<p>Do they look mainly at total scores or individual scores for each section?</p>
<p>Both. They look at your application "holistically" - nothing is looked at in isolation. If you had a high overall score but some low subscores this might hurt you especially if your subscores were below the Penn avg. In other words a 2100 that is 700, 700, 700 would be about avg for Penn and might get you in if they liked the rest of your app. A 2100 that is 800M, 600CR, 700W might cause problems unless you have a hook (URM, athlete, etc.) or some darn good explanation. But there are no hard and fast rules - they take people with low scores, reject people w/ high.</p>
<p>Actually, I've seen that high low is better than medium medium. I have friends who scored 800/500 and got in, while I don't know of any 650/650 that did. My reasoning is that the former excells at least one thing, while the latter doesn't at all.</p>
<p>just break 700 on each section...i hope we havnt reached a day in age where 700 is considered average....700+ generally is the result of making a few careless mistakes, and everyone (including the admissions committee) knows that. but if you can, shoot for the 800 of course :)</p>
<p>Since the Penn avg is just above 2100, that means that roughly 1/2 the applicants don't break 700 on one or more sections. Now admittedly the lower half is dominated by people w. hooks but not exclusively. If the avg. is 2100, then for each 2400 there is someone w/ an 1800, for each 2300 there is a 1900, etc. Below 1800 is a virtual disqualifier except in extreme cases but beyond that all bets are off - if they like you they'll take you w. 600s, if they don't like you, then a 2400 is not enough to get you in.</p>
<p>I just kinda spazzed because basically critical reading is my worst section, I took a practice test yesterday and got like 770 writing, 680 math and like 570 reading which comes out to 2020 which I don't feel is simply horrendous for well, me, but I'm scared that my lower reading score would kill me.</p>
<p>I'm just furious because I could have done at least 40 points better on math and at the very least 100 points better on reading >_></p>
<p>there was a firefight!</p>
<p>Indeed.</p>
<p>There was a firefight.</p>
<p>THERE</p>
<p>was</p>
<p>A</p>
<p>firefight</p>
<p>Forget your meds this morning?</p>
<p>there was a firefight</p>
<p>!</p>
<p>It was only a practice test, but with a 570 reading for real you'd have a lot of 'splaining to do. Remember your chances of getting in are slight no matter what, give the admit rate. Work on upping the reading (and it wouldn't hurt for the math to be above 700 too) but also work on presenting an overall picture that will interest the adcoms. They are willing to overlook a lot if they like your sob story - you were raped by Eskimos as a child, overcame obstacles to become the national wheelchair bowling champ, etc.</p>
<p>your examples are hilarious :)</p>
<p>they look at it with their eyes</p>
<p>on the SAT, does Penn look at one's highest combined composite score or the highest score in one sitting?</p>
<p>highest combined...</p>
<p>They look at it sideways and see if it forms a discernible shape/pattern. Bonuses for things that resemble Quakers or Basketballs.</p>