<p>I heard this at Yale and Cornell information sessions, and maybe it applies to others as well - they require either the SATI and 2-3 SATIIs OR the ACT with writing (without SATIIs). Does this mean I can't send the ACT with SATIIs? I originally planned on just doing SATI&IIs but I did horribly on the Is so I took the ACT, but I don't want my IIs to become useless now, and I don't exactly see how the ACT is a substitute for SATIIs either. Also, if I send in the IIs, do I have to send in the I?</p>
<p>I have the same question as OP</p>
<p>My best guess is that they will still consider your SAT II’s, and probably find them very helpful. I think they ask for ACT or SAT+SAT II’s because if one is in an area where the ACT is prevalent, one may have to travel a great distance to take SAT II’s and such a requirement may cause students not to apply, particularly if they aren’t confident in their chances.</p>
<p>It essentially is evidence that colleges are trying to accommodate for those in regions that do not normally take the SAT, nor would pay the extra money to take subject tests. But I would still think that your subject test scores are still valuable. There’s no way the ACT can substitute the SAT subject tests in terms of measuring in-depth understanding of certain topics, but they have to put it that way in order to encourage a more balanced application map by region.</p>
<p>But without score choice, the satII’s will automatically send in the SATs too, and what if the SAT a lot lower than the ACT.</p>
<p>The ACT has traditionally viewed itself as an “achievement” test, measuring how much you’ve learned in HS across a range of areas. The SAT has traditionally considered itself an “aptitude” test, measuring raw academic talent rather than academic achievement. Because the ACT has been growing in popularity, eating into the SAT’s market share, the College Board (which administers the SAT) introduced the SAT II Subject Tests, which are arguably more refined measurements of academic achievement than the ACT. But in the meantime, both the ACT and the SAT established regional dominance—the ACT in the Midwest and South Central regions, the SAT along the coasts.</p>
<p>Colleges now face a dilemma. They might prefer one test or the other, but they don’t want to discriminate against kids from areas where the other test is dominant. Also, the two organizations charge fees differently: with the SAT, you can choose to include any SAT I test dates and any individual SAT II subject test results in a single score report at a fixed price per score report for each school to which you send that report. The ACT, on the other hand, charges you for each test date that you report. As a result, it’s cheaper for kids who take the SAT I and SAT II Subject tests to combine their best scores in a single score report at a fixed price per school receiving that report. For kids taking the ACT, they’d need to identify their single best test date, and—if they choose to send SAT II subject test scores—separately pay the College Board to send an SAT II score report to each school. So if ACT-takers were required to take SAT IIs, their cost of submitting scores would exceed the cost for SAT I-takers who also took SAT II tests.</p>
<p>The costs may seem trivial in comparison to the cost of a 4-year college education. But colleges do not want to appear insensitive to the plight of cash-strapped students in ACT-dominant states, who might feel it’s quite unfair for them to have to pay higher score-reporting fees by paying both for an ACT score report and separately for an SAT II score report, while the SAT I-taker only needs to make a single payment to get both SAT I and SAT II scores sent. Arguably, that price differential could force some lower-income ACT-takers—mainly Midwesterners and Southerners—out of the applicant pool. So most schools (but not all) decide to accept the ACT as a rough equivalent of the SAT I combined with the SAT II. Not a perfect equivalent, but good enough.</p>
<p>Given all that, if you have strong SAT II subject test scores to back up a strong score on the ACT, then by all means submit the SAT II scores----IF you can afford it. They may not be required; but that doesn’t mean they won’t be considered. My theory is, every little bit helps. Strong SAT II scores could put you on an adcom’s radar screen, and possibly push you over the top—whether your primary standardized test scores are SAT I or ACT.</p>
<p>concur with everything bc posts, except his first clause: “Because the ACT has been growing in popularity, eating into the SAT’s market share, the College Board (which administers the SAT) introduced the SAT II Subject Tests…”</p>
<p>Subject Tests have been around since the dark ages – they just used to be called Achievement Tests. Achievement Tests were required for admissions by the Univ of California before anyone in the state ever heard about the ACT.</p>
<p>However, there is no doubt that CB adopted Score Choice to compete with the ACT which now has almost as many testers nationally as does the SAT.</p>
<p>But definitely send 700+ subject test scores in addition to the ACT to the Ivies.</p>