Reporting scores on common app

attracktive · October 30, 2014, 1:47am

I plan to submit ONLY my October ACT score officially. Should I report my SAT subject test scores on the common app? Should I report my APs?

My scores are the following.
12/13 SAT: 2160
10/14 SAT: 2270
SAT subjects: math 2 800, m-bio 780, us history 760, french 710

6/14 ACT: 33
9/14 ACT: 35

APs: Bio 4, English lan 4, Calc AB 5, world 4, apush 5, french 5.

IxnayBob · October 30, 2014, 2:15am

@attraktive,

Are you just pulling our legs?

If you report ACT, you must report all ACT results.
If you report SAT, you must report all SAT results (including Subject Tests).
You may submit both SAT and ACT results.
If you took ACT with writing, you do not need to submit SAT results.

Your ACT and SAT scores are very close, but I guess the ACT has a slight edge. They are all okay scores; you will not be rejected or accepted on the basis of those scores.

To be blunt, the AP scores are no better than okay for a school like Yale.

attracktive · October 30, 2014, 2:37am

@IxnayBob‌
I promise “I am not pulling anyone’s leg.”
I guess my question is this:

**ON THE COMMON APP TESTING SECTION,**** what do I put? Just my one good ACT score and nothing else–no subject tests, no APs?

OR do I put subject tests and APs on the common app and send my good ACT officially?

*If I send my good ACT, do I have to send ALL ACTs–even though the reporting is individual?

IxnayBob · October 30, 2014, 2:42am

I’ll believe that you’re not pulling my leg if you can convince me that you read what I wrote. Better yet, look it up on the Yale website. Yale makes very clear what the rules are.

I will also suggest that if you toy with the distinction of official vs. self-reported to get around the rules, it quite likely will not be well received.

attracktive · October 30, 2014, 2:46am

I looked it up.
It’s not clear, which is why I’m asking here. I’m sorry if I seem insincere.

“How should I complete the online Common Application ‘Tests’ section if some of the colleges to which I’m applying allow me to withhold some of my scores and others, such as Yale, do not?
Follow the instructions in the testing section of the Common Application, which asks you to report some, but not all, of your scores. Then, have the College Board and/or ACT send Yale a complete set of your official scores.”

It doesn’t specify whether I can self-report scores–i.e. subject tests–without sending an official report of them.

IxnayBob · October 30, 2014, 3:00am

No, it does not specify if you can report scores without sending an official report. However, as I said, I think it will not be viewed positively if you self-report the subject tests and send no official SAT results.

As a practical matter, I would send in all the SAT and ACT scores. There isn’t a bad score among them. I would devote the energy to your essays, which will have more effect on the outcome.

attracktive · October 30, 2014, 3:01am

OK. Thank you. I will take your advice.

Planner · October 30, 2014, 3:06am

I don’t think you can self-report scores (other than AP scores) and not send them in. If you self-report the SAT subject test scores, you should officially submit them too. Moreover, if you report and send any of the SAT subject test scores, you must submit all of them–and all of the SAT reasoning test scores. Schools will look at your highest scores, so don’t worry. All your scores are fine.

IxnayBob · October 30, 2014, 3:09am

Good. Yale AO will regard your ACT and SAT results in a favorable light, in effect super scoring for you. There is no official threshold score for standardized tests, but even your lesser scores are fine. Kids will be accepted with lower scores, and other kids will be rejected with higher scores.

I am absolutely convinced that the essays and recommendations count for a lot. Achievements, especially outside of school, are also very important.

I’m sorry if I was snippy. Rough day.

Good luck.

keesh17 · October 30, 2014, 3:14pm

You can create multiple iterations/versions of the Common App - the last one overrides the previous. This may be useful for you.
Here are the instructions as provided by Common App:
<a href=“https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/962/Application-versions”>https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/962/Application-versions</a>

Tperry1982 · November 2, 2014, 1:04pm

I agree with ixnaybob. Your scores are competitive with other Yale applicants and won’t make or break you. Put your efforts into writing a killer essay, answering all the supplemental questions and getting good teacher recs. those are the deal breakers.

1203southview · November 2, 2014, 1:37pm

I think the kid had a reasonable question. The Common app is clearly for many schools, some who require Sat 2 subject tests. It would be expected that official scores would be sent to such schools to validate what is self reported. Yale does require that if you send even one subject test, you must send all scores in SAT. I Don’t think Yale would expect you to tailor the common app just for them.

Also, I think you can only change the common app twice, I.e. Have three versions of it. Generally, those changes are done for essays, I thought.

IxnayBob · November 2, 2014, 2:01pm

@1203southview‌ , I think you can change the common app limitless times, but there is a limit to essay revisions.

After I better understood the OP’s question, which was reasonable, I apologized for being snippy and gave advice as I saw it.

I still think it’s bad form to self-report SAT Subject Tests on the Common App (which is optional) and not officially submit the SATs.

gibby · November 2, 2014, 2:37pm

^^ If the OP officially reports his or her ACT tests, and wants to also submit their SAT Subject tests, Yale REQUIRES an official report from the College Board. Self-reporting of SAT Subject test scores does not seem to be allowed, as a student could proclaim better scores than they actually received: <a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/standardized-testing#t186n1778”>http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/standardized-testing#t186n1778</a>

QUESTION: How should I report my scores?
ANSWER: To report your scores, please ask the College Board or the ACT to send your official test results directly to Yale.

QUESTION: How should I complete the online Common Application ‘Tests’ section if some of the colleges to which I’m applying allow me to withhold some of my scores and others, such as Yale, do not?
ANSWER: Follow the instructions in the testing section of the Common Application, which asks you to report some, but not all, of your scores. Then, have the College Board and/or ACT send Yale a complete set of your official scores.

QUESTION: What test results should I report to Yale?
ANSWER: You must report the scores of all of the SATs and SAT Subject Tests or all of the ACTs and ACT Writing Tests that you’ve taken. If you choose to fulfill the requirement with SAT scores, then it’s not necessary to send any scores from the ACT, even if you’ve taken the ACT. If you choose to fulfill the requirement using the ACT, then you don’t need to send us any SAT scores unless you wish to do so. Whichever type of test you choose, you must report all your scores from every time you’ve taken that type of test. And if you choose to use a combination of SAT and ACT test results, you must report all scores from both agencies.

gibby · November 2, 2014, 2:53pm

The OP should self-report their AP scores, as the College Board automatically sends AP scores to the registrar’s office, where they remain until a student matriculates and the scores are added to their official college record. Unfortunately, the registrar’s office DOES NOT forward AP scores to the Admissions office – that’s true for Yale and all other colleges – so it’s a waste of money to have an “official” copy of your AP scores sent to colleges for purposes of Admissions.

Reporting scores on common app

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