What is the consensus about "unbalanced" SAT scores?

[Anonymous]

If one score was above the 75th percentile but the other was around 25th percentile, would you submit that?

If the verbal score was the high one and you weren't applying to a STEM major, submit?

[Anonymous]

My son had that except the math was higher and the English was generally below the range. We only sent scores to one school where they mentioned needing a baseline math score for engineering. Most schools had less than half submitting scores.

[Anonymous]

People are overthinking this, 25% means a quarter of the people admitted had worse scores, of course you submit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If one score was above the 75th percentile but the other was around 25th percentile, would you submit that?

If the verbal score was the high one and you weren't applying to a STEM major, submit?

Absolutely

[Anonymous]

This is an important point. But not for the reasons of application.

An unbalanced score aka one area being much stronger than the other, is a vital sign for the parents and the student to assess where the kid is applying to.

If math is much lower than verbal, applying to a hard core stem degree such as CS, EE might not be a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Ours has more than a 200-point spread between math and language and we're sending them to everyone. I think conventional wisdom would advise against this, but I want the college that takes them to know what they're getting: a singularly-focused student with specific interests. Honestly, I think that will make them thrive at college--

As long as no one makes them take math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If one score was above the 75th percentile but the other was around 25th percentile, would you submit that?

If the verbal score was the high one and you weren't applying to a STEM major, submit?

Absolutely

+1 Yes, definitely.

[Anonymous]

I am 40- I was just looking on here to see how we are doing with our 529s (our oldest is 13). I understand the landscape has changed, but I had great counseling (wealthy suburban district in NY.) I got into Hopkins with a 760 verbal and 650 math. I ended up going elsewhere, but I was a languages buff and interested in government, and my counselor said Hopkins would love me, cause it’s so stem heavy. He also told me I’d get into Cornell but I wasn’t interested in applying. (I went somewhere else altogether.) Anyway, I think it’s possible the lopsidedness could work in one’s favor if it reinforces an applicants “story”

[Anonymous]

OP, do we have the same child? This is my kid, basically exactly (although at my DC's biggest reach, the math is actually slightly below 25th). She's submitting everywhere. Her combined score is in range, and she wants schools to see the verbal score. She knows it might hurt her with her reach, but she's not significantly more attached to that school than she is other places.

But FYI in case you're wavering, college counselor mentioned that she could always drop the verbal score into the counselor recommendation if DC changes her mind.

[Anonymous]

Mine is submitting his unbalanced scores. He is planning to major in the higher section so we figured it was worth submitting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are overthinking this, 25% means a quarter of the people admitted had worse scores, of course you submit.

25th percentile means a quarter of the people who took the test had lower scores, not a quarter of people admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are overthinking this, 25% means a quarter of the people admitted had worse scores, of course you submit.

25th percentile means a quarter of the people who took the test had lower scores, not a quarter of people admitted.

No, the PP was right. If you look at a school's Common Data Set, it's a reflection of kids who go there.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes it explains their choice of major. If their strengths/weaknesses align with the profile of their desired major, the U sees that the student is self aware are being realistic.

[Anonymous]

My kid who applied undecided but leaning toward pre-med had amn ACT with a 25/26 math/science and a 33/35 eng/read. She submitted and accepted to her reach. I will say the stem classes she took for pre-med kicked her butt so she is not doing that anymore.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been wondering about this too. Child is very strong verbally but has dyscalculia, a specific math learning disability. Math standardized testing has always been a great challenge throughout their education and we are expecting very low SAT math scores but high verbal. Not sure if we will submit. Disability is documented and there are accommodations in place but likely still going to score well below 25th percentile.