Sending scores to College - ACT or SAT?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hi I’m new to the site. D1 is a high school senior and now starting the college application process. </p>

<p>Some background information:
Public school in midwest
Rank: 1st of ~750 students</p>

<p>SAT I: 2320 (CR 760, M 760, WR 800)
SAT II: Bio 760, French 680, Math II 800</p>

<p>ACT (national): Comp 36 (Eng 34, Math 36, Reading 36, Sci 36) Comb WR 31
ACT (state): Comp 34 (Eng 35, Math 34, Reading 35, Sci 32) Comb WR 33</p>

<p>She is considering LAC and some Ivies with strong social studies, like:</p>

<p>Columbia
Northwestern
Darmouth
Princeton
Yale
Williams
Amherst
Swarthmore</p>

<p>Most colleges require either ACT or SAT, but not both. We are not sure which one to send. Any advice would be appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Send both, the highest ACT and the SAT. Both are great scores. Or, if you’d like just send the highest ACT. It worked for my D. What does national and state mean on the ACT? There aren’t two sets of scores. Great record but she still needs safeties and none of those really qualify as safeties for anybody (except possibly Northwestern).</p>

3

<p>For the ACT (national) test she registered and took the test on her own.
For the ACT (state) it was required of all juniors at her school, and arranged by the school.
The two tests are both ACT, except taken on different dates. (2 weeks apart).</p>

4

<p>Makes no difference. A 36 is a 36. Use it.</p>

5

<p>Send both. That’s the general advice: colleges consider a student’s highest scores, and they’ll decide what to make of TWO high scores.</p>

6

<p>Most of the colleges on her list require at least 2 SAT IIs (Subject Tests). As a practical matter, she’s going to have to send both her SATs (once you ask that scores be sent to a school, CB automatically sends them all) and the ACT of her choice (the 36).</p>

<p>Congrats on your D’s great record. I agree, however, that she has no safety. Northwestern is a solid match, but not a sure thing for even the best candidates.</p>

7

<p>Another vote for send both. Nothing to lose, plenty to gain.</p>

8

<p>My son’s scores were similar and we sent both. And I repeat, find a safety or two.</p>

9

<p>Agree with the others, send the SAT (which includes the SAT IIs) and the last ACT. A 36 is quite rare, and will make her stand out a bit.</p>

<p>I don’t think she needs a super-safety. She should look at schools with higher acceptance rates than the Ivies, though, like Vanderbilt, Tufts, Macalester, Grinnell, Kenyon. She is much more likely to get a merit scholarship from this type of school, if that is a consideration. The last girl from our HS to score a 36 ACT is happily attending Grinnell on a generous scholarship.</p>

10

<p>She will send both scores. She’s applied one of our state schools as her safety. Thanks for the input. It’s very helpful.</p>

11

<p>lost - Another vote here for “send both.” And as others have mentioned, that college list could use some work. Williams and Princeton on the same list? PUHLEEZ!!!</p>

12

<p>Williams and Princeton on the same list? Makes perfect sense to me!</p>

<p>A lot of years ago now, my D applied to college. Among all the various ways in which colleges differ, size mattered the least to her. It just wasn’t a factor in her decision making. </p>

<p>Maybe that’s unusual–I don’t know. I DO know though, that if you set size aside, Williams and Princeton are one heck of a lot alike. Yes, one is in suburbia and one is very rural. But in terms of the students they attract? Very, very similar schools.</p>

<p>Having said that…Williams and Columbia? But maybe the kid’s interested in art history.</p>

<p>Or maybe the kid just isn’t ready to make decsions yet, so a lot of different sorts of top schools are on her list. That’s not all bad either.</p>