ACT scores from ALL tests will now be averaged together?

buckeyeinbama · July 6

This seems absolutely insane to me, but an ACT prep tutor told a large crowd of folks this morning that about 350 colleges are now taking every ACT composite a student reports and will average them to come up with just one composite score. No.... she wasn't talking about super scoring. And no.... she wasn't confusing it with SAT's new diversity score business. For example, she said that if a student takes and reports 5 tests to a college that participates will take the average of all scores submitted to create just one composite score.

She stated this change is intended to level the playing field for kids who don't take multiple ACT exams and may not be able to afford test prep, and are therefore disadvantaged.

So this test prep tutor told kids to be careful about reporting their ACT scores to colleges, and that they should only report their best two composites.

Are colleges really doing this?

skieurope · July 6

an ACT prep tutor told a large crowd of folks

The comment by an ACT prep tutor does not supersede what a college says on its website. And no, I have not heard this.

buckeyeinbama · July 6

@skieurope Agreed and thank you.

kanfly · July 6

There are a handful of schools that require you to report all scores and they state this on their website. I know Yale and Stanford require this.

buckeyeinbama · July 8

@kanfly Yes, but do they then take all composite scores, add them up, and then average them to give you a new composite? Because that's what this woman was saying, and she wasn't talking about super scoring. I think she may have misinterpreted something she either heard or read.

myrna97 · July 8

Did she then say it is really important to pay for test prep ASAP, instead of taking a test to see how you do on your own before deciding whether to hire her?

lkg4answers · July 9

There are a handful of schools that require you to report all scores and they state this on their website. I know Yale and Stanford require this.

I don't know about Yale but I believe Stanford stopped requiring all scores. https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/freshman/testing.html

buckeyeinbama · July 9

@myrna97 Precisely. I called her on it privately, and she said she couldn't find the article/s online that discussed this. So if you can't locate the information after a quick google search... which I'd performed myself before asking her to clarify... then to me, this is bogus information. But just in case, I wanted to confirm with the hive mind on CC. (lol)

skieurope · July 9

she said she couldn't find the article/s online that discussed this.

Yeah, with no source (and she won't find one) this is a bogus claim, and if this was an event that you paid money for (and even if it was free), I'd pass this along to the event organizers. Professionals should not be dispensing false info.

ivycover · July 9

I like the concept and have heard it floated a few times before. It would be another tool to try to gain a more precise picture of raw potential. Ic

lookingforward · July 9

They don't just look at Composite. That's the first hint she doesn't really understand.

Whatever you report, whether single or multiple SAT or ACT, they scan the list to see your individual numbers. Even if they claim not to superscore the ACT, they can spot your best numbers in the various sub-scores.

No way any of us can (sincerely) imagine them saying, look, he got a 30 a couple of years ago and a 36 as a senior, let's call it a 33.

The goofy info people claim as true spins my head.

ACT scores from ALL tests will now be averaged together?

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