Ask away- it's UChicagoPSAC! - Page 5

cs12345 · 10-18-2009, 06:19 PM

do i have to rush score the october SAT scores? scores come out on october 29th.

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-18-2009, 06:37 PM

Combine- it just hasn't been updated yet, the policy change came after the Common App for this year was available. Working on getting it fixed to match.

qwt2 · 10-18-2009, 09:38 PM

JUST to make sure, chicago is score choice, right?

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-18-2009, 09:53 PM

qwt2- I'm not sure entirely what you mean by "score choice"- we will "superscore", meaning that we will take the highest scores on subsections of any test you take and combine them for your best possible score. For ACT (where this is less possible than SAT) your individual subsection scores will all be considered from any test sitting for ACT that you had. You are also not required to submit versions of either test "with writing".

taypi31 · 10-18-2009, 10:09 PM

So, you do not superscore the ACT, right?

JHS · 10-18-2009, 11:03 PM

I think "score choice" means that a college will permit a student to submit only chosen SAT scores, not all scores on all tests the student has taken. This year, College Board is offering that option for the first time, but some colleges (e.g., Yale) will not accept a report that does not contain all scores for all tests.

(I don't know what Chicago's policy is, but it's a legitimate question and Grace should answer it if the website doesn't.)

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-18-2009, 11:39 PM

You can't really superscore the ACT, as the ACT final score is computed differently than just an average (or simply an addition) of all of the subsections. Regardless, your best ACT subsections will be looked at and considered your "whole" score as a package, and whatever can be done with that will be done with that. Scores aren't as important here as at some other schools- while they will be looked at, and it is important to take standardized testing seriously, much more weight is put on your entire academic career than the one early Saturday morning you took your SAT/ACT as a picture of you.

Score choice is new to me, and I'm not sure we have an official policy on it- I've looked though my information and on the website to confirm/deny and nothing is mentioned- but check with your regional counselor to make sure if this is an issue for you. Since we do superscore I don't see that it's really to your advantage to do score choice anyway (unless you got a 200 on one test sitting and a 2400 on the other).

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-18-2009, 11:40 PM

On rushing October scores- don't! It's a waste of your money, and they get delivered by mail instead of electronically, which makes it harder to put in the system anyway.
Here's the deal: While we would of course like to receive your scores before the appropriate deadline, for the Early Action deadline, we will accept November SAT scores and October ACT scores, and for the Regular Decision deadline, we will accept January SAT scores and February ACT scores. So, you can even keep your November SAT sitting "un-rushed" if you wish to sit for that test.

resolutely · 10-19-2009, 03:31 AM

hi. i'm guessing that there is simply no need to panic, but still:
i'm applying EA, and only sent in my SAT scores (via regular reporting) a few seconds ago, due to several problems. i took my SATs before june, so these are old scores. i'm assuming this should be alright?

JHS · 10-19-2009, 09:44 AM

Re: Score choice.

Given the way College Board has set things up, if a college doesn't want students to use score choice the burden is on the college to say so unambiguously. Chicago clearly hasn't done that. And College Board has Chicago down in its materials as permitting students to use score choice.

So, while it wouldn't be a terrible idea to confirm with the admissions office, all indications are that Chicago does accept score choice for SATs.

Note that for SAT Is, score choice only applies to test dates, not to sections of the test. If you want the benefit of superscoring, and your highest section scores are on different dates, then you have to send the whole scores from each of those dates.

GatitaZ · 10-19-2009, 10:45 AM

Hi!Grace! I wonder if this ‘rule’ applies to your school as well,"The college admissions offices do not want to receive the forms online and then receive paper evaluations and transcripts on paper. If there is a part of the online process that the counselor or teacher is unable to complete, the only choice is to opt out and do the form on paper."

Your response will be appreciated,thanks!=)

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-19-2009, 11:28 AM

Resolutely- don't worry, you're well within the boundaries of getting your scores in on time- don't sweat it.

GatitaZ- since we use the Common Application and a supplement, all of our forms are available online, and you should be able to complete them online- if you are having problems doing so, you should definitely contact help services through the Common Application website. In some cases (sending a third teacher recommendation, or sending a non-uploadable arts supplement, for example) you won't be able to submit online, and should send by mail. In cases where you can submit things online, however, definitely use the resources of the Common App.

letigre · 10-19-2009, 09:34 PM

hi again.
I tried contacting my regional counselor and I got a message saying that's it's gunna take a while to get a response from them or something and I have an extremely urgent question:

for the third teacher recommendation I've already submitted it online and I don't think I can delete it. when you say that it must be submitted by mail do you mean that the admissions office will only look at the first 2 recommendations (teacher 1 and teacher 2)? because if that's the case then I'm ok with it because i got teacher 3 just to fulfill the math/science teacher requirement that is apparently not applicable anymore. or are you going to throw my application out because i accidentally sent in my 3rd teacher recommendation online instead of by mail?

thanks for any info

motion12345 · 10-19-2009, 10:00 PM

Is 2500 words too much for a response to one of the extended supplement questions?

CountingDown · 10-19-2009, 10:01 PM

Grace -- S2 went in through the first-year link to sign up for an interview. NOWHERE did it say there was a cutoff of 11/6 for EA. Apparently the interview page has something saying that, but S was able to book the interview through the first year page.

The problem: due to football commitments, he cannot get out to Chicago until 11/14 (he has a game on 11/6). He has emailed and called his regional rep, but gotten no response. Is there anything else we can do? He is trying to see if the interviewer can get his interview included for EA.