I recently took SAT and scored a 1540 (790 Math and 750 English/Reading). My goal is to be accepted into a top 10 school. As of now my act score is a 36 (Subscores: 36, 36, 36, 36). As there is such a discrepancy between my two scores, would you recommend retaking the SAT? I would have to take it in August which wouldn’t be the best time for it. However, if anyone thinks it would significantly improve my chances I would be open to studying.
Notes:
SAT Math II: 800
SAT Chem: 770
I would be pursuing an engineering major.
I hope to submit both tests.
I don’t see “such a discrepancy” between 1540 and 36. When reading your OP, I thought you might be joking. I recommend focusing on other areas of your application. A 1540 will not be the reason you are rejected from a target school.
Do you mean top-10 for engineering? or do you mean “Ivy League +”? they are not the same thing.
Applying with a 36 and a 1600 will not improve your chances over applying with “just” a 36. At the level you aspire to the top stats are just the starting point- they expect that, then it comes down to ‘what else do you have’. Put your time & energy in what you are doing this summer.
Lol, if you better understood what top colleges look for, you wouldn’t ask. You’re acting embarassed by a 750. Huge misunderstanding that’s likely to cause you more grief than that score.
My opinion, harsh as it may seem, is that no one should set sights on any holistic top 10 before they understand what those colleges value and look for. Holistic. Not, ‘He with the 1600 wins.’
I do understand that there are multiple factors when attempting to apply to a college. I was just wondering if there would be any real benefit for attempting for a higher score assuming that the rest of my application was good.
There is zero reason to retake the SAT when you have a perfect score on the ACT. Getting a 1600 on the SAT will not make them more likely to accept you. There is also no reason to submit your SAT score. You have a perfect ACT score. There’s nothing better than perfect.
In addition, if you submit your SAT, it’s likely that any of those top colleges you apply to will require all SAT scores. There is a good chance you will do worse on a retake—it’s common, apparently as often as 40% of the time. So you will have to submit your perfect ACT and maybe your imperfect SAT score, or scores. Top colleges don’t allow you to super score or choose which scores you want to send.
There is no benefit, and the distinct possibility of weakening your app.
Just to note:
Nearly all of the top colleges allow both superscore and/or sccore choice. There are only a few minor exceptions
Would it benefit me at all to submit both my SAT and ACT score? I’d rather not just send one unless it would negatively affect me. Also to clarify, I am attempting to be accepted to the top engineering schools (MIT, Stanford, etc). As such, would my lower reading score even matter?
I still think you’re worried about the wrong thing now. You can decide in October or December. Submitting both sets, when one is all 36 and the other is also above the bar isn’t any special tip. Not like they say, “Whoa! This kid mastered both.”
It seems to me that you don’t truly understand yet. 750 is fine. To worry about this and call it “lower” is off. You’re falling prey to a typical hs kid idea that you need to do better and better and better. So much more matters to S and MIT. So much more.
why is it so important to you to “not just send one”? do you have some idea that (as @lookingforward suggested) MIT will be more impressed if you have a 36 + a 1600 than if you have a 36? go read their blogs- you will see that they won’t be.
^^^^THIS^^^^
If you are interested in being an engineer, THAT should be your goal. The school which you attend is no more than a way for you to achieve that goal.
I mean, what happens if you manage to be accepted to engineering in MIT, GTech, UIUC, Cornell, or UCB, and drop out after a year? Based on what you wrote here, it doesn’t matter, since you have achieved your goal, no?
Yeah, they allow it, but guess what? Many require you to send ALL tests. They still require all your tests form either the SAT or ACT.
From Stanford (note the word ALL):
Superscoring Test Results
We want you to have the best test representation possible, so we will superscore your results according to the following rubric:
For the ACT, we will review all subscores and focus on the highest Composite from all sittings.
For the SAT, we will focus on the highest individual Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math scores from all test sittings. For SAT exams taken prior to March 2016, we will focus on the highest Critical Reading, Math and Writing scores. Because we are not able to superscore across the two exams, we will superscore results within the old and new SAT exams separately.
For the new SAT, you may have taken a sitting with the essay and a separate sitting without the essay. We will superscore your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math scores across these two versions of the exam.
Believe what you want to believe. The truth is that a 36 is a perfect score. You do not need to submit any other tests, and if you choose to submit the SAT also, you are not enhancing your chances, especially not if you retake and do worse. More does NOT equal better.
Google MIT Applying Sideways. Then you might understand.
BTW, you appear to have two user names, because you are answering questions for @hhghh123 ‘s post as the user @HH3320 . That is not allowed.
And as part of the learning required to match yourself to their wants, you really cannot “assume” the rest of your app is good. They may be super, in your one hs, but lost in the vast competition for a tippy top college.
I actually don’t understand how wannabes to S or MIT choose these targets, without reading the MIT blogs or more from the colleges. It means you aren’t oriented to what it takes, not even vaguely.