<p>I know Yale asks to send all SAT scores, but does it superscore (meaning that it adds up the best score in each section)?</p>
<p>And for the ACT, does Yale look at the highest composite score even if you send in all scores?</p>
<p>If not, will it look bad if I did badly on my first test but improved on my second?</p>
<p>I do not understand why they make us send in all the scores. Do they want to see that you're getting great scores every time?</p>
<p>Yale’s website is very clear on the issues:</p>
<p>[Frequently</a> Asked Questions - Standardized Testing | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“Standardized Testing | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions”>Standardized Testing | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions)
Q: Some colleges will consider only my highest scores. Why does Yale require a full testing history?</p>
<p>A: An applicant’s testing history provides useful contextual information to the admissions committee. With a full testing history, the committee is able to look at a student’s highest officially reported score on each section of the SAT, the highest individual SAT Subject Tests, and/or the highest ACT Plus Writing composite score.</p>
<p>Q: Why do Yale’s SAT and ACT reporting procedures differ?</p>
<p>A: We have taken this approach because there is a difference between the reporting cost of SAT and ACT results. The College Board will send a cumulative record of all SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject tests for one fee. For a similar fee, the ACT will send results for only one test date. Because we do not want students reporting ACTs to incur excessive costs, we require them to send one official ACT score report and permit them to self-report all other ACT results. We will confirm self-reported test results if we feel it to be necessary."</p>
<p>[Advice</a> on Putting Together Your Application | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“Advice on Putting Together Your Application | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions”>Advice on Putting Together Your Application | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions)
“Think of testing as just another part of the application, and certainly do not spend most of your weekends test-taking! Only retake a test if you feel you will significantly improve your scores. If your testing is in the right ballpark, then it probably will not be the deciding factor for your candidacy. In other words, don’t worry about about trying to get that extra twenty points. Instead, spend your time on things that will help you grow as a person: school work, extracurricular opportunities, time with friends — the things that will give you a stronger sense of yourself and, as a result, make you a stronger college applicant. (Bonus: they will also prepare you to make the most of your college experience and of life!).”</p>
<p>Also:</p>
<p>[No</a> choice on scores | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/jan/16/no-choice-on-scores/]No”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/jan/16/no-choice-on-scores/)</p>
<p>Remember, it’s only been a few years since Score Choice started. Before that ALL schools saw ALL scores.</p>
Hey, I’m bringing this thread back up haha.
@gibby does that ACT policy still apply? It seems like they’ve taken “Why do Yale’s SAT and ACT reporting procedures differ?” off the FAQ page. I’m just about to send my lower ACT score so I’m not sure.
I swear I’m getting freakin poor because of all this lol. I really don’t want to waste more money on sending a lower score.
I recall reading somewhere–maybe an interview–that they like to see how many tries it took to get the highest score.
They may also want to see how much time a student has devoted to test taking. At a Yale presentation this summer, the admissions officer said they like to see that students have been doing other things, not just prepping for and taking standardized tests multiple times.
@Planner, two related issues:
DS got one question wrong on SAT math. Classmates were pressuring to re-take to get a 2400; DS’s attitude was “great, I’m done.” I think most Adcoms would regard taking a test again in those circumstances as a red flag indicating that the applicant couldn’t handle imperfection. It would say more about personality than aptitude.
Some of DS’s cohort had a strategy of concentrating on one portion of the SAT to the exclusion of the others. Their theory was that via Superscore, they would have a higher total. A kid who takes the SAT with that strategy is obviously different to one who does well in the three sections on any given weekend morning.
I think, when schools are distinguishing between highly qualified applicants and trying to make difficult choices, that it’s surprising that all schools don’t request all scores (and pressure ACT to not charge additionally for each test date).
@IxnayBob I’ve heard of other students retaking standardized tests when their scores weren’t quite perfect (but pretty close to it!). It’s unfortunate that students feel this kind of pressure, whether from themselves or classmates.
I wasn’t aware that students were gaming the Superscore policy by focusing on one portion of the SAT at a time—wow.
I agree that all schools should require all scores—and the ACT policy of charging for each test report should definitely change!
As said earlier, Yale does not superscore because it costs extra to use this option and it would not make the playing field equal for lower income applicants. They use your highest scores, so it does not make a difference in the long run.
The most obvious answer is that too many tests is a red flag as to a candidates natural ability and state of mental confidence. Stop the retesting madness!