>I had no idea that some schools were taking out any parts of the ACT.</p>
<p>Is this new?</p>
<p>I’m not sure I really understanding the question here. Is this for the purposes of superscoring individual sections BETWEEN the SAT and the ACT? Otherwise, aren’t there tables for directly converting the ACT composite into an SAT composite?</p>
<p>Here is some information about SATs and ACTs from the University of Texas. Someone posted this link a long time ago and I saved it. Look at table 5, mom2collegekids, and you can see how there is chart comparing SAT verbal and ACT English.</p>
<p>[Admissions</a> Research: ACT-SAT Concordance - UT Austin](<a href=“http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/ACT-SATconcordance.html]Admissions”>http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/ACT-SATconcordance.html)</p>
<p>Lorem: what this is referring to is certain schools ONLY counting the math and english portion of the ACT in order to compare it to the M/CR portion of the SAT…and my confusion lies in the comparison of ACT ENGLISH with SAT CRITICAL READING rather than ACT READING being compared to SAT READING…hope that clarifies…</p>
<p>apparently, according to those over on the Va Tech forum, this is going on there as well…and in an earlier admissions cycle (2008) we visited a couple of privates that mentioned this as well…didn’t understand it then; don’t get it now…</p>
<p>northeast mom: thanks…read through the study but not sure how statistical methods trump what the test actually measures/asks the student to do…</p>
<p>what they are saying is that both the ACT reading AND english combined are more in line with the SAT verbal? wasn’t this study done before the SAT created the writing section?..</p>
<p>I think some of these colleges are just guessing…obviously, this has changed since the SAT changed but nobody has asked the questions…</p>
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<p>Could it be that someone (finally) figured out that the “science” section of the ACT is silly, and that the “writing/grammar” sections are rather pointless as they reward rote learners?</p>
<p>thank you xiggi for responding…that’s exactly my point: I don’t care that the science section is not being considered…</p>
<p>you are exactly correct: the writing and grammar sections are rewarding “rote learners”…then WHY are they using the ACT english score and comparing it the SAT critical reading? shouldn’t the comparison be the ACT reading=SAT reading???</p>
<p>in conclusion: the ACT english is most similar to SAT writing NOT reading.</p>
<p>In the VA tech case, they are totally ignoring the ACT reading section (as well as the science)…only looking at ACT math and english.</p>
<p>Rodney, whoever made the decision probably did not look beyond the title of the sections. Not different from the schools that accepted the ACT Science section as a substitute for Subject Tests in Biology and similar. </p>
<p>Considering how schools flip-flop their positions (read the UC indecisions about the SAT versus Subject Tests,) it seems that they make decisions for ulterior motives and then find the data to support their choices. When they start looking for support is probably the first time they actually analyze the contents and scope of the recent tests. </p>
<p>When it comes to standardized tests, I gave up finding the logic behind the decisions of schools.</p>
<p>coming from you, I guess that’s the best we can do…</p>
<p>I have NO vested interest in this but find it ridiculous…</p>
<p>thanks again!</p>
<p>Oh, and there are some schools that value the science section of the ACT. I spoke with an adcom at one college and he told me that if a student is applying to their nursing school, they are going to consider the science score on the ACT if the ACT score is submitted and it will be important enough to retake the ACT if the that science subscore is relatively low. I guess in such a case one could just submit the SAT if the scores were equally good in math and verbal. The adcom did say that if the student is applying as an English major, they really aren’t going to look at the science subscore.</p>
<p>rodney, I did not look at the date of the study. I was looking at table 5. This is where they compare ACT English to SAT verbal, no?</p>
<p>yup…actually surprising since in the body of the study they do a correlation with BOTH reading and english (ACT)= SAT verbal…but as I said, this was BEFORE the SAT created the writing section as a separate section.</p>
<p>Rodney, but why wouldn’t they have compared SAT verbal to ACT reading in the article, even if it was prior to the SAT writing section? Also, aren’t some schools still deciding whether they are using the writing on the SAT for admission criteria? Does that have anything to do with it?</p>
<p>Good question…on both counts…that’s why this is so puzzling…</p>
<p>not sure if the question about SAT writing has anything to do with it…(in fact, if they are not considering the writing on the SAT why would they consider the english on the ACT?-same issue)…</p>
<p>xiggi would know the answer to that question: I can’t remember what comprised the SAT verbal before the writing section was created; whether there was grammar on it at all…that’s the only thing I can think of; if the SAT verbal included grammar back in the day, they may think that the ACT english is the most similar…still doesn’t explain how the ACT reading could possibly be ignored in this analysis though…reading is reading…</p>