<p>I have a 29 composite on the ACT and a 2040 compsite on the SAT. The three SAT IIs I've taken are U.S. History, World History, and Bio, with respective scores of 630, 630, and 550. I know it would be optimal to hide these subject test scores from colleges, but is a 2040 better than a 29?</p>
<p>there is a converstion chart at collegboard.com, go there and then search ACT.</p>
<p>The other question I have is about the make-up of the SAT score. I got an 800 W, 680 CR, and 560 M. Obviously, the math score is low, but should I send these scores to colleges so they'll see the 800? I know some places don't even consider the writing score...</p>
<p>I would think you should submit your ACT as it converts to about a 1300 (old scale) +/_ 20 pts or so and that is much better than you SAT scores as a whole</p>
<p>I'd suggest going with ACT alone, especially if you have a strong writing score on the ACT. My daughter had the same concerns as you -- sucky SAT II scores, best score on SAT I writing... ACT scores not that great, but slightly better in terms of conversion than the SAT. It was hard to let go of the the desire to show off the SAT I writing, especially as the writing score on the ACT wasn't that hot..... but she got into colleges that were big reaches for her (NYU, Barnard, Chicago) on the ACTs alone ....so in hindsight, it was a good decision. (FWIW, my d. had a 28 on the ACT, some of her SAT scores were better than yours, some worse.)</p>
<p>Thanks, calmom...it's encouraging to know that your daughter got into those schools, and congrats...so would I have a reasonable shot at Vassar with my ACT score? I haven't heard what my writing score is yet, though. Last time I got a 10 on the essay.</p>
<p>Jackson, I don't know -- my daughter had a strong GPA and class rank -- the test scores really are only part of the picture. Just apply to the colleges that you want and which seem to be the best fit for you, and make sure you have some good safeties. </p>
<p>My daughter writes very well and got 11 on the SAT essay, but for some reason the best she could do on the ACT essay was 8 -- so she wasn't too happy about that being the only writing score she had to submit. She assumed that colleges like Barnard were huge reaches.... but she wanted to go there, and you can't get in unless you apply. </p>
<p>I really think that the test scores are probably the least important element in the package, as long as they are in range for what the school expects.</p>
<p>I also have a strong GPA and high class rank - #1. I'm student body president and have a lot of academic awards and extracurriculars. I also just got my ACT score report. My combined English/Writing is 33, with a 12 on the essay. Will my activities and this score make me at all competitive for a school like Vassar? I've heard it overlaps with Barnard.</p>
<p>Jackson, the reported ACT score range for Vassar is 28-32, so you are in range and definitely competitive. Vassar lists "secondary school records" as the primary factor that they consider for admissions.</p>
<p>I was just worried because I had heard from someone who visited the admissions office that a 29 on the ACT was the absolute lowest score they consider. It freaked me out a little because I really, really want to get in. Thanks for all the info, calmom.</p>
<p>Statistically, that's impossible Jackson -- because 25% of their enrolled students have ACT scores at or below 28. So how would those kids get there?</p>
<p>Before my daughter applied to Barnard, a professional college counselor told us it would be a waste of time, because someone in admissions told her that Barnard would not consider students witn SATs under 1400. (My daughters SATs were 1200 -- though she didn't submit them, Barnard was aware of them from her transcript, as they were on record already when she enrolled). I knew that couldn't be true -- Barnard's average SAT was 1380, and the score range was 1290-1450. But that wasn't the point, in any case. </p>
<p>With your class rank and GPA, Vassar is probably a high match, or match/reach for you. You might find the web site at collegedata.com helpful to get a sense of your chances-- you can enter your stats there and then see a little bar graph showing your chances for the college you are interested in. (Please note that you do NOT have to provide all the personal info they ask for on their registration form -- I think you just need to put in name/user name and email, everything else is optional) </p>
<p>Please don't rely on 2nd hand information. I've never heard of an ad com actually say that they have a "lowest" score that will be considered, so it is far more likely that whoever you talked to was reporting on last year's score range for admitted students - which is somewhat different than the score range for enrolled students. In other words, maybe in 2006, 75% of admitted students had ACT 29 or above. </p>
<p>Are you applying to UC's? That's what my daughter did - she used the UC system as her safety, and most of the private colleges were reaches. I figured that if the worst case scenario was 4 years laying on the beach in Santa Barbara, it was a good college plan. In the end she got into most of the reach colleges she applied to -- the bigger problem was financial aid.</p>
<p>I am applying to UCs, mostly on my counselor's insistence. Santa Cruz is a definite safety, but it's so close to home that I wouldn't really want to go there. I'm in the same boat - all the private colleges are reaches/matches, but they're so expensive that I might end up staying in California anyway. What did you do to decide whether or not to go to a UC or a more expensive private?</p>
<p>It all depended on financial aid. My daughter knew that she would have to attend in-state unless there was enough need-based aid to make a private college affordable. </p>
<p>Your counselor is right to insist on the UC's --I think I might be willing to finance up to around $25K annually for my daughter's college, but not $40+K. In any case, Barnard gave a good aid package and we are not paying anything like that much.</p>
<p>I'll probably end up going in-state (or UVM) unless we qualify for enough need-based aid. Most of the private schools I'm looking at are WAY too expensive otherwise. Thanks for all the advice!</p>