SAT/ACT on resume

I personally don't think its a big issue whether or not you have your SAT/ACT scores on your resume, as I know people with both options that have done fine finding jobs. I was told the other day though that it cant hurt if you have good scores, especially math scores. My deal is this: I received a perfect math score on both tests, but my overall testing wasnt really anything to be impressed about (just shy of 2200 on SAT and int the lower thrities on the ACT). I took both tests only once.

Should I include my scores just for the math parts or just keep them off entirely? Personally, my vote is to keep them off because I think its kind of odd to have a test from 4+ years ago on a current resume, but I just wanted just wanted to hear your opinions on the issue.

19 Comments
 

Not sure why these guys are saying no... A lot of banks require that they have your score and want it on your resume. (This also goes for buyside recruiting as well after you get an IB stint). Only put what is higher (ACT or SAT) and put composite or breakout depending on what looks better. Since you got a perfect math I would put that and your total like so:

SAT: 2,190 (Math: 800)

But that is just my opinion.

I think below a 2,100 is bad but your score (while not superb) won't hurt you. Harvard's middle 50% is 2100-2380 so your score is in that range.

 

It looks a little desperate. Unless you got a >1570/ >2350, target school + engineering says enough about your SAT scores. It certainly says more than an SAT2.

Does target mean Cornell, Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, CMU, or Princeton or is it a more liberal-artsy sort of school? You're going to have to compete on two fronts- both against students pursuing other majors at your school as well as the kid from MIT with a 3.8 and still some semblance of a personality.

Remember a 3.1 in engineering is more like a 3.4 somewhere else. Just try to get it up to a 3.3-3.4 so someone who wants to go to bat for you can try to sell it as a 3.7 in a liberal art.

 
Best Response

So to be clear, unless I'm missing something, it's either one of those schools I mentioned (targets with strong engineering programs) or it's not (EG Columbia, Yale, Penn, arguably Harvard is on that list.) You get the most mileage "Engineering is a tough major and the curve is difficult" boost if you go to a school that's not just a top 10-20 school but also a top 10 engineering program.

The last thing I want you to do is feel discouraged- you can sell a 3.1 GPA if you're confident enough, and it's easier than selling something that starts with a 2. But the reality is that with a 3.1 Engineering GPA at a Yale/Columbia/Brown, you're in line behind the UT Austin, UVA, and Georgia Tech engineers who managed to scratch out a 3.6 or 3.7 GPA in a top ten engineering program There are a lot of those guys and many of them won't get offers.

 

I doubt it matters at all, but most bankers took the SAT as it is more prevalent in admissions at highly selective colleges. But If you want to get creative, and use your higher standardized test score, you can use one of the online converters that convert an ACT to and SAT score.

 

The only time i've ever been asked about my SAT's they were just looking for math to be above 700...i literally got a 700(was lazy in HS), and they just said okay thanks, just wanted to make sure it was 700 or higher. so having a 710 should be fine--normally they just use it to check a box rather than really grill you.

In terms of listing it, because it was in high school they don't really think twice if its not on there, but it can be a nice addition if you did very well--its not like GPA where not listing it makes them wonder about your intelligence, since it was in high school and they have a better benchmark to look at--your GPA.

 

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