The obvious caveat here is that if I send both scores for a 2360 SS, my 680M shows on the first sitting, which is probably not good.
Second, the ACT:
1st and only sitting: 35C (36M,36S,32R,34E), and the horrible 19 Writing.
The obvious caveat here is the 19 Writing, which is terrible and the 32R which is substandard. Some have allayed my fears that a 19 Writing would be a shot in the foot, but I mean, it’s HARVARD.
So, I’m not sure which set of scores I should send. I was thinking maybe the 2nd sitting SAT only and the ACT, so I can show I’m a competent writer with the 10 essay and a good reader with the 760CR. Perhaps I should send all of them?
Just to set things straight… just because you get a good reading score does not mean that you are a good reader. It means that you can take a test. Conversely, by no means does a score from a 40 minute section have the ability to judge your competence when it comes to understanding college texts. While an essay score is usually more telling, you still have to fight against the clock. Fortunately, most colleges don’t even consider your essay score, and they will understand that it’s hard to read and interpret so much in such a little amount of time. That’s the thing about the tests that I hate: faster readers/writers/thinkers have a leg up.
The bottom line is: don’t worry. Those scores are great. Send whichever scores you feel will be more impressive. Good luck!
The ACT had issues with grading the writing scores of early test takers, so much so that they reverted to the old 1-12 scale for later test takers. Given the controversy, I think Admissions will give every student with a low writing score a pass. With that in mind, I would just send your ACT score, as it is higher than either of your SAT scores.
FWIW: Although Harvard and other colleges say they superscore, Admissions must somehow differentiate between a student who took the test once and scored a 2360, as opposed to a student who took the test multiple times and scored the same thing. After all, in theory a student could take the SAT three, four, or five times, concentrating on just one section on each test, and have a super score of 2400 – which is not nearly as impressive as the kid who scored a 2400 in one sitting.
If you have the money – and it makes you feel better – you could send all 3 scores and let Admissions sort it out.
Keep in mind that selective admissions is not a meritocracy – students with higher test scores do not always get admitted at a higher rate than students with lower scores. Once your scores pass a threshold of around 2200, other more subjective factors come into play such as teacher recommendations, guidance counselor’s Secondary School Report, essays and interview report. Best of luck to you!