Are My SAT 2 Scores Good Enough for MIT?

Hello. I’m a freshman in high school and took AP Biology this year. I took the Molecular Biology subject test and scored a 730. Is this good enough to get me into MIT? I know you need a science and math subject test but I’m not sure about their score selectivity.

730 is very good considering that you are a freshman in high school.

I think that you should wait and see how you do over the next couple of years. Hopefully you will not be taking the math or main SAT tests for a couple of years, and you can see how you do as a junior.

A lot of students arrive at MIT with multiple SAT scores in the upper 700’s or with 800’s. I think that when I was there roughly half of the incoming students had a math SAT of 800. However, these were students who had taken the main SAT and subject SATs as juniors or seniors in high school. Personally I took the chemistry SAT as a junior and everything else as a senior. You really will get stronger as a student over the next two or three years unless you burn yourself out by trying to do too much.

I would caution you against jumping ahead too quickly with AP classes, and particularly against jumping ahead in math classes. It is perfectly okay to wait until senior year of high school to take calculus, or even to wait until university. You do not want to overload yourself too early. Stick with a pace that works for you.

There are a lot of other very good universities. Keep up the good work, keep an open mind regarding which universities you want to consider, and I think that you will do well.

SAT subject tests for biology are generally not recommended. It is harder to get 800 on them than other tests. These schools generally like to see 800s (or close to it) for subject tests.

Don’t need an 800. Do need a respectable 7xx. They’ll see the 730 in the context of freshman year. Your other scores need to be a bit higher, in general, for a stem major.

Bigger issue for now is the AP score.

Right, don’t rush ahead. An admit is more than loading up on AP.

A 730 on your subject test is good enough for MIT. It won’t get you accepted or rejected, but it will get your application put into the pile of applications worth considering. It will tell the admissions office that you are likely to succeed academically if they choose to accept you. Ignore anyone that tells you that you need a higher score to be considered at MIT. It’s simply not true.
I do disagree with @DadTwoGirls about taking calculus in high school. If you are planning on applying to an engineering school or major, you will unlikely be accepted without having taken the equivalent of at least AP calculus AB before graduation.

Yeah I’m taking Precalculus next year. So I’ll be in Calc AB by junior year. And senior year I’ll do Calc 2 and 3 through dual enrollment or do Calc BC.

It’s also good considering the AP curriculum does not align (nor is it supposed to) with the Subject Test, particularly if the OP did not fill in the gaps on his/her own. Although for future reference when preparing for other Subject Tests, you’ll need to fill in any gaps.

I agree that a 730 in bio won’t make or break. Although a 730 on M2 likely will for MIT (or Caltech or Harvey Mudd)

I did fill in the gaps. I knew it wouldn’t align.


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Hello. I’m a freshman in high school and …

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This may be 9 years old, but it’s still just as relevant today. Definitely worth reading:
https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/

I would suggest working on finding something to separate you from the rest of the applicants. A subject test score in the range will likely not be the reason to keep you out of the school. It is more important to find something that gets you IN to the school.