<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I took the SAT on the Dec.1 test date, and I managed to get a 2340 (800CR 740M 800WR). I would like to apply to Stanford Engineering and right now I'm wondering if I'm going to have to take the test again because of the 740 math score. </p>
<p>Should I take it again, or is it good enough?</p>
<p>If it isn't good enough, can a high score on Math level 2 override its potentially harmful impact?</p>
<p>Great scores! 740 is good enough.</p>
<p>You’re thinking too much into this. They might actually reject you if you retake a 2340 because you’ll look too obsessed.</p>
<p>It’s always interesting to see people with such high scores have such little critical awareness. You scored an 800 on the Critical Reading section; shouldn’t you be able to think critically about the situation at hand? Apparently not. I’d suggest that you spend the remainder of your high school career actually THINKING. Really think. Don’t worry about grades, don’t worry about test scores. Read. A lot. Philosophy is wonderful. And think about what you read! Think and think and think. Interact with new concepts, new ideas, new modes of thinking; synthesize your own new concepts, your own new ideas, your own new modes of thinking! You’re intelligent enough. Start applying yourself.</p>
<p>Dune01, what you say makes sense- that I should be more concerned with personal development than with SAT scores. I agree. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t even have to take the SAT or even fill out an application- colleges would know exactly who I am and what I am capable of by reading my mind. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), colleges cannot read my mind anytime they choose, hence the need for the College Board and their myriad array of tests. As such, I have no choice but to put at least some thought into tests such as the SAT, especially when it comes to determining if a score has the potential to detract greatly from my chances of getting into Stanford. Seeing as the score is borderline, I thought it best to seek the advice of others.</p>
<p>“The score is borderline.” </p>
<p>Please, once again, I must repeat Dune01 – think! A 2340 is an excellent score, one that many students could only dream of achieving. A 740 in math will not kill your chances, especially if you get a high Math II score.</p>
<p>Look, college admission’s officers know about the ridiculous curve on the SAT math section, and, regardless, your math subscore is still comfortably within Stanford’s (or any other college’s) 25-75th percentile score range.</p>
<p>Thousands are rejected each year with perfect or near oerfect scores, because scores are just a part of the picture. Also, I heard on this forum, although I can’t prove it’s true, that you get maximum points by admissions for 2250+. Let it go. As a poster said above, you will look obsessive retaking it with your current phenomenal score. Be happy with it.</p>
<p>Look ma’, this man is made of straw!</p>
<p>I did not say, or even suggest, that you shouldn’t put any time or effort into the SAT. Rather, I suggested that you should not spend any MORE time “worrying about test scores”. You have a high 99th percentile score. Your CR and Writing scores are at or above the 75th percentile for those admitted to Stanford. Your Math score is solidly within the 25th-75th range. Yet you need the input of others to determine if your scores have “the potential to detract greatly from [your] chances of getting into Stanford”. Do you not have the ability to think critically? I have to imagine that you do. Use it!</p>
<p>Retake or immediate rejection will follow.
Or you will spontaneously combust.
Your choice.</p>
<p>Dune01, you’re being a little too harsh and judgmental. Mattmach15, take the exam again if you wish. Stanford isn’t going to penalize you for your perfectionism. That’s a myth promulgated by the users of CC who have no clue of what they speak. </p>
<p>Stanford cares about SAT scores but you’ve hit a threshold in which I don’t think would matter anymore if you were to take the exam again and score higher. </p>
<p>Your call. Best of luck.</p>
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<p>Perhaps. I maintain, however, that in order to be successful in an intellectual environment such as Stanford, one should be able to think critically in specific, “real world” contexts. In this case, this entails understanding that having a score that comes damn near to maxing out within the inherent “error” range (± 32, I believe), as well as falls well within the range of scores of admits, will not impact you negatively. </p>
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<p>Two things here. First, without any sort of citation, I can simply say the same for your claim.</p>
<p>Notice:</p>
<p>“I would not take the test again. Stanford is going to penalize you for your neurosis. The idea that they won’t is a myth promulgated by the users of CC who have no clue of what they speak.” (Note the switch from “perfectionism” to “neurosis”: essentially synonyms with entirely different connotations. Note, also, that this situation can be viewed either way. Nice job using “perfectionism” [positive connotations abound!] there, by the way. Subtle stuff.)</p>
<p>And second: admissions officers are humans. Coupled with the “holistic” admissions process, this humanity means that a certain amount of emotional response and bias will play a role in their decision. I do not take it onto myself to assume how each individual admissions officer would view retaking a 2340. However, there is certainly the potential that an officer would view it as mildly neurotic and count it against him. This potential is something he should be aware of before deciding to retake the test.</p>
<p>Dude, you’re 18.</p>
<p>Dude, that’s a logical fallacy and has nothing to do with the conversation.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to argue, no worries. That’s totally fine. But that was a pretty weak response, man.</p>
<p>hauteStandard- Thanks, but perhaps misgauged Dune01’s intentions- I’m not sure he/she was trying to be judgmental so much as he/she decided to rant about what he/she perceived to be an apparent contradiction. Also, thank you for your input. </p>
<p>Dune01- I don’t know if you are being judgmental or are merely trying to encourage me to make my own decisions, but quite frankly the point is moot. I am aware of your opinion on my predicament (or perceived predicament, perhaps), and the opinion you seem to support- that I shouldn’t take it again- is valuable to me.</p>
<p>You are fine, Matt. If you feel you need to, you should retake it. It has to be your call. You don’t actually need to. It is just one of many factors which will be considered and if you do not get in to engineering at Stanford, it wont be because your SAT scores were inadequate.</p>
<p>mattmach, do as you wish. I just don’t think you should be taking advice from an 18 year old who hasn’t even stepped foot on the Stanford campus let alone know what the admissions committee is looking for or how they will judge applications. </p>
<p>CC users like Dune01 that think they know adcoms like they know a sibling irk me.</p>
<p>Good luck. You have my support.</p>
<p>Well, I never expected to get a whole lot out of this thread and I have been taking much the advice I receive here with a grain of salt. That being said, I believe it is good to take into account the opinions of people who are more or less my peers, albeit to a much lesser extent, along with the opinions of guidance counselors, admissions officers, etc. Thank you for your support and advice.</p>
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<p>You seem to have misunderstood my post. The whole idea of it was that I DON’T know adcoms like I know a sibling. And I’m assuming neither do you (those particular Stanford adcoms, at any rate). So it’s ambiguous. We don’t know how they would view this situation. Notice that I didn’t claim to know how they would view it; I only pointed out the ambiguity and suggested one way that they may view it. If you want to argue that the case, from our perspective, is not ambiguous, feel free. That would be the way to go about disproving my point and proving your own.</p>
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<p>You’re right. I was sort of just ranting in general. I was harsher than I should have been, so sorry about that. You have incredible SAT scores. If you don’t get in it certainly won’t be because you’re test scores weren’t high enough. In other words: you’re fine. Good luck on your admissions!</p>
<p>I heard from admissions personell from a few top tier schools, but not Stanford specifically, that retaking tests too many times, or retaking when your scores are already high ( 2250-2300+) can be a red flag for them. They would rather you spend your time doing something else more productive.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your excellent scores. Because you’re applying for engineering, I imagine your math score would or might be considered more closely than the reading and writing scores, and thus the question really comes down to whether the 740 would be considered adequate by Stanford Admissions. Why not email them and ask what math number they look for specifically for engineering applicants? And then let the rest of us know what you find out…</p>