will it look odd to colleges if I just submit 2 subject test scores and no ACT?

Applying to College
1

Hi! Im honestly so stressed right now over college apps :frowning: I have been trying to get an ACT registration since April and today when I logged on the website was down again. I doubt there will be any available testing locations around my area for the next couple of tests since all school districts have declared online school for fall semester. Besides this, I did get a registration for the SAT subject test for biology and math 2 this august and I really hope schools are open for testing. If I am able to test, I am sure that I will obtain a high score since I have been studying for months. So my question is… will it look odd to colleges if I just submit 2 subject test scores and no ACT? I understand there is a covid-19 essay question, so I will be explaining my situation there, but besides this… will I be at a disadvantage if I only submit subject tests?

To better understand my situation, here are my stats and schools I am applying to:

School: I am in a highly selective partial day STEM program with a major research school (approx. 50 students) // for the remainder of the day I attend a large public school in Northern VA
W GPA: 4.65 / UW GPA: 3.92
Rank: top 1% of class (704 students)

AP classes: Physics I, Chemistry, World History, Calculus BC, Biology, APUSH, Environmental, Psychology, Lang

Senior year courses: anatomy+physiology/microbiology, multivariable calculus/linear algebra, geomatics, research, AP seminar, AP lit, AP gov, AP physics C

ECs: 10+ years in Girl Scouts (gold award, senior leader), congresswoman’s summer leadership program, accepted/committed to Girl’s State, founder/president of STEM community outreach club, founder/vice-president of mental health matters club, varsity tennis, Women in STEM secretary, HOSA.

Notable: recognized by US navy + congress for science fair project, placed in county science fair for 5 years, semifinalist in national science fair, I have research experience/have had my work published, I shadowed a dentist for a year.

I am applying as a Biology Major

Schools I am applying to: UCLA, NYU, Columbia, UVA, VCU, GMU, U Miami, Harvard, UPENN, James Madison

2

Colleges that have gone test optional (and even the others) understand the challenges standardized testing companies are having with providing sufficient testing capacity.

For those that have explicitly acknowledged the challenge with testing by going test optional, it will not be odd.

Stats/major/etc. will have no bearing on it. Have you looked at the schools on your list - are they test optional?

3

What might have looked strange on an application in the fall of 2019 will not look at all strange this year or next. The whole admissions playbook has pretty much been tossed because of the pandemic.

Check the specific requirements of the places that are on your list. If they are still asking for an ACT or general SAT score and you can’t take the exam because of the pandemic, let them know and ask them if they can waive that requirement. My guess would be that they’ll be happy to