DD is applying to schools this fall and is interested in both the behavioral economics and social psychology fields. Would her ACT score breakdown disadvantage her if she indicates Econ as her preferred major at schools with less than 30% admission rates? Weighted GPA 4.45, 12 APs including Economics, Calculus, and Stats. Thanks.
What’s her unweighted? Take 4 for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C.
Assuming she’s a high GPA, I don’t think the ACT breakdown will impact her. You only showed two of the four areas so we don’t know the total score.
Most look at the total…and depending what type of school it is, many don’t even admit by major.
You might do an overall chance me - and maybe at some schools she’d be a TO candidate, etc.
So you’ve not given enough info to evaluate - but the premise of what you provided, I would not change my strategy.
But the English and Math are only 1/2 her ACT score…
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3.98 UW. 31 math, 31 sci, 35 Reading, 36 Eng
Another concern we have is that Psych is one of the most popular majors chosen by girls doesn’t that put her at a disadvantage? Not so much for Econ.
Any AP scores in these subjects ?
You might do an overall chance me - and at sub 30%, it might be schools that don’t even admit by major…but in general, I don’t share your concern.
Now, at an LAC that has many more females than males, being a female might concern me admission wise - but not the major itself.
But when you aren’t dealing in specifics (ie a chance me), it’s hard to get specific to schools vs. just an overall statement.
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5 in AP Psych, 2 in AP Calc. The rest 3s and 4s. 5 of the APs she is taking senior year, including Econ and Stats.
Reaches for her will be BC, Georgetown, Wake
I’d worry more about how much calculus she’s mastered with a 2 than I would about her future major. She will need calculus for Econ…
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Gtown you have to send all tests. Not just the sub sections.
BC - you have to decide to send or not.
At 33.25, you are under the median…but very close.
I’d lean to sending. Because they don’t do a CDS, I can’t see the % that submitted but with a 34, my guess is it’s low.
Are you planning to ED anywhere (not Gtown of course). Wake would make a great ED - and if you’re full pay, bonus - as they’re need aware, are generous to some but not many - i.e. they love full pay. I’d definitely send my scores there.
At a school like Wake, yes, guys admit at a higher rate - but not noticeably higher - so I wouldn’t worry.
I don’t think the major will be an impact - Wake, for example, most don’t choose til later. Both of these are Liberal Arts majors…as opposed to if you were going to apply to business - different school so at some colleges, that will matter.
These seem like reasonable reaches for sure - reaches as you note - but perfectly reasonable, especially BC and Wake.
Depending on if this is a super score or not, Gtown could be a higher reach (if you have other scores, in the 20s, etc.).
To me the real question is, to TO or not at BC. I personally wouldn’t go TO - I’d submit.
Best of luck to your student. They’re certainly “in the ballpark” - and again, if full pay, that will help at Wake…and ED of course, the utlimate!!!
At least that’s my opinion - others may think differently.
Thanks
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I note last I knew, there were very few colleges that even had a dedicated Behavioral Economics program. You could maybe do some sort of focus within Econ, Business, or Psych, but anything formal was pretty rare. Not totally unheard of–like CMU actually has a major (which they claim is first in kind), and Wharton has a concentration (which is all but a major). But CMU and Wharton specifically are not exactly great places for people with these interests but who are not very adept at calculus.
But I think the OP could seek out Psych programs where this is a possible focus. If they wanted to go on to grad work, I am thinking they would still want to take some related Econ. But at least it could be a little less math-intense than a full Econ major.
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Looks like USC (generally good for interdisciplinary majors!) has a cool program which is hosted in Dornsife:
https://catalogue.usc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=16&poid=24900&returnto=6417
According to their 2022-23 CDS, USC had a 25th ACT Math of 30 (34 for English, 33 Reading, 31 Science).
They have gotten very popular so have a low admissions rate, but maybe they would be a reach worth considering.
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Not concerned about that. Only concerned about how it would appear to an admissions officer if they see it. ECON majors take Calculus 1 and 2 as core requirements in college anyway.
Thanks, great school, and this program is exactly what she would want to study…just too far for us unfortunately
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For Georgetown - do you mean ACT and SAT only or do they require all AP tests as well?
By the way, BC and Wake are the private schools she likes the most…Georgetown she is not that excited about for some reason.
Their policy doesn’t state AP that I see. I bolded the part below about submitting all tests.
I would have zero concern that you are not submitting the 2.
They will know you didn’t do well and it shouldn’t matter for admission because she will be taking it again there. I know some think - well if you don’t submit…they’ll think you stunk. Logically, that’s true - if they even care - but I don’t think that’s being evaluated. So many kids, even with good AP scores, repeat classes or struggle in areas they do well - and may repeat anyway (at least in major related classes). To me, a non issue. It certainly wouldn’t be the reason a student wasn’t admitted.
And who knows what her major will be once she takes a class or two…it may change altogether, etc.
Hope that helps.
Test Requirements
Georgetown University requires submission of SAT and/or ACT scores as part of our holistic application review process. Candidates for admission should submit official score reports from the College Board and/or ACT.
SAT (SAT Code 5244)
- Students must submit an official score report from The College Board.
- Georgetown only considers the Verbal (EBRW) and Math portions of the SAT in our review process.
- The Committee on Admissions will consider the highest EBRW score and the highest Math score from multiple test administrations.
ACT (ACT Code 0668)
- Students must submit an official score report.
- Georgetown only considers the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections of the ACT in our review process.
- Georgetown does not use the new ACT super score optional reports. Please send all individual ACT scores to our office from each ACT test administration as we are not a score choice school.
Score Choice
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Testing and Early Action
- Please ensure the on-time arrival of your test scores for Early Action! Please do not wait for the release of October test scores to send your entire testing record to Georgetown.
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It helps, thanks, i’m most likely overthinking this 
We’ll try EA at Georgetown also. Deciding on ED1 will be hard.
My understanding is that you are not permitted to apply ED I or II to a school if you apply EA to Georgetown (a Georgetown rule). Assuming that is true, and assuming that she wants the ability to ED to BC and Wake, then Georgetown should wait until RD.
All that said, I appreciate your thread as we are in a similar position re scores and the discussion is helpful.
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Interesting, I had no idea about this. Do other schools with EA have such rules?
Some schools, like Stanford, Yale, and Georgetown have REA, which is Restricted Early Action. You would want to check on each school’s website what requirements they have for early action applicants.
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Georgetown seems to be an oddball that has this restriction on EA. Most schools that have such a restriction call it REA (restricted early action) or SCEA (single choice early action). Honestly, I thought Georgetown called theirs’ REA, but based on the link they are specifically calling it EA (early action). I don’t know of any other school that limits EA (true early action) in the way that Georgetown is.
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I had the same thought about the Decision Science department at CMU - the right focus, but maybe too quant-heavy, and a very different social vibe from schools like Wake and BC.
Pitt might be worth a look. They don’t have a specialized/combined major, but they do have both econ and psych, of course, plus they have this: Behavioral Economics Design Initiative, and also cross-registration privileges at CMU, to potentially cherry-pick some coursework from Decision Science / Behavioral Econ there.
Drexel could also be worth a look as a potentially-appealing safety: Behavioral Economics, Business and Organizations Combined Major | Drexel University's LeBow College of Business It would be interesting to learn more about what kind of co-ops the students tend to do.
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