ACT
ACT with Writing
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, and Harvard, Yale, and Princeton can be 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 Subject Tests. All the non-hooked 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 with Writing in lieu of SAT Subject Tests.
We think that taking the ACT with Writing benefits the majority of applicants. Since the colleges will take your highest scores on either the SAT I or the ACT with Writing, 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 with Writing. Since the ACT with Writing 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.
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 with Writing in lieu of SAT Subject Tests, so that is often a very convenient option. In short, you have very little to lose, but could have a lot to gain by taking the ACT with Writing.
Rising Seniors
We are working this week with rising seniors in our 2nd Application Boot Camp session. You can create your own focused Boot Camp by setting aside time NOW to complete your applications. It can be an overwhelming process so take it step by step. We’re here to help.
- Need help with your essays? Lead Editor Josh Stephens is a master and will work with you via phone and internet.
- Unable to make it to Cambridge to join us this week or next? Schedule a Personal Application Boot Camp and Josh Stephens will come to you.
- Want to create your own 4 Day Boot Camp for a fraction of the cost? Check out our Self Guided Application Boot Camp.
- Need help brushing up on your October Subject Test scores so your application has the numbers you need? Genius tutor Mike Barrett gives you strategies to outsmart the tests.
Once again we are indicating samples of application options. Our newsletter last week included an outdated schedule, we apologize for our error.
Types of Applications*
| Application | Deadline* | Sample Schools |
| Rolling Nonbinding |
September onward | University of Wisconsin Penn State |
| Early Action Nonbinding |
November 1 | University of Chicago UNC MIT** Notre Dame |
| Restrictive Early Action Nonbinding but may not concurrently apply to a binding Early Decision program, although may make multiple Early Action applications. |
November 1 | Boston College Georgetown |
| Single-Choice Early Action Nonbinding but unable to apply Early Decision or Early Action to other schools |
November 1 | Yale Harvard Princeton |
| Early Decision Binding |
November 1 or November 15 | Dartmouth Bowdoin |
| Early Decision II Binding |
January 1 or January 15 | Vanderbilt Vassar |
| Regular Decision Nonbinding |
December 15-January 1 | All schools |
* Double check application deadlines as they can vary year to year
** MIT’s Early Action Program is available only to citizens and permanent residents of the United States.
More Early Explanations:
Single Choice Early Action: Means you can ONLY apply to that school early, no ED schools or other EA schools. You can, in some cases, apply to your state, public university.
1. Yale: Single Choice Early Action: http://admissions.yale.edu/faq/single-choice-early-action
2. Stanford: Restrictive Early Action (but should really be called Single Choice): http://stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/decision_process/restrictive.html
3. Harvard: Single Choice Early Action: Not up on their site yet, we have: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/02/early-action-returns/
4. Princeton: Single Choice Early Action: Not up on their site yet, we have: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S29/85/15K32/index.xml?section=topstories
Restrictive Early Action: You can apply Early Action to other schools but not Early Decision except for Stanford which calls themselves Restrictive Early Action but is really Single Choice Early Action
1.Georgetown: Restrictive Early Action http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/applying_firstyear_earlyaction.cfm
2.Boston College: Restrictive Early Action: http://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/tips/s-applyingearly.html
Early Action:
UVA is regular EA now.
Year By Year – There’s Lots You Can Do
SAMPLE Questions:
I have just finished junior year and am stressed about the whole application process and selecting schools. Do you have any services that might help me?
What should I do this summer that would help me get into a better college? I’m going to be a junior in the fall?
●The Ultimate Guide to Top High School Summer Programs
My son is a smart kid and did well his freshman year in high school, but he doesn’t have any of the high level awards other kids in his school who have gone to the Ivies received. Can you guide us?
●The Ultimate Guide to Top Contests and Awards
How can I push up my SAT scores? I have time this summer, but I’ve heard that the big company SAT prep courses in a class room aren’t customized enough and sort of waste time? Any ideas?
●SAT Tutoring with Rogue Tutor Mike Barrett
My son took the ACT with Writing and followed your newsletter advice and compared it to his SAT scores and we’ve determined the ACT is his stronger test. Now how can he take it again and do better? Can you give us more info on your tutors?
●ACT Tutoring with Steve and Amy Dulan
Are two tests better than one?
Here’s a question that came in today. We thought that many of our blog readers may be wondering the same thing, so we decided to post it along with Michele’s answer.
[Read more]
Standardized Test Scores and Applications
Now that most students are finishing up both their early and regular applications, we have some more general points to keep in mind. One of our students just complained that you can’t send official AP scores online — you have to call! Isn’t that odd since both AP’s and SAT I/Subject Tests are brought to you by the same company, the College Board. In any case, that means that when you send your official scores (which you HAVE to do — they will NOT take your word for it!), you have to send your SAT I’s and Subject Tests online, but then use the phone to send your AP scores. They must just want to hit you up twice for $! Thanks, College Board. The CollegeBoard.com site says: To request that your score reports be sent to colleges, call (888) 308-0013 or (609) 771-7366 (outside the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada) on or after July 4.
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.
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