I’m a sophomore in high school and I took the biology subject test the summer after 9th grade after freshman biology. I got a 770 (85th percentile), but I feel like that colleges might want a higher score, especially since I want to continue on a pre med track in college. The people I talked to think that I should aim for an 800 or get at least a 90th percentile. Should I retake it? Will this score affect my college applications?
A 770 is a great score. Congrats.
No
If you don’t get into a certain college, it will not be because you scored a 770.
If the people are other sophomores, then lesson #1 is don’t take college advice from people who have never been through the process. If they are counselors, they should be ashamed for giving crappy advice. If they are adults who are not in the college admissions business, then they know less than you do and should be aware that admissions has changed since they applied to college. If they are the stereotypical tiger parents, then they need to know that, unlike in many foreign countries, stats alone will not get you into top colleges.
It is important to understand that for several subjects, the percentiles are depressed because so few colleges request Subject Tests, that the ones that do are the ultra selective ones. As a result, it is the high achieving kids taking the tests. No AO is sitting on the floor cross-referencing scores with percentiles.
@skieurope thank you! that was really helpful.