I’d say AP calc at 15 makes you a bit “mathy”
My kids never even considered taking AP calc.
It sounds like your GC knows what he’s doing. Biomedical is the hot program now and competition will be fierce. It is also a field that has no shortage of women, so you won’t get the female stem bump.
So frustrating that two wrong brought you down to 740. You’ve clearly got the reasoning skills to get an 800 and maybe your gc is thinking that is better to prove it than make them assume it. I’m waffling back and forth on whether you should retake it or not. If you were my kid, I’d probably advise you to listen to your counselor but not spend too much time preparing. I’d register for a test in the fall and recommend you do a single section a week, that way you aren’t spending any more than thirty minutes a week preparing for a test for which you already have a knock out score. I don’t think it will hurt you to have a second test on your app. A 740 math for a white girl is actually really good.
As another perspective, here is my kid’s experience at a school similar to yours: For the kids who are applying to the tippy-top schools, the counselor said to retake for 750 or close to it on each section. Your 740 qualifies as being “close to it,” so he would say that you are fine with your current score. Instead, take the Math SAT II, which has a generous curve.
Look at results for your school. You say everyone does well but the typical score is 2000 or less In seeing results threads I am noticing nuanced regional and school variations.
Also, I really do think that a 2400 or even 2380 will make up for minor GPA problems (assuming you have any) that a 2310 will not when applying to reaches. For example, as I have said before I have the bare minimum GPA from my school to apply to an Ivy (not that they would have said I could not). With a 34 that does not compensate for it. I believe a 36 would have and even a 35 split in a way that highlights STEM may have
@Anonymoose3 - If you were my kid, I’d have you talk to the counselor and ask exactly WHY they are recommending you retake the test. What’s the counselor’s rationale and thought process behind the recommendation. I think that is a very legitimate and reasonable question to ask.
Then come tell all of us as we’re dying of curiosity!
While everyone is different there is a neighboring public school near me that has been doing pretty well in admissions in the last few years I’m not entirely sure the reason. Last year the kid with the 2400 with good grades some minor research I think she may have been an Intel semi, got in EA to a Hyp and regular to a private top tier Ivy equivalent that is very selective plus a mess of other schools. This year the two 2320s were both deferred from their EA HYPS and only one got in to the top Ivy equivalent. I think 2400 makes a statement. she had gotten a 2260 on a bad curve on a prior test. She got like 6 wrong. Other than gender they are pretty similar
One thing you need to research is how the curves have historically been. I heard the December SAT2 were not favorable
If pretty much the entire class is taking the SAT in January and May, there is really no downside in studying with your cohort and testing with them. Since many schools will superstore the SAT, there are two possible upsides (individual subscore increase and overall score increase). Typically schools seem to expect students to take up to 3 sittings of the SAT, and accept that as normal. Universities will likely know your particular school’s policies. Therefore, there is no downside, and there is potential upside, to a second sitting of the SAT in May.
I agree with doschicos. I would ask what the goal would be for the retake. I cannot imagine that at top school at 2310 would be denied for missing 80 points.
Some top schools would actually see the retake as a negative, unless it is specified clearly in the SSR or recommendation that you retook the test only because it was mandatory for your class. Top schools don’t want to see students with 2300’s fighting over a couple points. They focus much more on SAT Subject scores so try to retake Math SAT2 and have a variety of tests indicating you’re equally great at many subjects (ie., one math, one science, one humanities, one social science, if you think you can score above 700s in all).
What will really make the difference is not the test score, but the ECs. So spend time on those.
Finally, remember that even with your scores and achievements, no school with acceptance rates below 20% can be considered a “match”, so make sure to find schools you like with admission rates in the 25-35% plus a couple colleges where you’re SURE you’ll get in AND can afford.
Why would schools focus on Subject tests if anyone taking the ACTs is not even required to take them for most schools and half the top tier schools do not even recommend them except for certain majors? As for ECs, I realize I am only halfway through this waiting for decisions but so far my ECs have not helped me and they are pretty good if not exotic. They have also not YET helped another student who has very impressive dedicated more unusual than the average ones. His grades are excellent, what has hurt him is that one section of the SAT he does perfectly, the other not. So while he still may have a 2250, it is not split well. The part that he does well on coorelates with his prospective major as do most of his extracurriculars. He has challenged himself and taken advanced classes in the area of his deficit. He is a legacy at a bunch of places so it may still work out for him.
