<p>I read in an ACT test prep book that colleges see ALL of your scores, not just the ones you report. Also, that it's no use taking the test 8 times to get the highest score, because colleges think you have nothing better to do. Is that true? I forget which prep book it was.</p>
<p>No, the ACT has score choice. It is the SAT that works the way you describe.</p>
<p>How the ACT works is that you specify the recipient and the test date you want reported to it, and you pay on that basis. Of course, anybody you specify in advance (within the number allowed, which I don't remember offhand) will get the results for free. But you may want to see the results first or not know who you are going to apply to. Paying for scores is really a rather minor expense. So my daughter only specified the NCAA Clearinghouse in advance, because she figured that, come what may, she was going to score high enough for their purposes and we might as well save ourselves a few bucks.</p>
<p>My daughter took the ACT twice. Her score went down the second time (she was sick, but figured we had paid so she might as well try ...) We reported the first date's scores.</p>
<p>What you can't do is pick different subscores from different test dates. No "I want the math score from June, the reading score from September," etc.</p>
<p>From my experience, Princeton will still take the ACT, but they like to see that you at least try the SAT. I got in with a 2140 SAT and a 35 ACT.</p>
<p>I believe the Princeton web site addresses this, saying they will take the ACT alone if all other schools being applied to require it. In other words, don't take the SAT just for us ... But there aren't too many places that require the ACT instead of the SAT that are of the category that a hopeful Princeton student would apply. (I say that because I don't know of any, but it isn't as if I've done a study of the subject.)</p>
<p>I don't know of any Ivy that says you can't submit an ACT score at all.</p>
<p>If you have a particular Ivy in mind, you can always look up the admission stats. They may tell you what the acceptance rate is for those submitting only the ACT. If I recall correctly, the acceptance rate for Brown with the ACT is pretty much identical to its overall rate. But I don't know if all schools provide this sort of information.</p>
<p>i got deferred from cornell with a 30 ACT</p>
<p>I sucked it up with a 2190 on the SAT to Yale, but I think my 34 on the ACT got me in (by a hair).</p>
<p>There is a lot of talk about a bias but honestly I've been told by admissions officers that I interviewed with that they convert the ACT to the same points scale as the SAT for consideration. Personally I think it is silly to regard the SAT as a superior test; I wish students only took the ACT, I think the fact that it has a steep drop off at the top shows that when you take a simple test, the students who pay attention to detail will get the highest scores-- at least that is how I see it. Since neither serve a great purpose in reflecting academic integrity, and are merely quantifiers, I prefer the ACT approach and would be appalled if schools silently discriminated. I find it ridiculous.</p>
<p>nicely said</p>
<p>amen</p>
<p>I do think schools preferr the SAT. I actually wish I wouldn't have sent my SAT there to Dartmouth. I had a 33 ACT (Subscores 31 eng. 34 math. 32 read. 34 sci.) but i got deffered and i honestly think a big reason was that i also sent my SAT scores which were 650CR 670Math 680Wri = 2000. I kind of get the feeling that they just compared me to other applicants based on my SAT scores.</p>
<p>But what is your basis for saying there is a preference? They say they don't and there would be nothing wrong if they said they did. Why would they lie?</p>
<p>If you don't believe this, read what the Kaplan test prep company has to say: <a href="http://www.math.com/students/kaplan/satoract.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.math.com/students/kaplan/satoract.html</a></p>
<p>Actually, this sort of undercuts my argument, because it says that admissions officers, off the record, tend to admit to a preference for the ACT. </p>
<p>I had a discussion with an admissions officer once. He knew my daughter wasn't considering his school at all; I just asked for his honest take on the issue. He said he didn't care and he didn't know anybody else who did either. If an ACT score came in (he is at an east coast school), his office translates the score into an SAT score for the file. The committee actually sees the latter score and not the ACT at all!</p>
<p>Why report an SAT score that is lower than an ACT score if you don't have to? Of course, if you report a score, they will look at it. My daughter's SAT II scores weren't very good, so she just relied on the ACT. Got into three selective places, two on the east coast, and that was that ... </p>
<p>Of course, admissions decisions at Ivies rely on more than a simple comparison of test scores. Once you are over a certain level, they look for a hook, something that graps their attention and says pick this outstanding applicant and not that one.</p>
<p>S was accepted ED to dartmouth with 32. Never took the SAT, only 2 SAT 2s (750, 700)</p>
<p>Ok, but why do they even have to convert an ACT? Why not just evaluate it as is? Also, the way SAT reports scores is that they send all score records, you cannot just send 1 test, or just send the SAT2s, you have to send all or nothing, (which is why Dartmouth got to see my low SAT scores).</p>
<p>Well, schools that mostly get SAT scores convert ACT scores to that, and schools that mostly get ACT scores convert SAT scores. In other words, schools convert the least amount of scores they can.</p>
<p>They convert so that applicants can be compared to each other. It is easier than trying to remember what is the same as what.</p>
<p>I agree that, if Dartmouth wanted the SAT IIs or they were good enough you wanted to send them, you did have a dilemma. But I don't agree that your SAT scores were "low." You are still in the upper percentiles of everyone taking the test. I think kids get too down on themselves by reading some of the rarified scores on cc. We are talking about, at most, the difference of a very few questions. I would hope colleges recognize that and look at other factors in making final decisions. They say they do, anyway.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck. You look like a strong candidate to me. If you don't get into Dartmouth, it is their loss and you should be able to get into another good school.</p>
<p>Thanks Diane R, that was really sweet</p>
<p>S feared he wouldn't score well on SAT I based on practice tests, & PSAT. He knew they'd require SAT IIs, so he NEVER took SAT I because yes, they'd see it ALL in SAT II report. He actually sent the SAT II report to every school he even thought he might apply to in July with the idea that he could then take a SAT I in the fall that they couldn't access (unless he chose to resend the report). In the end he was happy with his ACT (he chose to send only the better of 2 sittings). It all worked out fine with ED acceptance. He avoided lots of test taking too- just 2 ACT sittings and once for the SAT II.</p>
<p>I sent SAT and ACT but only listed ACT and SAT IIs on my applications as scores I wanted them to consider. If they look at the one SAT sitting I did, fine, but I would prefer they consider the ACT and SAT IIs, which were required for a couple along with the ACT.</p>
<p>I guess my point is, Dartmouth accepted him ED with only the ACT score. He is not a legacy, nor an athlete, nor an URM.</p>
<p>i got a 35 (36m 36e 36s 30r)...does anyone know how many are given out and how much it helps for college admissions? thanks</p>
<p>It depends on your academic performance at school, extracurricular activities, and much more. But a 35 is a great score, so congrats.</p>
<p>35 is a very, very good score. It should help a lot. Congratulations!</p>
<p>I don't know how many there are. But since the ACT is a normed test, only the top fraction of one percent gets as high as that. From 32 on up, you are dealing with the 99th percentile. <a href="http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html</a></p>