In December 2015, I took the old SAT for the first time with absolutely no prep, got a 1790 (obviously way too low for ivies).
In May 2016, I took the new SAT and got a 1340 (Also too low for ivies, especially Penn).
Then in June 2016, I took the ACT for the first time and got a 34 composite.
For applicants that have taken both the SAT and ACT, Penn requires them to send ALL test history from both tests. My application would never get a chance with my SAT scores, but my ACT scores are definitely competitive.
Aside from other important factors like GPA, ECs, letters of rec, essays, etc., will the HUGE discrepancy between the two tests potentially hurt my chances for admission?
You might want to check with Penn, again. I don’t believe you need to send the SAT scores if you are relying on the higher ACT score. My understanding is that you only need to send the entire score history for one or the other (SAT or ACT), but I might be wrong. Hope this makes sense!
You do need to submit both tests if you have taken both ACT and SAT as per Penn’s website:
Score Choice: Penn requires applicants to submit their entire testing history; we do not participate in Score Choice. If applicants have taken both the SAT and the ACT, they must submit their testing history from both exams.
The good news is I have heard the computer just plugs in your top score