<p>Dear All,</p>
<p>My SAT Results came out a few days ago and I am not very happy.</p>
<p>SAT I </p>
<p>CR: 730
Math: 730
WR: 720</p>
<p>Total: 2180</p>
<p>I have 3 800s in all my SAT II subject tests (Math IIC, Physics, World History)</p>
<p>but I am not sure if can get in...</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Requesting advice....</p>
<p>“but I am not sure if can get in…”</p>
<p>No one is.</p>
<p>A low or high SAT, or subject test, score doesn’t mean you’ll be guaranteed in or out. Princeton and other universities take a holistic approach when they look at your application. You have to shine in many more ways than just standardized test scores.</p>
<p>If you have a clear spike over the rest of the applicants, you can get in with any reasonable score.</p>
<p>Re-taking it is the best solution.</p>
<p>But if you really can’t score higher, a 2180 is hardly the end of the world. It’s below average for Princeton, but not really terrible. It’s around the 97th+ percentile- So it’s still good, just slightly below average.</p>
<p>Also, SATs only count for so much. I’m sure if you balance it out with strong ECs and other factors, then you will be fine.</p>
<p>Two comments: </p>
<p>1) Your scores are in the middle 50% for Princeton:
[Princeton</a> University | Admission Statistics](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/admission_statistics/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/admission_statistics/)</p>
<p>2) About 3/4 of the students that had SATs from 2300 - 2400 did not get in to Princeton: no matter what the score you’d still have cause to worry about not getting in because most people do not get into Princeton; that’s not intended to make you feel bad; it’s just the reality of trying to go to HYPed schools, whihc is why you have great safeties, right?</p>
<p>3) If you think that the SAT was not your “true” score - that is, you are better than your score - then retake with additional prep and see what happens. </p>
<p>Kei</p>
<p>^
Although a 25% chance instead of a 9% chance is a big difference.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it too much, just focus on ECs and essays. Getting 3 800s on SAT IIs is impressive!</p>
<p>Your Subject Test scores go a long way in compensating.</p>
<p>Try the ACT too. My D took the SAT as a Junior and her score was only slightly above your SAT (though I thought she was also 97th percentile also, at 2210). But then she took the ACT in the summer just for fun and it was higher (99th percentile). Just a thought.</p>
<p>I’ll add that D’s high school offers parents a report that lists the average SAT and GPA of the students who are accepted into many different colleges. I noticed a glaring fact. Higher GPA and lower SATs got accepted into Ivies (think 5.0 but even as low as 700/700 type SATs), whereas the highest listed SATs were pretty much all admitted to 2nd/3rd tier schools (4.6 weighted GPA but 2250 ish SATs).</p>
<p>But, it’s a public school…TOP Ivies seem to only skim of the very tippy top of the student body here.</p>
<p>^a 4.6 weighted gpa is a low gpa? really?</p>
<p>2210 is in the 99th percentile, R124687. 2180 is in the 98th. OP, all your individual scores are strong (above 700, which is excellent). I agree that you should try the ACT or do a bit of studying and try the SAT again if you want to. All your subscores are pretty strong; they can be brought up a little if you want to study and retake. You don’t have to, though. A 2180 won’t by itself keep you out of P.</p>
<p>2180 is a bit lower than average, but nothing to worry about. Your SAT Subject tests make up for it.</p>
<p>Btw, is this a serious post? Not really sure.</p>
<p>Retake the SAT if you think you can obtain a higher score. The good news is that while your composite is low (in comparison to the high unhooked Ivy standards of course) you are fairly consistent across the board; I would not concern yourself with the writing score. As others have said, you might want to try out the ACT; some people have received drastically higher score equivalents on it than on the SAT (and some vice-versa, but you never know). At worst, you apply with a 1460/1600. It certainly won’t kill your app.</p>
<p>Does Princeton not look at/consider the writing score at all? Would be a shame for me since I got an 800 on my first try, and it’s best score. :-/</p>
<p>I think they do care about the writing score, just not as much as CR and Math.</p>
<p>I remember I had a 2300 and I bought a study guide for the ACT thinking I could try to get a 35 or 36 or something, lol. Don’t know what I was thinking - ended up not studying/taking the ACT.</p>
<p>Yeah, it was weird. I did much worse on every single area on the ACT than I did on the SAT. Not even comparable for me.</p>
<p>Do 670cr, 750m, 800w, and two 750 Subjects mean “automatic” rejection even if I…</p>
<p>have a 4.0 unweighted GPA taking the school’s (which consistently sends dozens to top Ivies) most rigorous courseload</p>
<p>am first-generation</p>
<p>plan to be a math/science major</p>
<p>have an athletic passion (three varsity sports all four years/multiple captainships/state recognition/etc)</p>
<p>have the usual great essays/recs/ECs/clubs?</p>
<p>I’m not sure if it’s worth paying the app fee. Are my chances 5% or 20%?</p>
<p>Well, first-gen is a tip factor that’ll help. If your not recruited, playing sports is just another EC and wont be a huge boost to your application. If your val (I am guess you are), than academically your solid. However, your SAT is not a 2300+…and since you arent hooked, that will hurt. </p>
<p>All that said, I would definately apply. Will you get in? Probably not, nor will most people who have 2300+ scores (I think princeton only admits 28% of us). I’d say you have a 20% chance, well worth the application fee.</p>
<p>Remember for those admission statistics on the princeton website, it doesn’t add up to 100% meaning that that’s not representative of the student body exactly. What it’s saying is that of all the applicants who applied with 2300-2400 scores, 26.3% of them got in. And (note the larger bracket) of people who scored 2100-2290, 11.4% of them got in. So, I would guess, that this yields about the same amount of people. Scores are not the only thing.</p>
<p>Sorry, but the ACT is such a joke. Everyone I know who takes it does so because they can’t do well on the SAT. Adcoms must know that (unless you’re from the West coast, where everyone takes it).</p>