I took 3 SATII’s in June; they were: U.S. History, Literature, and Math IIC. My scores were 740, 670, and 590, respectively. Will the 590 significantly reduce my chances at the highly selectives, even though I am interested in majoring in the liberal arts? I’m not applying to MIT nor am I interested in a math or science major, so will a bad math IIC score hurt me, as long as I can get 3 SATIIs above 700?
I am taking the SAT IIs again in the fall… I am content with the U.S. History score, but I am thinking of retaking the other two subjects. Should I work on raising my math IIC score, and should I even bother with the literature score? or should I consider chosing 2 completely new subjects? The Spanish exam would be another option for me. What do you think? I’d appreciate any advice.
<p>I wouldn't sweat it out too much. Just make it very clear that you intend to major in a liberal arts discipline. My advice would be, don't take the math IIc again, choose a new subject. If you don't intend to major in math and/or don't perform too well in it, don't make it a focal point of your application.</p>
<p>I think your 670 is alright, but if you think you can do better, try again, or pick another subject. SAT IIs are pretty quick and painless so IMO, you might as well.</p>
<p>Why take the Math IIC instead of the Math IC. The scores are centered higher on the Math IIC, but it covers more material. Have you taken practice tests for both?</p>
<p>A lot of this depends on where you are applying. The insanity of the process drops off very sharply after you get out of the top 10, 12 or 15 colleges. I don't mean that the quality of the schools drops off, but the brand-name consciousness that drives so many people into so few schools decreases very quickly. It is like a funnel that tapers sharply at the end. At a school like Emory (#20 on USNWR 2005) , a 670 would be described as a score that neither helps you nor hurts you. It would show solid work, but not outstanding achievement.</p>
<p>haha thats so weird I got basically the same scores.... I just like wasn't concentrating on the 2c or something... really annoying... wait so is it not possible for you just to not send colleges certain scores (like a 590 on mathIIc)?</p>
<p>prepschool,
sadly, no more score choice on the SAT - all scores (at the time of sending) go. Just retake the offending SAT II if you need to and don't worry about it.</p>
<p>If you're talking about highly selective as in ivies and ivy like schools, the 590 will make you a highly unlikely candidate. The 670 literature would also be an issue. Fact is, that at ivies, 750 plus SATIIs are the norm. Just figure out what you can do the best on.</p>
<p>If you have enough other scores to furfill the college's requirements, the score will probably not hurt you too much. Colleges realize that there are many reasons that you may have one low score so it won't kill your application and if your other scores are strong, then it shouldn't be a problem.</p>
<p>suze are you trying to say that if i have 4+ 750+'s, a 700 and a 590 I'm automatically a highly unlikely candidate?!?!?! I'm doubting that colleges won't understand that people have bad days.....</p>
<p>not automatically but likely to be a unlikely candidate. There are tons of people with good scores and good ECs so if u don't have something spectacular your chances are low.</p>
<p>maybe this would be a better way to state my question...
I know that when you send your SAT scores, you can't pick and choose which ones are seen by adcoms. So, let's say that in the fall I get 750+ on two SATIIs. Then I would have scores of: 750+, 750+, 740 (u.s.), 670 (lit), 590 (IIc). If this was the situation, would the 670 and 590 throw me out of the running at top-tier schools (some are Ivy, some are not)? or do they truly only consider your top 3 scores?</p>
<p>Here's some more info., if it will help...</p>
<p>SATI scores = 640 math, 670 c.r., 710 writing
(1st try, will retake, am working to raise scores. I know they aren't great, but I was happy with them, considering that many people on this forum scored MUCH worse on their first try, and are now pulling off scores of 2250+)</p>
<p>ACT scores = 32 composite. (34 rdg., 34 eng., 32 math, 27 sci.)
(this was also my 1st try, but I took it after both the SATI and SATIIs, so you can see that my math score has already gone up, comparatively. I will be retaking it also. I am thinking of sending only my ACT to schools that don't require SATIIs, because I know that it is better than my SATI.)</p>
<p>Any other advice? Thanks for the other responses, by the way.</p>
<p>Yes, I'm saying that a 590 on the math IIC will make you a highly unlikely candidate at an ivy. Unfortunately, you can no longer choose to send some scores and not others. As another poster said, there are just too many people with all 750 plus scores.</p>
<p>It still don't know what schools the op wants, but we're not talking any really top schools at this point looking at all the scores as a whole. Why do so many of you have such a hard time with basic fact. You're scores are perfectly good allie, just not top school good. Is that just crushing as opposed to being a simple reality? I'd be fine at lots of schools one can ghet into with those scores, there are fabulous ones!!!</p>
<p>Just so I can say it first, your SAT I scores are too low. I understand that you will be taking it again.</p>
<p>Now, lets assume that your difficulty of curriculum is the hardest at your school, your gpa/rank is high, and you have SAT scores of at least 1500/1600 and three SAT scores at least in the mid 700's range. At the extremely selective colleges, applying unhooked during RD, you have now qualified for further consideration. They will now pick out the people who are unique and outstanding based on their EC's, essays, and recs. By now, very few of the original applicants are left. At HYP, they still have four or five times than they have open slots for. A lot of the open slots were taken up by URM's, legacies, and so on. In addition to that, they probably used up 30-40% of their open slots with ED applicants (HY has SCEA instead of ED, but they have high yields). At this point, they don't roll dice, but luck is involved because they pick the final people on such trivial things that it is pure chance. The people who are truly identical to the acceptees are put on the waitlist which may be longer than the list of acceptees.</p>
<p>My point is that this whole conversation about an SAT II score isn't the biggest thing for you to worry about.</p>
<p>The good news is that the competition/insanity drops off very steeply after you get out of the top 10-15 schools. More good news is that the education you get at the #20 ranked school is very bit as good as the education at the #1 ranked school and it may be a better personal fit for you anyway. In addition, the education you get at the #50 ranked school is just as good too, but probably with less perks.</p>
<p>I would recommend "Acing the College Application" by Hernandez to anyone applying this year. It is concise and relates everything to the application. Anyone applying to the extremely selective schools should read "Harvard Schmarvard" by Mathews. I would also recommend that when you pick safeties/matches/reaches as an unhooked applicant during RD, that you consider a school where your SAT score is at the 50% mark to be a reach, and a school where your SAT score is at the 75% to be a match.</p>
<p>allie,
I asked about your SAT I math to see if it looked likely that you could raise the IIC - and it does. Take the practice test out of Real SAT II's, and identify the areas that you need work. My son found the Kaplan book useful - it was clear and not too intimidating. </p>
<p>A lot of things go into a college application - and your scores and grades are part of it. Your current profile is a little low for the insanely competitive schools. You can raise it, and it will increase your chance of admission. But - the thing to remember is that the most selective schools are rejecting 9 out of 10 applicants. Nothing wrong with applying - just don't count on these schools. As dufus mentions, once you look past the first few schools on the list, things get a lot more reasonable.</p>
<p>I would still suggest that you try the Math IC practice tests and compare that to how you do on the Math IIC practice tests. The rules for applying to the #1 ranked school are the same as applying to the #20 ranked school. Everything you do will be useful no matter where you apply. It is just that applying to the top 10-15 is so nuts, and your final SAT and SAT II scores are still unknown. I haven't seen anyone ask, but do you have URM status?</p>
<p>nope, I'm a white female, so URM status won't help me here. I am confident that I can raise my SAT scores, so I guess I am more concerned that my old scores are going to hurt me, even though colleges claim that they only consider the highest scores. As for my grades, I have 4.0 gpa (unweighted-my school doesn't weight) on a 4.0 scale, and am ranked 1/253. I would hope that my transcript will stand out to adcoms... though I realize that many who apply to top-tier schools have perfect grades. I know better than to "count on" being admitted at an Ivy League school, but I kind of used to have this hope that admissions standards are slightly exagerated on CC... now I'm beginning to wonder if I have any chance at all. I guess I just want to know if I am wasting my time trying to raise my scores... I know I could get into some very good schools with the scores I have now, and I'm certainly not disappointed with them... I am only wondering if raising my scores is enough to take me from "not even considered" to "strong candidate" at an Ivy League school?</p>
<p>Never, ever say you have no chance at all. You are not just a 700 something number. Adcoms may not see that because they're flipping through papers so fast they probably go through a box of band-aids a day for the cuts, but there's always a chance if you have good grades, great other scores, good ECs and a strong personality that shows through on the essays. And at the level where everyone has stellar scores, there comes a point when they must just toss up the apps in the air and admit anyone they catch before it flutters to the ground. That's a family joke for Stanford, at least.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, suze is right to a certain extent. Seeing a 590 on one of the main subject branches will hurt. But then, if the college doesn't accept you on that basis, do you really want to go there? The Ivy leagues are good all around, but you don't need that. You want to major in humanities. There are other schools that have better English/Language/History/Arts departments even than Harvard or Yale, because their resources are more concentrated. Are you sure you wouldn't be happier there? You said yourself, you want to go into "liberal arts." An LAC would suit you better, I think.</p>
<p>My philosophy is, I wouldn't want to go to a school that rejects me, because they obviously don't value me. Who wants to go somewhere they're not valued?</p>
<p>One more note: as a female, there are plenty of womens colleges available that focus on the humanities (men, unfortunately, are deprived of this fantastic opportunity; all-male schools are called sexist, while we can get away with it). With your stellar scores elsewhere, why not Wellesly or Smith? Scripps here in California is great as well.</p>