Author Topic: Standardized Test (SAT / ACT / SAT II) Questions (Read 11049 times)

TpTPlayer · « **Reply #50 on:** March 09, 2011, 02:54 AM »

I'm new here, but I think this entire forum is really great! I wanted to ask admissions officers about when it is appropriate to retake standardized tests. I took the ACT and scored a 34, but I am worried that it will not be enough to make it into the BME major.
If I retake the ACT and score say a 35, which is in the top 25% of all admitted students, would it make a difference in my admissions chances compared to the 34 score?

Thanks!

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #51 on:** March 09, 2011, 09:09 AM »

Quote from: "TpTPlayer"

I wanted to ask admissions officers about when it is appropriate to retake standardized tests. I took the ACT and scored a 34, but I am worried that it will not be enough to make it into the BME major. If I retake the ACT and score say a 35, which is in the top 25% of all admitted students, would it make a difference in my admissions chances compared to the 34 score?

Unfortunately we do not provide advice on how many times applicants should take standardized exams and whether one should retake an exam after receiving a certain score. You can review the 50% ranges for our standardized exam scores here: http://apply.jhu.edu/facts/facts.html. There is no one specific threshold that a student must get on an SAT / ACT / or other exam that makes them "the most qualified" for admission. Test scores are just one of the many factors we review in rendering our decisions. In the end though, the decision of how many times to take the SAT / ACT is one each individual student must make on their own.

sheilaemayfield123 · « **Reply #52 on:** April 25, 2011, 10:17 AM »

Dear Sirs,
I understand from previous posts that the University does not superscore (combine the highest Subscores from two or more test dates to create a new Combined Score) the ACT but I wanted to know how you handle several SAT scores submitted. Do you superscore the SAT?
Kindly,
Sheila Mayfield

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #53 on:** April 27, 2011, 06:13 AM »

Quote from: sheilaemayfield123

I understand from previous posts that the University does not superscore (combine the highest Subscores from two or more test dates to create a new Combined Score) the ACT but I wanted to know how you handle several SAT scores submitted. Do you superscore the SAT?

For the SAT Reasoning exam it is our policy to review the highest scores a student has obtained in each section. For students taking the exams multiple times, Johns Hopkins will superscore a student a student’s exam, meaning we will review the highest score on each section even if those highest scores were taken on different dates. The Admissions Committee does not superscore multiple ACT exams but rather evaluates the highest combined ACT exam with Writing taken on one individual date.

itsj0hnx · « **Reply #54 on:** May 31, 2011, 12:47 AM »

Hi, i was wondering how heavily AP scores are weighted into the application process at JHU? I heard from different schools that they do not care whether you pass or not. Although i know that ap test scores don't do much these days, especially at very selective schools or your field of major, i was wondering if they are also less emphasized than sat ii subject tests?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #55 on:** May 31, 2011, 07:17 AM »

Quote from: "itsj0hnx"

Hi, i was wondering how heavily AP scores are weighted into the application process at JHU? I heard from different schools that they do not care whether you pass or not. Although i know that ap test scores don't do much these days, especially at very selective schools or your field of major, i was wondering if they are also less emphasized than sat ii subject tests?

Everything matters! There is no specific weighting of factors in the admissions review process, and that refers both to all parts of the application as well as all submitted test scores. AP scores, SAT II subject exam scores, SAT scores, and ACT scores all provide different information about an applicant, so as I said ... everything matters.

The Admissions Committee reviews both the class grades and exam grades for all AP / IB exams. Both your grade in the class and the score on the exam will matter in the Admissions review. AP exams and SAT II subject exams are not related exams so there is no stated preference for one over the other. Hopkins recommends applicants taking the strongest possible curriculum available to them in their high schools and that if often AP programs. We want to see applicants taking AP courses and AP exams, and weigh heavily the rigor associated with AP courses and exam scores.

TrimTim · « **Reply #56 on:** June 07, 2011, 01:20 PM »

Are there different SAT's? Or are they all the same?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #57 on:** June 09, 2011, 06:11 AM »

Quote from: "TrimTim"

Are there different SAT's? Or are they all the same?

It seems by your question that you may not be familiar with standardized testing such as the SAT, SAT subject exams, etc. If that is true then you need to visit the College Board website for a lesson on these tests: http://www.collegeboard.org/.

For a full description on Johns Hopkins standardized exam policy, please review this website: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/testreqs.html.

Johns Hopkins requires applicants to submit scores on either the SAT Reasoning exam or the ACT with Writing. There is no preference given to one exam over the other, and we encourage students who take both exams to send all their scores.

Johns Hopkins does not require applicants to take SAT II subject exams. We do recommend that all applicants take SAT II subject exams of their choosing, but we do not provide specific requirements on which exams one should take. It is recommended that applicants interested in an engineering major should submit scores from the Mathematics Level 2 SAT subject test and at least one science SAT subject test. This overall subject exam policy holds for applicants submitting SAT Reasoning scores as well as ACT scores.

cervelojoe · « **Reply #58 on:** November 12, 2011, 12:57 AM »

My apologies if you've already answered this question but I don't see the answer. I see that JHU's policy is to superscore the SAT but not the ACT (as of the last blog entry on this policy) - why is that? If it is beneficial to look at an applicants best scores in various subjects over multiple SAT scores why would the same not hold true for the ACT? Finally, if you indeed do not superscore the ACT, should multiple test results be reported if they ended up with the same composite score?,

Thank you in advance for your time.

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #59 on:** November 12, 2011, 06:28 AM »

Quote from: cervelojoe on November 12, 2011, 12:57 AM

I see that JHU's policy is to superscore the SAT but not the ACT - why is that? If it is beneficial to look at an applicants best scores in various subjects over multiple SAT scores why would the same not hold true for the ACT? Finally, if you indeed do not superscore the ACT, should multiple test results be reported if they ended up with the same composite score?,

You are correct that our standardized exam policy is to superscore SAT exams but not ACT exams. Applicants who take the ACT multiple times are encouraged to submit all ACT scores to Johns Hopkins University. The Admissions Committee will record the applicants highest combined score from a single testing date for the ACT, and it must be an ACT date where the applicant took the writing section. Though only the highest combined score is recorded for statistical purposes, the Admissions Committee will have available all section scores from all ACT exams submitted. We recommend students send all ACT exams taken as we do evaluate all scores, but for reporting principles we are unable to superscore the ACT exams. Unlike the SAT where each section is scored and weighed equally to create a composite 2400 score, the ACT does not work that way and therefore we do not combine the scores.

peaceisnear · « **Reply #60 on:** November 14, 2011, 05:38 PM »

So I was wondering how important an SAT 2 in science matters if i want to go into engineering program. I have already taken the Math 2 Sat 2 but the only other sat 2 i took was in bio. I would take a physics or chem SAT 2 but the curriculum i learn in class is no were as advanced as what is on the test .... so i was just wondering how much that would matter in my application.

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #61 on:** November 15, 2011, 09:04 AM »

Quote from: peaceisnear on November 14, 2011, 05:38 PM

So I was wondering how important an SAT 2 in science matters if i want to go into engineering program. I have already taken the Math 2 Sat 2 but the only other sat 2 i took was in bio. I would take a physics or chem SAT 2 but the curriculum i learn in class is no were as advanced as what is on the test .... so i was just wondering how much that would matter in my application.

As stated on our standardized requirements website (http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/testreqs.html?main), applicants interested in an engineering major are strongly encouraged to submit scores from the Mathematics Level 2 SAT subject test, at least one science SAT subject test, and one other SAT subject test. This is not a requirement, but "strongly encouraged" are very specific words. As stated previously, we do not provide any additional advice regarding whether an applicant should or should not take SAT II subject exams, nor which exams a student should take. Those are decision each individual applicant needs to make on their own.

We want applicants to consider our recommendations as strong recommendations, therefore submitting SAT II scores will make a difference in the application review. There is no way to predict whether submitting scores and which exams will impact the review of the application positively or negatively, as they are part of the comprehensive review of an applicant's file.

Evansfight · « **Reply #62 on:** November 26, 2011, 07:31 PM »

Hey, I'm a senior this year (currently filling out an application for Hopkins) and I was wondering if it is better or worse to have an unbalanced SAT score? I have a 2050, but my Math is 760, my Writing is 700, and my Reading is 590. Is the reading score going to crush me, or is it actually good that I have a high proficiency in Math and Writing?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #63 on:** November 27, 2011, 09:23 AM »

Quote from: Evansfight on November 26, 2011, 07:31 PM

Hey, I'm a senior this year (currently filling out an application for Hopkins) and I was wondering if it is better or worse to have an unbalanced SAT score? I have a 2050, but my Math is 760, my Writing is 700, and my Reading is 590. Is the reading score going to crush me, or is it actually good that I have a high proficiency in Math and Writing?

It all depends and there is no way to answer this question outside the context of a review of your entire application. Test scores are always reviewed in the context of the full review of an individual student's application. All I can say is send in your scores and hope for the best, there is nothing you can do about it now.

dared101 · « **Reply #64 on:** November 28, 2011, 12:45 PM »

I was reading your standardized test policy on the website, but it only seemed to mention your SAT policy, and it didn't seem to mention anything about the ACT. When looking at ACT scores, does Hopkins take the highest score in each section just like for the SAT? Could you elaborate a little more about your ACT policy?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #65 on:** November 29, 2011, 05:38 AM »

Quote from: dared101 on November 28, 2011, 12:45 PM

I was reading your standardized test policy on the website, but it only seemed to mention your SAT policy, and it didn't seem to mention anything about the ACT. When looking at ACT scores, does Hopkins take the highest score in each section just like for the SAT? Could you elaborate a little more about your ACT policy?

Johns Hopkins University does not superscore the ACT like we do with the SAT. Applicants who take the ACT multiple times are encouraged to submit all ACT scores to Johns Hopkins University. The Admissions Committee will record the applicants highest combined score from a single testing date for the ACT, and it must be an ACT date where the applicant took the writing section. Though only the highest combined score is recorded for statistical purposes, the Admissions Committee will have available all section scores from all ACT exams submitted. We recommend students send all ACT exams taken as we do evaluate all scores, but for reporting principles we are unable to superscore the ACT exams. Unlike the SAT where each section is scored and weighed equally to create a composite 2400 score, the ACT does not work that way and therefore we do not combine the scores.

mason.williams · « **Reply #66 on:** December 17, 2011, 05:07 PM »

This sort of question has probably been asked a million times before, but I am having a hard time finding a direct answer on the JHU undergad admissions site :S

Anyways, I took the ACT the first time my junior year and scored a 32 composite. I was pretty happy about my scores, but I received a 6 on writing which made my combined English and writing a 29 (a 5 point drop from my 34 English sub score). I retook the test to improve my writing, scored a 9 in writing and brought my combined English and writing up to a 32, but my composite dropped to a 31. From what I have read, JHU does not superscore, but I also read at: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/johns-hopkins-university/187308-how-does-hopkins-see-act-scores.html from AdmissionsDaniel that JHU only considers a student's ACT composite score.

So basically my question is this: Does JHU consider sub scores from different dates but not combine them to make a new composite (and thus consider the highest composite from one test)? Thus, if I sent in both scores would JHU replace my 9 writing/ 32 combined English and writing with the 6/29, or just consider my scores from the ACT that I received a 32 composite on? Or is the 32 composite the only component that JHU considers and I only need to send my first ACT score report?

I am sorry that this question is long and confusing and thoroughly appreciate any advice you can give me. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #67 on:** December 19, 2011, 10:09 AM »

Quote from: mason.williams on December 17, 2011, 05:07 PM

This sort of question has probably been asked a million times before, but I am having a hard time finding a direct answer on the JHU undergad admissions site :S

Anyways, I took the ACT the first time my junior year and scored a 32 composite. I was pretty happy about my scores, but I received a 6 on writing which made my combined English and writing a 29 (a 5 point drop from my 34 English sub score). I retook the test to improve my writing, scored a 9 in writing and brought my combined English and writing up to a 32, but my composite dropped to a 31. From what I have read, JHU does not superscore, but I also read at: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/johns-hopkins-university/187308-how-does-hopkins-see-act-scores.html from AdmissionsDaniel that JHU only considers a student's ACT composite score.

So basically my question is this: Does JHU consider sub scores from different dates but not combine them to make a new composite (and thus consider the highest composite from one test)? Thus, if I sent in both scores would JHU replace my 9 writing/ 32 combined English and writing with the 6/29, or just consider my scores from the ACT that I received a 32 composite on? Or is the 32 composite the only component that JHU considers and I only need to send my first ACT score report?

I am sorry that this question is long and confusing and thoroughly appreciate any advice you can give me. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Your question has already been answered right here:
http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/ask-admissions/standardized-test-(sat-act-sat-ii)-questions/msg5563/#msg5563

giko94 · « **Reply #68 on:** January 01, 2012, 06:16 AM »

I just received my December ACT scores on the 27th, and I was not able to send JHU the scores until two days ago. According to the ACT, it takes about one to two weeks before a university could receive the scores. Would such still guarantee the consideration of my scores?

Also, does JHU compute a composite "superscore" across all ACT test dates?

Please advise. Thank you.

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #69 on:** January 01, 2012, 11:26 AM »

Quote from: giko94 on January 01, 2012, 06:16 AM

I just received my December ACT scores on the 27th, and I was not able to send JHU the scores until two days ago. According to the ACT, it takes about one to two weeks before a university could receive the scores. Would such still guarantee the consideration of my scores?

Also, does JHU compute a composite "superscore" across all ACT test dates?

In the future, please review the information already posted on these forums before posting repetitive questions. Both of your questions have already been asked and answered here:

Sending test score dates: http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/ask-admissions/standardized-test-(sat-act-sat-ii)-questions/msg3195/#msg3195

Superscoring: http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/ask-admissions/standardized-test-(sat-act-sat-ii)-questions/msg5563/#msg5563

peachfuzz34 · « **Reply #70 on:** January 14, 2012, 11:06 PM »

Hi,

I took the ACT in September and got a 26. I wasn't satisfied with my score so I retook it and got a 31 on the October test. My ACT superscores to a 32 with both tests and my highest subscores can be seen on the Common Application. The US News website says that the scores for JHU must be received by December 1st so I sent the 31 and I just realized that I had not sent the 26 score. I understand that JHU does not superscore ACT , but should I send the 26 anyways or is a 31 sufficient? I also have very strong extracurriculars and I can not tell if there is a significant difference between a 31 and a 32. What should I do at this point? Is it too late to send scores?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #71 on:** January 16, 2012, 07:04 AM »

Quote from: peachfuzz34 on January 14, 2012, 11:06 PM

I took the ACT in September and got a 26. I wasn't satisfied with my score so I retook it and got a 31 on the October test. My ACT superscores to a 32 with both tests and my highest subscores can be seen on the Common Application. The US News website says that the scores for JHU must be received by December 1st so I sent the 31 and I just realized that I had not sent the 26 score. I understand that JHU does not superscore ACT , but should I send the 26 anyways or is a 31 sufficient? I also have very strong extracurriculars and I can not tell if there is a significant difference between a 31 and a 32. What should I do at this point? Is it too late to send scores?

First, do not follow any posted information on 3rd party websites about admissions deadlines and requirements. The US News website is incorrect. The deadline for applicants to Johns Hopkins University to request their tests scores be sent was our application deadline of January 1, 2012. You should always refer to our website for such information: http://apply.jhu.edu/

As has been mentioned before we do not superscore ACT exams so if you sent your highest combined score and that exam was taken with writing than that is all you were required to send. If you want to submit other scores you may but do note, we are unable to guarantee that test scores sent after the application deadline will arrive before the Admissions Committee evaluation.

gigibe400 · « **Reply #72 on:** January 31, 2012, 10:05 AM »

Hi! I'm interested in an engineering major and I read that I should take one science , maths 2 and one other subject test. Can this 'other' subject test be science subject test or not?

Admissions_Daniel · « **Reply #73 on:** January 31, 2012, 10:19 AM »

Quote from: gigibe400 on January 31, 2012, 10:05 AM

Hi! I'm interested in an engineering major and I read that I should take one science , maths 2 and one other subject test. Can this 'other' subject test be science subject test or not?

The other test can be any subject you choose. We only have a stated preference that you take the Math 2 exam, one science exam, and a third exam of your choosing.

Ana · « **Reply #74 on:** April 04, 2012, 10:39 PM »

Hello,

I live in the Midwest and my school is not offering the ACT with Writing only the ACT without writing (April); however, I personally signed up for the June ACT test with Writing. I'm interested in having all of my scores sent to JHU.
I will definitely send my ACT with Writing scores (June), but would it be a good idea to send the first test of the ACT without Writing(April)?

Thanks!
- Ana R.

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Author Topic: Standardized Test (SAT / ACT / SAT II) Questions (Read 11049 times)