Good news for Yellow Jacket WannaBEES

Please forgive the pun above. I couldn't resist. Now that my utter lameness has grabbed your attention, I will impart some knowledge that will make your cringing subside. When GA Tech says they look only at your highest scoring sections in Math and Verbal (that means ENGLISH Test from the ACT and the Critical Reading test from the SAT) from standardized tests, they mean exactly that. After speaking with Admissions Officer Beatrice Hegidio, I learned the admissions department is so eager to make you look good, they will take your highest scores from either the ACT or SAT. In short, they will mix the tests to get the best score for you.

Let's say you took the ACT and ACED the ENGLISH test with a 32. Rock on! But for some reason you couldn't get a handle on the timing for the Math section or you just couldn't remember SOHCAHTOA, and your score was less than stellar. Then again, you were murdered by the SAT Critical Reading but blew the Math away with a 750. What is a poor junior to do?! Do I take the ACT again or the SAT again? Well, if your absolute dream school is GA Tech, you might not have to do either.

According to Ms. Hegidio, GA Tech will convert the ACT Reading score of 32 to its SAT equivalent--roughly a 720. They will then add this to your SAT Math score of 750 to get your total score. You end up with a 1470 out of 1600. Suddenly, not so shabby. Remember, GA Tech does require the Writing section from either test, but this is just for statistical purposes and is not considered during the admissions process.

I hope this information helps you decide how to plan your standardized test attack. If you need more help deciding between the ACT and the SAT, read Jed's article. It covers everything you'd want to know.