Got SAT scores today...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm new to CC but I jut got my SAT scores and I'm interested in what my chances might be for certain schools.
I got a 2340 (770 Reading, 770 Math, 800 Writing) and I know I can do better, so I'm taking them again. I won't be happy until I get a 2400.</p>

<p>Other academics:
5 on APUSH and AP Stats exams
No SAT subject tests taken yet
Weighted GPA (A+ in AP class is a 5.0, A+ in honors is 4.67, etc): 4.17, by the end of this year will hopefully be up to at least a 4.2.
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.86
Grades: All A range, except for B+ in Chem Honors, APUSH, and AP Stats sophomore year, and AP Calc BC and AP Chem this year. By the end of the year, hopefully those two will be up to A-.
Courses taken:
Freshman year - English Honors, French Honors, Humanities Honors, Biology Honors, Algebra 2 Honors
Sophomore year - English Honors, French Honors, APUSH, Chemistry Honors, Precalculus Honors, AP Statistics
Junior year - AP English Language, French Honors, AP Macro/Micro Econ, AP Chemistry, Physics Honors, AP Calculus BC</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
I play classical violin (solo, orchestra, and chamber music)
Concertmaster of school, youth, regional orchestras
First violin in regional and All-State (both by audition only) since freshman year
Selected for first violin in All-Eastern orchestra this spring
Won various solo competitions for high-school level
Played as a soloist with adult orchestras and in a showcase for young musicians</p>

<p>High-ranking cabinet position for the state in JSA (Junior State of America)</p>

<p>Volunteer work:
Playing music at local nursing homes/health care centers
I also participate in Tri-M, which helps to bring music education to underprivileged elementary schools
Volunteered at local historical society</p>

<p>Other:
Ethnicity - Asian
Income - Middle to upper-middle class
Gender - female</p>

<p>Schools I'm interested in:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Columbia
UPenn
Brown
JHU
Northwestern
Give me like match/high match/reach/safety please!
Any help is appreciated, thank you :)</p>

2

<p>bump - please help me a little and chance me, please!</p>

3

<p>The fact that you started out with “I got a 2340 (770 Reading, 770 Math, 800 Writing) and I know I can do better, so I’m taking them again. I won’t be happy until I get a 2400” makes me not want to help you.</p>

4

<p>A 2340 is just fine…</p>

<p>Harvard: Reach
Yale: Reach
Princeton: Reach
Columbia: Reach
UPenn: Reach
Brown: Reach
JHU: High match
NWU: High match</p>

<p>Do you have a safety?</p>

5

<p>agreatperhaps I don’t think that’s really fair. Everyone has different standards and mine just happen to be very high. If I know I can do better, why can’t I post about it?</p>

6

<p>McQueen, know that you are playing into every Asian stereotype. Because of that, you will likely be placed only against that very stereotype. If you stay on this path, you will have make the requirement for a 2400 self-fulfilling. And even then it may not be enough for the better schools.</p>

<p>You will however be seen quite favorably by 2nd tier schools.</p>

<p>I would agree with Catria…at least based on what you write above.</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>Your problem isn’t with your standards but with a fundamental misunderstanding of how SAT scores work. Before I explain, please know that I completely understand your position. I scored a 2320 on my first attempt at the SAT and planned to retake because I “knew” I could do better. I especially hated my 780 Math score (I only missed one question) and “knew” that I could get an 800 with minimal effort. I wanted that 2400 more than anything, believe me. </p>

<p>Near the end of my junior year, however, I paid careful to attention to the college application outcomes of all the seniors that I personally knew. Their results showed me that there really isn’t a difference between SAT scores above 2300. The students who were admitted to ivies, Duke, Stanford, and MIT scored anywhere from 2200 to 2380 (NOTE: 90% of these students were unhooked Asians since my HS is 50% Asian). In addition, there was minimal correlation between SAT scores and acceptances. I know someone with a 2400 who enrolled at UIUC, someone with a 2350 who chose the University of Maryland, someone with a 2340 who enrolled at Wharton, etc. </p>

<p>Based on that data, I found evidence for the following conclusion: If your SAT score is past 2300, there is no marginal benefit to improving your score. My friends had been telling me this for months, but I didn’t get it till I saw the evidence. </p>

<p>tl;dr - A marginal improvement in your SAT score or superscore won’t improve your application in any significant way. Any student at a top college will tell you this, so understand it before its too late. Unless your applying for engineering (in which case an 800 on Math is useful), spend your time on activities that will be more beneficial to your application.</p>