I just took the SAT and received a 770 Verbal and 760 Math. Is it worth all the stress and pressure etc. to try to get an 800 on math? And what if I do worse?
<p>The difference is 40 points. how did u get that 760? (jus playin)</p>
<p>That is a great score. If you do worse nuthin happens because most schools take highest in each.</p>
<p>Don't retake....40 points, especially in the mid-700's, is not going to make or break ANY application.</p>
<p>I think it's rather naive to invariably say "don't retake." "It's not worth the effort." What effort? You spend four hours on a Saturday morning...hardly an eternity. Some people may say "work on your essay." I say--and especially when you're applying to a high-end tech school, e.g. MIT, Caltech--retake.</p>
<p>I have to say that I disagree with Gatsby. The difference between a student who has a 1530 and a 1570 when being reviewed is pretty much nothing. As an adcom said at Columbia, "If you're SAT I score falls within the median range, it is never looked at again." They don't care between a 1530 and a 1570. What else can you being? Diversity, personal character, talents, passions, interests. All of those are more important, along with solid recommendations as well as great essays. Far more deserving of your time.</p>
<p>I think it looks negative to retake when you are in the 1500's--it's fussy and anal. Because there is virtually no difference, it makes you look like you don't have good judgement.</p>
<p>Don't retake. Many schools see obsessive testing as a negative thing. If you are applying to MIT or Caltech, you should get 800 on math the first time.</p>
<p>At that score, I really doubt that it would be of any help.</p>
<p>My opinion is to move on to other things. But I will tell you the situation. For most schools it won' t make a bit of difference. The way the most selective schools assess a student is giving some sort of score for the testing profile or the academic profile. The difference between a 1600 and the beginning of the next category is zilch. Both kids get the same rating, say a 10 out of 10. The catch is that schools vary as to what their break points are and they are not telling what they currently are. It also differs from school to school. Some schools use all 5 SAT scores-the SAT1 plus 3 SAT2s and assess on that basis. You can see that in a case like that, 40 points again could possibly bring a student up from one breakpoint to another category. Also if the academic mark is calculated adding the SAT score to the calibrated GPA or class rank. So there are situations where it could make a difference.</p>
<p>But in the scheme of things, the chances of it making a difference are very small. And yes, you can go down. In fact you have more room to go down than up. If you do decide to retake it, you might consider sending the score you have now and then sending the future score later, only if it is higher. It'll cost you more doing this but gives you the option not to send a score that goes down.</p>
<p>So a 760 probably means you got 1, <em>maybe</em> even 2, questions wrong. Those 2 questions will NOT make the difference between accept/waitlist/deny. And there's a good chance that the next time you'll make a careless error once more and still not get an 800. Hopefully you already have an 800 for the SAT II Math II C, and maybe even a 5 on an AP Calc test.</p>
<p>yeah, yale especially discourages retaking too many times (2 max they say) and you have a great score, no one is going to care that you have a 1530 vs. someone else who has a 1570, once you're in the range, your sat scores aren't looked at ever again</p>
<p>I got 1520 and I'm taking again because my math is 730...I know I can do better and if you're already getting a 760 math you obviously know all the information and could easily get an 800. I think the perception that adcoms see it as "fussy and anal" is way overblown. Every counselor and college rep I've talked to says that they don't care...Standby, here I come!</p>
<p>And btw, the article where the yale director said "if they take it more than two times we think they're strange" - that article was a joke. And, would a director of a university that is always on the lookout for stronger applicants and lower yields really say this and turn off some students??? I think not...</p>
<p>That's silly. People are so hung up on scores nowadays. Sure, you CAN get an 800. WILL you?? maybe, but most likely not. I got an 800 on IIc math and a 780 on SAT I math, it wouldn't make any bit of a difference. And by over-preparing for math your verbal will probably go down. </p>
<p>In the end, it's just a FEW test scores. College admissions officers are VERY well aware of the fact that if you received a 1530 on your SATs you are fully capable of receiving a 1600 with some studying. Now what they look for, are the students that take that extra time spent studying for numerous SAT retakes and do something productive with it.</p>
<p>"And by over-preparing for math your verbal will probably go down."</p>
<p>I'm not studying...</p>
<p>Well then, go ahead, I think the statistics they provide you with your SAT scores is somewhere along the lines of 80% of the people who retake a 1510 see their scores go down, I imagine the higher the score the higher the percentage</p>
<p>oh wait, you're not the creator of this thread. I was talking to the original poster who asked the question... you didn't ask us anything therefore I wasn't referring to you, silly :P</p>
<p>jeez, i am silly...</p>
<p>i think the higher your score is...the less the chance that you will improve by a very large margin...i know someone who retook a 1460...(which i thought was the right thing to do!)...after studying hard for three months straight...and got exactly a 1460 the second time around..!!!...i was actually considering retaking to increase my 1540...but i think i'd rather spend the same amount of studying time on writing and improving my essays...those count for a lot more i think!
make sure you make your own decision though...so you don't have regrets..!!!
good luck!</p>
<p>So, the general consensus on this thread (with a couple of exceptions) seems to be that retaking anything in the low to mid-1500's is silly, because it doesn't make that much of a difference in admissions, right?</p>
<p>However...what about SAT scores in regards to merit scholarships at selective schools? For instance, I'm looking at Vanderbilt and would love to go there, but I'm really hoping for some merit aid. The Vanderbilt website states, "The level of competition for honor scholarships has increased greatly in recent years. Recipients of these awards for the fall of 2002 were usually in the top 1% of their high school class while enrolled in rigorous academic programs. They typically scored above 1500 on the SAT-I and/or above 34 on the ACT. Additionally, they exhibited strong leadership or exceptional talent outside the classroom." Do you think that my score of a 1540 would limit my chances among the group of kids who would be the top candidates for merit aid? Would a retake be worth my time to try and raise my math score (740)? Do you think, between me and another candidate for aid with similar extracurriculars and grades, if that candidate had, say, a 1570, could I come out the loser simply because of my 1540?</p>
<p>Argh. I think I would feel more at ease if I had just gotten to the 1550 mark or above. Is it as big of a deal as I'm starting to make myself think it is?</p>
<p>You said it perfectly! I guess monday I will call some ivy league schools and ask them this question.</p>