I’m a junior in high school in the AICE program and want to aim for competitive schools (my main choice being MIT). I’m on the right path with my ECs(5 clubs including robotics and an internship) and grades (4.0 unweighted 4.58 weighted), but my SAT score is lacking, extremely. I got a 1250 when i took it in June after studying for 3 months and my goal was at least 1480. How do you suggest I raise the score before I take it again in March? I studied using KhanAcademy when i took it in June.
If you can afford it, I would hire a private tutor. Raising your SAT score from 1250 to one that is competitive for MIT will require focused effort. Even then, it may not be possible. A tutor can identify areas of weakness and develop a targeted study plan.
Previously, did you take any practice tests under timed conditions before taking the actual exam? Was your actual score close to your practice scores?
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The most effective way to raise your SAT score is to take free practice tests from College Board, TIMED, and then review every single question, wrong or right, and understand how they got to that answer. Wash, rinse repeat.
It’s important to know that getting your SAT into the range is not your ticket in. MIT gets MANY applicants with perfect applications, far too many to accept.
Be your natural self, do what interests you, and have safe backups. MIT is very unlikely for every applicant, no matter their record.
Good luck.
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The first thing that occurs to me is that SAT preparation can be very helpful. A tutor can be very helpful in SAT preparation if you can afford to hire one. If you have already spent 3 months studying for the SAT, then a tutor might be your best chance to improve your score.
The second thing that occurs to me is that MIT is full of students who can walk in off the street with exactly zero preparation, and get 800 on the math part of the regular SAT exam. There are students at MIT who did not find even one single question remotely challenging on the math part of the SAT test. These students still find MIT to be very academically demanding. MIT is a lot of work, and you have to want to study that hard. Some students want to do it part of the time, and do not want to do it part of the time.
Having gotten my bachelor’s degree at MIT (in mathematics), I think that it is not a good fit for as many students as think that they want to go there.
What was your split between math and English parts of the regular SAT test?
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640 reading/writing 610 math. My issue is that I don’t do tests well, when I do the material outside of the actual test I do fine, its just the fact that its timed that messes me up since I tend to read the questions quickly and misinterpret what they’re asking. Also how was your experience at MIT and how was your high school experience? Did you take lots of APs or were in any academies/programs?
In the practice tests I was getting in the 1300s near the end. I took three and got 1270 1350 and 1370.
I attended a relatively mediocre high school that did not offer any AP classes, and that did not offer calculus as an option. I however did very well in math and science classes (I was the top student in math and it was not close. I was also the top student in physics although this was quite a bit closer). When I arrived at MIT I was in fact surprised that most of the freshman class had already AP’d out of the first calculus class. Thus freshman year calculus was a relatively small class and was very well taught. MIT compresses what other schools might teach in 3 semesters into two semesters (calculus, multi-variate calculus, and differential equations) but it was all very well taught and not all that difficult. Being well prepared (doing well on all of the prerequisites in high school) helped a lot.
I found MIT to be a LOT of work. Sometimes I loved it, and sometimes I hated it. It was stressful. My take on it is that you need to want to do it. Perhaps just as important you need to keep wanting to do it for a full four years.
Also, there were exams at MIT that were a LOT more difficult than any math or science exam had been in high school, and a LOT more difficult than the math part of the SAT exam.
MIT is definitely a “fit” school. It is a good fit for some very strong students. It is not a good fit for all very strong students.
After graduating from MIT I worked for a couple of years, then I went back and got a master’s degree at a similarly demanding university (Stanford). There was one really big difference: I was older and wanted to do it. I knew why I wanted to do it. As a graduate student I was happy doing homework 6 or 7 days a week. I almost always took Saturday evening off from homework, but this was frequently after spending Saturday afternoon doing homework. I wanted to do it, and the desire came from inside myself. This made a huge difference to both my stress level and the results.
There are a lot of other very good universities in the US that are less stressful compared to MIT, and just as many or more outside of the US.
Why not apply to some test optional schools, or schools that would consider your scores to more than meet the benchmark. Why MIT? I hope you can investigate other schools for an optimal fit.
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If your family can pay for a private tutor, I would go that route as well.
I don’t know if you have another test scheduled for this Nov or Dec, but if not, starting next year, all SAT tests will be digital. So…study and practice for that test only. There are several digital practice tests available on Bluebook. Info here:
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I’ll second everyone here that has suggested a private tutor. They may help to get your scores up. That being said, I’d spend some time looking for TO schools that you like in case you can’t raise your scores enough for someplace like MIT (you need a near perfect Math SAT to be competitive and they also like an EBRW score in the low 700s at a minimum). Regardless of the SAT, you need a well balanced list of safeties, matches along with any reach schools that interest you. Even if you had SAT scores in line with what MIT expects, it would still be a high reach.
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Well, I will differ from most here. Try a shortened version of the Act test. See how you do. Some testing centers will give a free shorten version on the weekends. Or do one online. Some do so much better on that test vs the Sat. With the scores you have had you won’t raise the scores to what your aiming for. Something is off in your understanding. If you can afford get a tutor to point this out. Maybe a teacher can help. Many many grad students online do this and usually are affordable.
Also do full timed tests every weekend. Get up and eat breakfast. Simulate the entire experience. Drive for a bit. Go to the library in the study room so it’s quiet and take the entire tests with breaks timed. Go over what your getting wrong and review. Every weekend and start now.
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Again, go test optional and pick appropriate schools. Life is stressful enough. And you want to be at a school that fits you and you fit the school. Twisting yourself into a pretzel to get into MIT is not worth it and even if you get in, it might be stressful and hard on self-esteem. There are so many great schools out there.
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Probably too late to do anything about it, but you are someone who would benefit from extended time on standardized tests.
I agree with other posters. MIT is extremely unlikely to happen. You’d be better off applying test-optional to other schools, and spending your precious time now on college applications, rather than a last push to try to raise your SAT score. Seriously, MIT has many applicants with straight A’s in the most rigorous classes, plus perfect or near perfect SATs, who still don’t get in.
Make the better choice for you. Forget the SAT, go test-optional, spend this time on your applications.
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I totally agree. However, score 1250 is not in line with GPA. It is either huge gaps in knowledge or tremendous anxiety.
If you still want to improve your SAT score by yourself do the following:
- Go top to bottom over two books:
A. The College Panda SAT Math Advance Guide and Workbook
B. The Complete Guide to SAT Reading by Erica Meltzer. (You may need a Grammar supplement too… Look up other Erica’s books.) - Find in bookstores or online previous OFFICIAL SAT tests (do not use any textbook simulated test!) Complete them timed.
Do one test every weekend (not by parts!) - Find online videos with detailed explanations for every question that you did wrong. Write them down. Go over them several times. After doing 8-10 tests you should see the difference.
Consider new digital SAT.
If you follow this recipe I can guarantee 1400 (if you truly have 4.0 GPA), but not MIT…
I agree with many posters above that if you need extensive prep, you are not a good candidate for MIT. In addition, unless you are a strange person who wants to study from morning till night, I would not recommend MIT.
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I am going to apply to some safety schools for sure, MIT is just the goal. Shoot for the stars you know lol
I’m a junior so i don’t do college apps until next fall. Also this year I am taking 7 college classes and last year i took 4. I got As in all of them.
Definitely will try the simulating the experience idea thank you!
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That’s what I’m confused about too. I’m good at math and reading. I’m taking college level physics and doing well, I’ve had As all of high school, my reading tests are always above average and I’m taking a college level English class for the second year in a row. So how come I do so horribly on the SAT? I know I’m probably the only one who can answer that, but it’s just very frustrating.
Go look on the “Your College Bound Kid” podcast website and do a search for an interview they did several months ago with an admissions officer from MIT.
Then listen to the full interview.
Here’s some things to consider (along with a little tough love):
- You aren’t going to get into MIT. Definitely not without test scores that are almost perfect.
- You need to think about WHY you’ve decided that MIT is your #1 pick right now. Is it the prestige factor/bragging rights?
- Focus instead on what type of college you’re looking for. Big? Small? Somewhere in between? Closer to home or far away? Budget per year for how much your family can afford to spend? - What major(s) are you interested in? Do the school(s) you’re exploring have unique features in those programs which set them apart from others?
- try taking the ACT
- If, at the end of the day, you feel like you won’t be able to sleep at night without knowing you at least TRIED to apply to MIT, then by all means, go ahead and apply. But expect a rejection. Even a 1500 SAT score won’t get you in. There are students with 1600’s who get rejected from MIT. It’s a lottery school for even the best & the brightest.
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