I understand that MIT considers SAT scores above a 700 as evidence that the student is capable of handling the coursework at MIT. However, what ACT scores are considered good enough? I also understand that MIT only considers the Math and English/Reading scores of the SAT but do they consider all the ACT sections? Is there a minimum score that they’d like to see per section or is there a minimum composite score that they are looking to see? Is the science section on the ACT important or are only the math, reading and English sections important?
MIT has fantastic resources on their site that spells out the answers to all your questions. Only the first 2 subscales of the ACT are valid-the final 2, including science, add errror to the equation.
http://mitadmissions.org/apply/freshman/tests
http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats
Thank you, I found the stats particularly interesting. I noticed that there were no stats for the ACT science or reading sections. Does that meant that they are less important to MIT than the English and math sections? I am still wondering if MIT looks at the ACT science section since my daughter’s sores were English- 33, math-33, reading-32, and science 27. since she is expecting to get above 700 on her SAT physics subject test should she not worry about that 27 in science or should she practice the section and take the ACT again?
They appear to look at the Composite English Math and writing. The other two subscales are reflected in the composite. Your daughters composite must have been a 31 right? They superscore so if she improves they will count the highest but not re-calculate the composite as the average of the super-scored subtests. But, yes, the first two appear to be more important to them. I would expect the value in taking the test again depends on how much time and effort she would have to put in. And if so, then I doubt raising the science specifically is important but maybe getting the composite up–which can happen if she raises the English and Math. Maybe someone from MIT admissions will weigh in here.
Hi @lostaccount, I did not ask the same question over and over. I asked the same question to only two schools. Two very different schools. I asked MIT because it’s been my daughter’s dream school for years. I’ve read most of the blogs and I’ve read the threads on College Confidential and I haven’t seen an answer for my specific question. Anyone that is affiliated with MIT in any way says that a 700 is enough. I believe them that after you receive a 700 on the SAT exams you can stop focusing on tests and you can then just focus on the other things that you love to do that will ultimately make your application stronger. But I’ve never seen as clear an answer for the ACT as I’ve seen for the SAT. Since the SAT is new this year and there isn’t much practice tests around yet I think many more students will opt to take the ACT instead. So I actually thought my question would be of interest to many students. I especially appreciate that MIT CC has some very helpful people that give trustworthy answers.
However, I also chose to ask another school because I’ve never seen any other school say that there is a score that is considered good enough. It’s time for my daughter to find other schools to consider along with MIT since her chance of getting into MIT are slim like any other student who applies. Other schools may have different criteria. Do you think every school has the same criteria? I don’t. Unless my daughter is only planning on applying to one school, a school that is a reach for everyone, why wouldn’t I be curious to find out what other schools think?
By the way, I’ve looked at every website that I could find, I did not see anything that clearly stated that the science section is looked at. I only saw that MIT doesn’t consider the essays.
@UglyMom 700 on each section of the SAT is probably fine, but since we are a tech school, she’d probably want to aim for higher scores on math and the subject tests, say in the 750-800 range.
Not too sure about the ACT since I’m not as familiar, but my best guess is that MIT doesn’t care too much about the science or reading sections (presuming they’re not super low), but I can’t confirm - perhaps an admissions rep could. The reasoning behind this is because MIT has a fairly rigorous GIR requirement involving two semesters of physics (8.01-8.02 or equivalent), one semester of chemistry (5.111/2 or 3.091), and one semester of biology (7.01x) as well as a lab requirement, and the GIR sciences are already fairly advanced.
For the essay, MIT uses its own essay evaluation that all incoming freshmen must take (unless you scored a 5 on AP Lang or Lit), so it would make sense that they don’t consider the ACT/SAT essays.
@MITer94 Thank you. I’m pretty sure that my daughter’s high school courses will show that she can handle MIT’s GIRs. She just took the AP exams in calculus AB and Physics 1. She plans on taking next year, her senior year, AP Calculus BC and either AP physics 2 or AP chemistry. However her scores won’t be available for at least another few weeks. In the meantime, I am curious if a 27 in science is considered super low. I would love if an admissions rep would chime in.
The admissions reps probably won’t chime in because even they don’t know exactly until they see the whole application. I would agree with @MITer94 that if MIT really felt strongly about the other ACT sections they would report them on their stats. The science section on the ACT doesn’t really measure what one has learned about science hence their requirement of a science subject test. Having some solid AP test results is beneficial as well. My child’s lowest ACT score was in science and she isn’t retaking it since her other scores (ACT and SAT2) were solid and hopefully her AP scores will be as well. The people who have gotten into MIT from our HS do tend to have the highest test scores in our school much more so than those accepted to Ivies but that’s just a few per year so possibly coincidence.
“we do not really use the composite in our process. We only pay attention to the subsections, with the most focus placed on the math subsection(s) of the test(s), because that is the one most predictive of success at MIT.”
From MITChris, Exact quote.
I would have her try the ACT again. For one reason, many colleges use the ACT for merit based awards, and at many colleges, a composite higher than ACT=33 leads to more money. MIT does not use ACT scores to award financial aid, there are no merit based awards at MIT, its a need based financial aid program.
My observation in Colorado is about 75-90% of the ten to fifteen Colorado students who gain admission to MIT on any given year usually have a perfect math score, either 800 on the SAT, or 36 on the ACT. For SAT subject exams, usually two 800s on Math 2 and either physics or chemistry.
At the Colorado admitted students picnic, its a question that comes up, who had a perfect score on the math section.
I would personally be a little troubled about a 27 on the ACT science section, as its testing data analysis skills.
She may want to study for this, and learn whats on that test, to improve her score as it counts at other colleges even if it may not be a strong negative for MIT.
@Coloradomama Thanks for advising that my daughter take the ACT again. She raised her score in every section! Her science score did remain the lowest in comparison to all other sections but she got a respectable 31, up from a 27.
@UglyMom I have since found out that many colleges find the ACT Science section not to be a predictor of college success, but always good to have a better score for schools that do use the composite ACT score, for scholarships and admissions.