Should I submit my ACT and SAT or just ACT to my top schools?Answered
I got a 34 on the ACT, with a 35 in reading, english, science, and a 32 in math. I got a 1480 on the SAT, 720 reading and 760 math. I want to apply as a math/data science or chem major, but I’m not sure if I will be rejected bc my major is my lowest section on the ACT. My SAT score breakdown is more even, but lower. Should I submit both or just the ACT? Some of my reach schools are MIT, Princeton, Cornell, etc for context.
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I would definitely submit both scores because they highlight opposite strengths. So someone being perfectly objective might conclude that you are both very strong in English and Reading and strong in Math as well.
It would be riskier to just pick one to submit and which one is really better? Neither.
I don't think your acceptance, waitlist, or rejection will be based on submitting either of these scores to your targets. They are perfectly good scores for most colleges. I do think both are on the low end for reach schools like Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Columbia, UCBerkeley, UChicago, Harvard, Princeton, Rice, JHU, CMU as a Math/Data Science major.
The caveat of course is if you are an ALDC (recruited athlete, legacy, development candidate, or child of faculty) or a "hooked" applicant (Black, LatinA, Indigenous, or from a marginalized background). Then a 1480/34 is perfectly fine for any college.
If you are not an ALDC or "hooked" applicant, I recommend you consider taking either the SAT or ACT over to pull up your score to the next bracket of 1530-1560 or a 35 composite.
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I also recommend submitting both scores. Combined, they will give colleges a complete picture of your academic strengths. The main thing to consider when it comes to submitting your scores to a college is whether or not they are the same or higher than the average score of accepted students. Hope this helps!