Does MIT care whether your highest SAT math score is from Math I or II?

Question for MIT students and their parents: My child has a January 21, last-chance date with the SAT Subject Tests. My child has applied to, and interviewed with MIT already. Child is taking BC Calc AP as a senior in high school and currently has a 730 on the Math II Subject Test and would like to raise that score. Should my child switch to the Math I test (never taken), stick to the Math II test (taken twice so far), or “go for broke” and take both tests at the same sitting? One CC adviser has told me on another thread that Math I is easier; however the College Board’s website suggests that if you have not recently taken the Math I subject matter, you may end up scoring less than expected. What do you think? All study prep thus far has been for Math II. Anyone out there tried taking both tests in different sittings? If so, how did the scores compare? Anyone out there taken both Math I and Math II in the same sitting? Is this a logical way to boost chance of admission to MIT? Will MIT care which math score gets submitted? Should child take and submit both Math I and Math II so long as they are in the 700s? …advice please and thank you!

Math 1 is easier but has a much much harsher grading scale (I’m pretty sure you can’t miss more than one for an 800), whereas you can miss a few on the math 2 and still get 800

I mean, it’s their choice if they want to take both tests. I think the math 2 would look nicer.

Thanks for that info @LookAtThisNet! Really not expecting 800s, just hoping to be competitive for MIT or HYP etc. Hoping to be higher than current 730. 760 or higher is probably all the improvement to be realistically hoped for at this point (January 21 test date). Would my child likely beat existing 730 Math II score if taking Math I only one time? Child already has a 780 test score for Literature to help with Ivys, but that won’t help too much at MIT if math score is too low for the admissions committee.

From what I know, most admissions officer greatly prefer the Math ll over Math l. So even a high score in Math l won’t look very impressive

730 in Math II is fine

Did you analyze the areas where your student makes mistakes? MIT takes both tests. How did your child do on a math section of SAT1?

@Ballerina016, never taken the SAT1 for real. Could answer your question by taking a pretest…

@Sam-I-Am I was referring not to SAT math 1, but to SAT or ACT math section test your child took.

OK…760 on the math portion of the SAT, but I have no idea which problems were missed. I’ll ask, but we did not pay to have the exam sent back to us so I am not sure that we have this data. However, your point is well taken, I will see if this information is available to help focus efforts to study. Thanks, @Ballerina016.

@Sam-I-Am If I remember correctly number of errors by section used to be available online for the old SAT . Not sure about the new one.

Thanks…I will ask my kid. This may help with targeting study areas and maybe whether to take Math I, Math II or both.

from MITChris- a 750 is entirely equal to a 800

For clarification: Here is the exact quote and link
“That’s immaterial. Standardized test scores are not qualifiers. They are not important achievements in and of themselves. There is no difference, for our process, between someone with a 750 and an 800 on the Math SAT II. Literally no difference. Once your standardized scores are sufficient to predict success at MIT - to show that you are academically qualified for MIT - they have reached the limit of usefulness, and we move on to other things.”
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/939227-reminder-no-one-not-even-me-can-give-you-an-accurate-chance-at-mit-p3.html

@ManaManaWegi, that is really good to know! Remember this situation is my kid has a 730 Math II at the moment. Trying to maximize opportunity for admission to MIT by retaking Math II. Also wondering whether to take a second bite at the apple by taking Math I for the first time to try to get 750 or more (on the same day). Could take both to double chance at a 750+ Math subject test math score (or will this just overwhelm my kid). What is your advice? Kid has strong manifested interest in MIT and engineering (lots of summer STEM programs taken and an internship, though nothing on a recognized national/international level). Just trying to maximize odds.

Why not just take both? My point is that there will be almost no difference, for MIT at least, in improving the score. The goal is just to demonstrate the ability to handle the work environment. A 750 on the math 1 vs a 730 on the math 2 may not even be better. If the student can only take one, I would recommend the one that has been taken before and the one that is more in line with the student’s level of math education, which seems like math 2.

Just let it go, a 730 is good enough, raising that score will not change the admission outcome.

I absolutely agree with @anitram. Your son’s 730 Math II score is right in line with their admit profiles, so let him relax. Better that he spends his time in next weeks doing something fun (a project?) that he can put on his FUN form. They really do care about the entire student! Just my two cents after many conversations with EC’s and other alumni. Best of luck to him!!

Thanks for the responses!

For MIT he absolutely does not have to take the subject tests again. But other schools may consider these tests differently and higher scores might be more important to those schools.

Thanks for all the advice. My kid decided to take Math 1 and chemistry this last sitting. Maybe the 730 Math II score is high enough for MIT maybe not. And as @rothstem points out, other schools may be looking at the highest scores without regard as to which subject test was taken. It was hard to find study time and that was spent on chemistry. In the end, decided to write Math 1 on a “wing and a prayer” after taking chemistry. I plan to update and close thread when spring decisions come out.