<p>I applied to Pitt already (in June, I'm a junior soon to be senior) because I'm dying to get in and I was to raise my chances. I got a 670 writing, 460 math, and 570 reading. 1700, but M+CR is only like 1030): I have a high GPA, great letters of rec, an essay that'll stand out, I volunteer year round and I have many leadership positions. I'm sitting here panicking because I suck at math and excel in writing. I took the SAT twice and studied for math and yet I got a 460!): I'm told I should try the ACT. I'm a high honor student, in national honors society, 3.5 UW this year, 4.0 weighted with 2 APs and a college class, I will be taking 3 APs and a college class next year. I feel like my SAT score in math will hold me back more than anything, even though I'm considered one of the finest students in my graduating class. I'm not stupid! Since I already applied, am I not able to take the ACT and send it to Pitt? I know someone with similar credentials to mine that got in with a 1620 SAT, and 2 others that got in with a 1300 their first time and around a 1600 their second
so everyone is telling me not to worry, but I'm panicking!</p>
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<p>Yeah I hate to tell you this but that is a ridiculously LOW SAT score.</p>
<p>Here are stats from last year’s freshman class:</p>
<p>Math: 99% of accepted students had a 500 or higher (78% of those students had a 600 or higher). Only 1% had lower than a 500. Your Math is horribly low.
CR: 62% had a 600 or higher. 36% had between a 500 and a 600. Sort of ok here.
W: 57% had above a 600, so you’re fine there.</p>
<p>Your GPA is ok UW, W is fine.</p>
<p>source: <a href=“http://www.ir.pitt.edu/cds/documents/CDS2012_13PghCampus.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ir.pitt.edu/cds/documents/CDS2012_13PghCampus.pdf</a></p>
<p>You already applied so you need to contact OAFA and ask them if your application has been reviewed yet or not. If it hasn’t, you can ask them to hold on reviewing it probably until you send in ACT scores. However, if you do poorly on the ACT and then end up sending your application in September or October (or later) your chances of getting in decrease even more…</p>
<p>so really, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m surprised you didn’t retake the SAT after you saw your scores the first time, or sign up for the ACT right away. The test scores are an important part of the application and yours are really low.</p>
<p>I actually spoke to an admissions officer that said that everything is looked at, and my SAT score is only a little portion of it. I know people that got in with 1620s, and same credentials as me. The admissions officer said that Extra Curriculars, GPA, essay and letters are looked at and if a student has a high GPA and a nearly-ideal SAT, that can be overlooked (as in the case of the girl with the 1620). I do have a 1700, which is only 50 points off of the 1750 they’d like, so I’m told not to worry. I guess I won’t wait to take it and see if they accept me.</p>
<p>According to what was recently reported, apparently average SAT CR+M scores for deposited students this coming fall are 1295 and applications were up 11% over the previous year (the avg was 1255 for fall 2012, a slight dip from 2011). Now that 1295 average may drop if people renege on their deposits, but it also means that the average admission offered SAT scores are now likely over 1300 so the take home message is that it is only getting more competitive to gain admission to Pitt.</p>
<p>Just because you know someone who said they got in with this or that doesn’t mean your circumstances are necessarily the same or that those circumstances would still be applicable. Things vary from year to year. I don’t mean to panic you, but I don’t believe there is any guarantee that you are getting in to Pitt-main as a freshman with that SAT. That’s not to say you won’t, but there is no guarantee.</p>
<p>Thanks wgmcp101. I was trying to make a similar point but it didn’t seem to be coming across. A high GPA can <em>help</em> offset a low SAT, but the ridiculously low Math score (no offense, but when you’re sitting at a 1% of students accepted in that range, it’s the truth) is really hard to overcome.</p>
<p>Study and take em again. Your CR and W scores look great. For Pitt, try to get 590+ M.</p>
<p>If you are looking at PSU, all you need to do is improve your M score to 550.</p>
<p>Regardless, nowasi is a shoe in for at least a placement at regional campus if not admitted to Pitt-main as a freshman with those stats as is. I understand the regional colleges aren’t a first preference, but they are pretty decent schools in their own right (and a little cheaper) and certainly it is not the end of the world to spend some time at one before transferring into Oakland. Otherwise, I think it would probably be beneficial to try to upgrade the math side of the standardized test score with another shot at the SAT or the ACT. And in fact, in the other post that was made, the op indicated C is chemistry and physics, which would stick out like a sore thumb on a high school transcript. If that’s the case, you think you’d absolutely have to upgrade that Math score.</p>