<p>After doing the SAT 1 for the second time, I have ended up with a score of 2240 (W:720, CR:730, M:790). I am applying to Ivy league colleges like Harvard and Princeton. Since I am an international applicant, I know that the odds are heavily against me. Threfore, should I retake my SAT1 in December or should I just apply with my current score?</p>
<p>I would try to get the highest score possible since you are applying to the most selective schools and you are in a very competitive group of fellow international students.</p>
<p>What sort of a score should I be aiming for?</p>
<p>I would aim for a 2300 (plus) SAT score. Hopefully your grades and ECs are top-notch as well. Good luck.</p>
<p>What sort of a chance do I stand with this score?</p>
<p>I would have to disagree with 2300+. There is very little difference in 60 points… </p>
<p>Ivy schools will want to see top notch scores (You are within range for all of them), AND stellar transcript, EC’s, involvement, leadership and essays. I suggest focusing on essays now. Your score is within range. If you are confident you can do better, then by all means, take it again.</p>
<p>You are, however, in range - I wouldn’t stress too much about increasing by 60 points.</p>
<p>If you are not happy with your score, retake.</p>
<p>You and I are in almost the same boat: I scored a 2250 this October and am also seeking to apply to colleges of that caliber. Just a disclaimer, I’m not actually applying for another two years, but I’m trying to take care of the SAT sophomore year so that I don’t have to worry about it later. I decided to retake this December to get over the 2300 barrier. I understand that those 50/60 points aren’t huge, but the gap is large enough, in my opinion, between a mid 2200 and what other applicants have to warrant a retake.</p>
<p>Those 60 points ARE huge at the most ultra-selective schools in the U.S. and particularly for an international applicant. The competition is fierce. If you were applying to Berkeley, I’d also say you could probably go with your current score, but Harvard, Princeton, and the like are more selective and get the best of the best international applicants.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! :)</p>
<p>jshain, are you speaking from experience when you say 60 points are huge? I’ve heard some conflicting things over at what point SAT scores don’t make much of a difference to elite colleges. Some personal insight would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>My S got a 2230 single sitting SAT score and a 2250 superscored but 800’s in SAT I and II math. He was in the top 2% of his class (top private school that didn’t rank), only 1 of 2 National AP Scholars at his school, Calculus and Physics most outstanding student awards, solid ECs and leadership, 750 hours of CS (mostly from being an Eagle Scout), good work experience, essays, recs, etc. He was rejected at Stanford, Princeton, and MIT. He was waitlisted at Duke, Rice, and Northwestern. He is a MechE major and attends UCBerkeley, but he was also accepted to UMichigan, UTexas, USC, and UCLA to name a few. His friends and past graduates at his school also got rejected to the most selective Ivy/Ivy caliber schools, with similar stats, unless they were hooked applicants.</p>
<p>The point is the MOST selective, top-tier schools are extremely competitive and a mid-2200 score is not good enough much of the time.</p>
<p>Schools do not like to see the SAT taken repeatedly. They do not want one of your ecs to be SAT testing. My understanding is that if you have cleared 2200 then carry on with your life. You really should never take the SAT more then 3 times maximum. 2 is preferable</p>
<p>^Schools do not know how many times you’ve taken the SAT/ACT, they only know what you report to them. Most high achieving students that I know will take a combination of the two tests at least twice and most likely three or more times.</p>
<p>Schools such as Stanford require all testing be reported. Not every school uses score choice.</p>
<p>Even at schools like Stanford applicants may not send in their ACT scores if they are not as impressive as their SAT I’s. Not saying that is what Stanford’s policy is, just saying that is what happens. I know several acceptees over the past few years that did exactly that. Top-tier schools that require ALL scores are the exception and not the norm.</p>
<p>Many schools do not allow score choice - you must send all SAT scores. When you log into the SAT website to send scores and select a specific school, the site will not allow you to send anything less than all scores if the school does not allow score choice.</p>
<p>FYI We have been told by guidance counselors that taking a test more than twice is a waste of money. The College Board lists the statistics of how well students perform if they take the SAT again - about 1/2 do better and about 1/2 do worse.</p>
<p>An admissions officer from one of the Ivies who spoke at a college fair recently said that other than math scores for students in fields which require mathematics, the SAT does NOT predict college performance, and that the best predictor of college performance is difficulty of course load and grades throughout high school.</p>
<p>I’ve seen plots through Naviance of GPA versus SAT scores for many schools, and for the most competitive schools (such as HYPS etc.) getting in can be, in the words of a guidance counselor I know, a ‘crapshoot’. Last year, a friend with an incredible number of AP classes, and incredibly high GPA, SAT’s of 2300, great EC’s did not get into Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Brown and some others of equivalent caliber. We were all quite surprised.</p>
<p>sweetpea, although you are correct that the split between those who do better and those who do worse is split half and half, I feel that this statistic doesn’t apply for everybody. Although it is likely true for the majority of people it definitely is worth retaking the SAT if you feel you didn’t reach your full potential the first time. This is especially true for those who study significantly more for the next SAT. I have heard, though, that 4 is the advised limit since beyond that it doesn’t look good.</p>
<p>Also, thank you for your insight in GPA vs. SAT. I’ve never heard before that before, and it does come from quite a reputable source.</p>
<p>@Sweetpea you are taking the statistics of the general population and applying them to this forum?
The average student taking the SAT probably doesn’t study until the night before the test, if even that. He or she thinks studying for the SAT is doing the SAT question of the day. He or she probably also says “that was easy I don’t know why everyone says it’s hard” after the test and ends up getting a 1400-1600.</p>
<p>Please don’t compare the many achievers on these forums to the average sat test taker.</p>
<p>BTW I have increased my score 400points in ~2 months and I plan on adding another 150 points to that increase.</p>
<p>If you have the time, which you most likely do, take it until you get a 2300+. =p</p>