<p>I made a similar thread in the Caltech forum, but I'd also like to get the opinion of you guys on the MIT forum.</p>
<p>I got my SAT results today and got a 2310 composite score, with 790 CR, 720 M, and 800 W. I'm very happy with the CR score but math was a major disappointment. My question is, how much would my 720 math score hurt me if I apply to MIT? Will a 790 CR score help balance it out?</p>
<p>Looking at the MIT website, I noticed a couple interesting things. First of all, the admit range for those with 750-800 CR scores is relatively high, at 27%. I would imagine this would be even higher for those with 790-800. This seems to indicate MIT likes high CR-scorers.</p>
<p>Additionally, there's not a huge drop off in the admit rate for 750-800 Math vs. 700-750, only a 5% decrease (vs. 9% in CR). Will MIT really care that little whether an applicant is in the low or high 700s? If it makes a difference, I got an 800 in Math II.</p>
<p>I suppose none of this matters if I retake the test and get a better math score, but my parents don't want me to retake it.</p>
<p>Anyway, any input you have to offer is appreciated :)</p>
<p>This is probably not what you´re looking for, but the best advice I can give you now is to stop analyzing the scoring breakdown data so carefully and just focus on other parts of your application to make it stand out.</p>
<p>I still think exam scores are a very small portion of the MIT application, and I have really felt that MIT places a far less emphasis on scores than say, Harvard, for example.</p>
<p>I think it´s a very respectable score. If you can do so well in reading and writing you might reconsider redoing the SAT I if that is really something you want to do. SAT math is not hard to get a 800 in, and if you eliminate your careless mistakes you should be able to get a far higher score.</p>
<p>They use test scores to make sure you’re academically capable. They’ve said they want to see 700s. You’ve definitely got that. Don’t worry about it :D</p>
<p>(If I were the admissions officer, I’d think, “Interesting spectrum. A good day, perfect score. A bad day, still definitely academically qualified.” <em>check</em>)</p>
<p>Looking at your posts, you are obsessing on your SAT scores way too much. Stop it right now. Like Oasis said, focus on other parts of your application. Or just focus on your life.</p>
<p>That said, the MIT application asks you to list the score and date of each part of the SAT I on a separate line. Essentially, they are asking for your superscore. So if you think you can retake and do better on the math (without obsessing or wasting a lot of time in preparation!!!) why not? It’s only 4 hours out of your life. Besides, other universities might be impressed with a higher score.</p>
<p>As for what else MIT is looking for, read their admissions website, especially “The match between you and MIT.” Take it to heart.</p>
<p>I refused to take the SAT more than once. I actually had a similar situation to you (slightly higher math score, slightly lower CR score, and perfect writing, but still, not a perfect math score, which at the time bothered me a little…and I am certainly a math major at heart). </p>
<p>It really will not matter at this point, you really ought to focus on the rest of your application as everyone is saying.</p>
<p>Honestly, SAT scores aren’t that major. If they were, I certainly would not have gotten in. I would say stop stressing and work on those EC’s and Community Service! Oh, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take the ACT instead of retaking the SAT, and study for those SAT II’s!</p>
<p>I missed one question and got a 740 on the Math section of the SAT I. But I had a lot of math awards and later got an 800 on the Math SAT II (a bit easier considering careless mistakes are less damning – a 44/50 is an 800). I decided retaking would signal “obsessive stat-monger” more than “good at math.”</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice everyone. It’s interesting, MIT people are largely saying chill out and don’t retake and Caltech people are mostly saying I should retake.</p>
<p>I understand everything about other parts of the app being more important; one low score not killing me; etc. However, college admissions have become so competitive that I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. I was just reading another an article about how admissions officers have so many great applicants that they basically have to look for excuses to reject some of them. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I don’t want an admissions officer making a decision between my app and someone else’s and saying, “These are both very strong applicants, but that one guy’s math score…”</p>
<p>Anyway, I think I’m just going to think about it for a bit. I probably wouldn’t retake until October anyway.</p>
<p>If you are applying to Caltech, the 720 Math will be borderline red flag for them. They only admit like 600 people per year, and they want the people who will do the best in their rigorous and advanced classes. If you have some evidence that the 720 Math is a fluke, like, for example, acing number theory or getting a decently high score on the AMC (definitely over 100,) then that will help. I’m sure Caltech would rather have the 110 AMC/720 SATI Math guy then the 90AMC/800 SATI math guy.</p>
<p>Definitely chill out (re: MIT admissions, at least). Anything over 700 is viewed as essentially the same. I got in with a…700, I think. (See, it matters so little I barely remember anymore…)</p>
<p>I’m sure if you contacted them, you could make arrangements to take it at another school that was offering it. Or, maybe they would send a test to your high school and one of your math teachers could proctor it.</p>
<p>However, if you’re a junior, it’s too late for it to help you since the test is in February.</p>
<p>If you like math, you could get involved in USAMTS. Basically, you do problems (no time limit) and mail them in to get scored. If you do well, you automatically qualify for the AIME.
I don’t know the timetable for USAMTS. </p>
<p>Hampshire college has a program in which you get to do math team type problems. (I’m not sure if it is Hampshire College or a college that sounds like it. It’s a fairly well-known program among math people, though.)</p>
<p>But I wouldn’t do these things to make up for a math SAT. You probably could raise it to above 750 by doing a couple of practice tests and checking your work on the exam.</p>
<p>Caltech is definitely a lot more score-oriented than MIT. Their average score ranges are already clearly higher than MIT! </p>
<p>But yeah, since MIT superscores anyway, as long as you focus on math and get a 800, it really doesn’t matter how you do in writing and reading (and pending that nothing drastic happens, you probably can duplicate the same range of scores again?).</p>