<p>I got 770 on my Math 2 SAT Subject Test the first time I did it, but the second time I got 670. This weaker score was also sent to my colleges (Ivies and a few other top-tiers) though. </p>
<p>Will the weaker score hurt my chances?</p>
<p>In a word: Yes. But overall, how much will it matter? In all likelihood not a bit. Whatever colleges you’ve applied to already will see that you can accomplish at a high level (770) but had a blip (670) at your last test taking. You’ll be admitted or rejected but it won’t be because of the 670.</p>
<p>So it hurts my chances, but won’t be the deciding factor?</p>
<p>Theoretically, yes. But the effect should be minimal. Once on the call in show “Car Talk” a lady said her engineer boyfriend insisted on having the car washed before long road trips. He said that a cleaner car has less wind resistance and therefore had better gas mileage. She asked the mechanics if her boyfriend was correct. They said indeed he was correct – his logic about wind resistance was sound. However, they also said that they would challenge him to in any way quantify the advantage! The gain would be infinitesimally small. They said to take the $5 and buy two more gallons of gas instead (which would get you another FIFTY MILES).</p>
<p>See the analogy?</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it, people have bad days, and I believe colleges know this. I don’t know why you had a lower score, but maybe you just had a bad day. They know you are CAPABLE of 700 something, and that is what’s important.</p>
<p>Also, keep other things up to prove this. Don’t show a trend of better score going to a low score you know? Then, that’s a problem. Hopefully this is not the case for you, haha.</p>
<p>Relax!</p>
<p>It may come across like you were abusing superscoring by taking it easy on some sections the second go-round. But as T said, nothing monumental. Your acceptance likely won’t come down to that.</p>
<p>But your hairstyle . . . now that could be a deal breaker. </p>
<p>Or your taste in socks. </p>
<p>And your flavor of ice cream. Wow, what a killer that can be.</p>