ACT Testing
After the transcript, colleges give most weight to test scores. At schools like Dartmouth and Columbia, the average verbal SAT score is about 730, and the average math is 735. That’s typical at all the top schools although, Cornell and Brown can be a bit lower, Harvard, Yale, Princeton a bit higher. Clearly in order to get into this top category of schools, you MUST have strong test scores. Typically on SAT Subject Tests, most students aiming for top colleges earn over 740 on three SAT II tests. All the unhooked students we have worked with who have gotten into Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Yale have tended to have 740 and up critical reading, 730 and up in math and 730 and up in writing.
Some schools, however, will accept the ACT in lieu of SAT Subject Tests.
We think that taking the ACT benefits the majority of applicants. Since the colleges will take your highest scores on either the SAT I or the ACT, you can let them choose your best score. Also, it can offset a weaker writing SAT I score if you take the writing section of the ACT. Since the ACT is a bit less aptitude-oriented, some students do better on it than on the SAT I. Plus, it’s shorter than the SAT I so those who have trouble concentrating for four hours have an alternative. Science students tend to like the ACT as it has a science section.
There are two noticeable advantages to the ACT: 1) they have complete score choice so you can take the test ten times and report one score, no scores, two scores, etc… to colleges. The SAT I has recently changed their scoring policies to remain competitive with the ACT and after 2009 they too will go back to scores choice. 2)There is no guessing penalty, which means you can fill in every answer instead of figuring out which ones to leave blank.
Some colleges (you have to check each one individually) will accept the ACT in lieu of SAT Subject tests, so that is often a convenient option. In short, you have little to lose, but could have a lot to gain by taking the ACT.
To sign up visit: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/currentdates.html
Ivy League Admissions Statistics
Our exclusive data on the Class of 2014 Ivy League Admissions statistics, now updated for Early Action and Early Admissions for the class entering 2010. See exactly how many students applied and how many were accepted to different schools.
Learn More...
Blog Topics
Find college application and testing help by browsing our stories by topic:
- Academic Index
- ACT
- Colleges
- Essays
- Home Page Items
- Insider Tips
- Ivy Admissions
- SAT
- Standardized Testing
Academic Index Calculator
Since the 1950's, Ivy League schools have used the Academic Index, a ranking formula, to evaluate students. Find out how you rank according to the Academic Index.
Learn More...
Become an Affiliate
You can become an affiliate and sell our Application Boot Camp™ products and services.
Learn More...
Comments
Got something to say?