<p>I have two 780s (biology and maths II) in my SAT 2. I was very sick on the test day, and I suppose that on a better day I would have scored more. My score percentiles aren't all that great (Bio - 91st percentile, Maths - 83rd percentile). I'm an international student and will apply to Amherst, Duke, Harvard, Columbia, Oberlin and Smith. Would it be worth it to retake these two subjects in January? Do colleges look at your score percentiles? </p>
<p>Don’t retake. In general, schools, including highly selective ones, understand that there is not much, if any, difference between 750 and 800. The difference between 780 and 800 is probably a couple of questions - something of which the schools are quite aware. Spend your time on other things.</p>
<p>Firstly, the SAT 2s are a very small part of your application. Secondly, a 780 is practically an 800. There’s no magical difference between a student with an 800 and a student with a 780, they will be treated as people with the same academic calibre. So why waste your time and money on it? Spend it wisely on apps, ECs if you’re a junior, and if nothing else: to take a break from all this competitiveness. Please. Just breathe.</p>
<p>Don’t retake. The percentiles are misleading because the pool of SAT II test-takers is heavily skewed toward the high end of the overall applicant pool. Most colleges don’t require SAT IIs, consequently most college applicants don’t take them. The huge University of California system does require them, so most good students in California take them. But apart from that, they’re required mainly at a small handful of the most elite universities and LACs. Consequently, the pool of SAT II-takers is heavily skewed toward the higher end of the academic achievement scale, people who are planning to apply to the most selective colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Among 2009 college-bound seniors, just over 1.5 million took the SAT I. Fewer than 300,000 took any SAT IIs. Those taking SAT IIs had mean SAT I scores about 100 points per section (300 points total) higher than the mean for all SAT I-takers. So this is a pretty select pool to begin with. </p>
<p>Math 2 was the most popular SAT II, with about 150,000 taking it; their mean SAT I score was about 350 points higher than that for all SAT I-takers (i.e., significantly higher than that for all SAT II-takers). Scoring in the 83rd percentile on Math 2 means only about 25,500 people scored at your level or higher. That number represents something like the 98th or 99th percentile of the total pool of SAT I-takers. Not bad at all.</p>
<p>Fewer still took Biology—about 40,000 took Bio-M, and 36,000 took Bio-E. Not sure which Bio you took, but let’s say it’s Bio-M. The Bio-M-takers had mean SAT I scores nearly 400 points above the mean for all SAT I-takers—higher even than Math 2-takers. Scoring in the 91st percentile on that test means about 3,600 people scored as high or higher. That puts you in a very select group. </p>
<p>Bottom line, don’t even consider retaking. Any adcom is going to read double 780s on SAT II subject test the same as they’d read 800s—as strong evidence of mastery of the subjects. Top Math 2 scores are not that unusual but they’re still highly desirable in the adcom’s eyes. Top Bio scores are much rarer, and equally desirable. You’ve got both. Good luck.</p>
<p>^ By the way, even if you got a perfect 800 on the SAT II Math 2 Subject Test, that would only put you in the 89th percentile on that test. Shows you just how skewed the pool is.</p>
<p>The percentiles don’t matter as much for subject tests as the ‘regular’ SATs. Kids only take Math 2, for example, if they are pretty good at math, so the scores are high.</p>
<p>Thank-you for your advice everyone I’m not going to take/retake any more SAT IIs (I have 3 in total) because I’ve got A Level finals to worry about in January. And it’s reassuring to know that percentiles aren’t considered. Thanks again!</p>
Thanks for replying. Do you know if these colleges will look at the percentiles?</p>