My student will be applying to many highly selective schools including Ivys, Duke, GTown, Vanderbilt. She took the SAT once and got a 1510 (and 22/24 on essay). She also took the ACT twice. First time composite 30 (english 32, math 28, reading 33, science 26) and second time composite 33 (english 35, math 33, reading 30 and science 33). She is hoping to major in Economics and qualified to apply for the Hispanic National Recognition Program.
My question: Is it worth sending in both ACT scores to get a Superscore of 34? But that means that the low math (28) and science (26) will be seen. Should she send in the 33 composite ACT with the 1510 SAT? Or maybe just the 1510 SAT only?
Just my opinion, but I think I’d just sent the SAT. It’s a great score! (Some of the schools that your daughter may be looking at do not superscore the ACT.)
Note also that last I looked, Georgetown recommends three SAT subject tests. Please make sure she has at least one (preferably two) safeties as well, meaning a school that she is very likely to get in, that you can afford, and that she would be happy to attend. Good luck to her!
@angelaruth0750 I would not send the 30 ACT score I don’t think that the one point will make that much of a difference when you are that high. Also, not all schools superstore the ACT so check the schools she will be applying to. The concordance table shows that a 1510 SAT is equal to a 33 ACT so I’m not sure that you need to send both. I would also check with your DD guidance counselor on their opinion. Good Luck!!
IMHO, I do not see much point in sending in the two ACT scores. Although a 33 or 34 is a competitive score, I do not think it will be considered drastically better than a 1510. If you are curious about SAT to ACT conversion or vice versa, you can refer to the concordance tables published by the College Board. If your student’s SAT section scores are well-balanced, sending the SAT score only would probably be the best choice. I hope this helps.
1510 and 33 are equivalents. However, you should check the Common Data Sets of the schools she is interested in to see where the scores fall against entering freshmen to see if one score is marginally superior to the other for that school. Very few schools superscore the ACT. Some schools allow you to choose which scores you send while others require you to send all scores (could be all SAT’s and ACT’s, or if you choose one test, then all scores of that test, e.g. all ACT’s the student took). Since most schools superscore the SAT, you may consider having her take the SAT 1 more time, although a 1510 or 33 puts her in the competitive pool already.
SAT’s concordance table says 1510 is the highest score corresponding to a 33 - 1520=34 - so I’d read it as a 33.25.
The 33 composite is a rounded up 32.75 and even superscoring would be a rounded up 33.5. So sending all of the ACT’s adds maybe a 1/4 point on the ACT while showing the 26 and 28 you’re worried about.
ACT’s table says a 33 corresponds to a 1440-1480 and a 34 to 1490-1530. So I’d translate the 33 to 1450 and the super score to 1500-1510.
You will need to check the requirements for each of the schools. Some schools (Stanford, for example) will want to see all SAT and ACT scores if both tests were taken. Others will let you choose whether to send the SAT or the ACT, but if you send either, you must send all scores from that test.
I you can choose SAT or ACT, send the SAT and don’t send the ACT. If you need to send all of the scores, do so.
Check your college’s published ranges. Other than that (including comparing section scores), send the SAT. 1510 is 99th percentile; 33 is 98th percentile.
College Board and ACT are planning to jointly publish a new concordance this summer.
As I recall, you can eliminate one ACT score from your record and it should not be reportable. So for schools that require all scores I would eliminate the 30 and stick with the 33.