<p>...or is the total score more important. Meaning, if i'm an english major will my reading/writing sections carry more weight than the math section? I know for the super competitive schools they want the best of everything, but what about schools like Providence, Loyola, (MD), Fordham, etc. </p>
<p>My reading/writing SAT scores are all in the upper end of their range (middle at worst) based what I see on their websites - my math, on the other hand is below.</p>
<p>Additionally, my UW GPA is approx. 3.7. I'm a junior and will graduate next year with 7 or so AP classes (all the english/history as well as spanish), decent EC's, good recs, etc. </p>
<p>Fortunately, some of the schools i'm looking at are SAT optional. however, with the low math score it really brings down my total. While I would like the school to see that my reading/writing is at their upper end, I don't want them seeing the low math. not sure how to handle it. BTW, while i'm in "regular" math/science classes I will complete 4 full years of math. Algebra, Geo., AlgebraII/Trig., and pre-calc senior year. I'll have 3 science with labs (bio, earth, chem) and one science elective senior year.</p>
<p>To some degree I’m sure. For example, at engineering schools, the Math SAT average is somewhat significantly higher than the other sections’.</p>
<p>^^ that’s what I was thinking (and hoping LOL). I could see if I put down bio major or math, i’d be in big trouble but hoping it wont weigh as heavily.</p>
<p>It’s not unusual for applicants to have “lopsided” SAT scores, high in CR but lower in M, or vice versa. Colleges know this, and except for the most selective schools they accept “lopsided” applicants all the time. Engineering programs are going to weigh M more heavily. Less STEM-oriented schools may be more forgiving of lower M scores. But for most schools it’s not a major-by-major question; it’s just that for STEM programs you can expect M to count more heavily, and in non-STEM programs M will count equally with CR, or perhaps a bit less.</p>
<p>I’m sure the schools you’re looking at admit a lot of lopsided applicants. They have pretty high admit rates: Fordham 50%, Providence 60%, Loyola (MD) 66%. At schools at that level of selectivity, you should have a pretty good chance at admission as long as your combined CR+M is somewhere in their middle 50% range, which at Fordham would be 1140-1340; at Providence, 1060-1270; and at Loyola (MD) 1070-1270, especially if your M is above their 25th percentile (570 at Fordham, 530 at Providence, 540 at Loyola). If you’re below that level it gets a little dicier, because then you’re pulling down their reported SAT 25th percentile if you’re admitted and decide to attend. Not that they absolutely won’t admit you; by definition they admit a full 1/4 of their entering class with SAT M scores below their 25th percentile. It’s just that it gets a lot less certain. In that case, you might reasonably decide not to submit SAT scores if you have that option. The rest of your stats look pretty solid, but keep in mind that if you don’t submit test scores they’ll probably assume it’s because your test scores aren’t very good, so much more will be riding on other parts of your application.</p>
<p>^^ thanks for the info. i’ve only taken the SAT once and will try again in the fall. My math is definitely below the numbers you gave - 460. my reading was 650. </p>
<p>The SAT tends to freak me out a bit. my practice tests were all around 700 R/W and got a 500 once on the math. Got nervous on test day and even bombed the areas that i’m “supposed” to be good at. I don’t expect to ever get above 500 in math, and come test time - as i’ve proven already - will struggle to get even that. </p>
<p>While PC, Loyola, and others say they’re test optional I do wonder if it’s held against you by not submitting.</p>
<p>^ I don’t think it’s “held against you” exactly if you don’t submit test scores at a test-optional school, but as an admissions office at a highly selective test-optional school once told us, if you don’t submit test scores they’ll just assume your scores aren’t very good, which means the rest of your application needs to be very strong. But in your case it does sound like the rest of your application will be very strong.</p>
<p>On the other hand, schools don’t like to admit very many people who are going to pull down their 25th/75th percentile figures, so if you’re below 25th percentile in M and below 75th percentile in CR, you’re not helping them very much, and that makes admission potentially problematic if you DO submit your scores. (That’s one of the main reasons a lot of schools went test-optional, figuring those with weaker cores wouldn’t submit their scores, and they could admit applicants out of that group without adverse affecting their 25th/75th percentiles, and therefore their US News rankings). With your current scores that’s now the case at Fordham (CR 570-670, M 570-670), where you’re below 25th percentile in M and below 75th percentile in CR. At Providence and Loyola, however, your current CR score puts you above their 75th percentile in CR (630 at both schools), so admitting you with those scores would tend to pull up their 75th percentile CR while pulling down their 25th percentile M. That probably helps your admission chances somewhat, though it’s still not a sure thing.</p>
<p>Have you thought about taking the ACT? Two reasons I suggest it. First, it sounds like you do well in your classes. Many students who do well in classes but not so well on the SAT find that they do better on the ACT, which is a more straightforward test of what you’ve learned, and not a test of your “reasoning ability” that poses tricky questions with non-obvious answers, as the SAT does. The other benefit is that schools report only the composite ACT score, not the subscores for individual sections. Given that your SAT CR+M score of 1110 is within the middle 50% range for Providence and Loyola, and only slightly below that range for Fordham, it’s likely your composite ACT score would fall within their middle 50% range, too. But then you’re not pulling down any of their 25th percentiles; you’re helping them if they accept you and you decide to attend. They’ll still see your ACT math subscore, of course, but given the differences in the tests the ACT math score might actually be a little better, and at the end of the day it’s the composite that matters most with the ACT.</p>