<p>On the SAT II for U.S. History</p>
<p>I don't care if it's the top 25 percentile or anything. I just want to fall in the "average" range (for Columbia...which is not average) for my test scores, since standardized tests are really not my thing.</p>
<p>depends…whats “your thing” </p>
<p>if you wanna go into chemical engineering or something its fine</p>
<p>it you wanna major in History or Economics its not too good</p>
<p>but your more than a single number…it all depends on what else you got</p>
<p>Is it one of the two scores you’ll be submitting on your application?
If so, then yes.
I had a 690 in U.S. History too. It wasn’t one of my two scores, thankfully.</p>
<p>Doesn’t really matter right now as long as you have two subject tests that are 750+ Take something else if you have two. For the SAT, it’s quantity not quality.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t really matter right now as long as you have two subject tests that are 750+ Take something else if you have two. For the SAT, it’s quantity not quality.”</p>
<p>This is very bad information. first of, there is never a cut-off mark for SATll scores. t least not on their website and the collegeboard middle range data. Secondly, where in the world did you come up with the conclusion its about quantity not quality. Theres nothing that has to do with quality here.</p>
<p>It’s not bad by any means. Got in with less.</p>
<p>But considering the quality of their applicants you have to see what your profile is like. if your SAT score is in the 2300, and you’ve got a 3.85 gpa, focus that energy on something else (ECs, recommendations, essays…)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother retaking it if I felt the rest of my application to be very strong. It’s a very good score.</p>
<p>its not bad, I got in with less too…</p>
<p>My standardized test scores were as follows:
SAT Math: 730
SAT Critical Reading: 680
SAT Writing: 740
SAT II Math I: 710
SAT II World History: 700
SAT II Chemistry: 630
No ACT
AP Chemistry: 3
AP World History: 5</p>
<p>Apparently chem’s not my thing</p>
<p><strong>Edit</strong> When I applied I wanted to major in international relations (now I’m thinking economics)</p>
<p>so what did you do to get in? those are clearly not great stats…win big prizes? know the dean? what? whats your secret?</p>
<p>Thank you all for the responses so far. </p>
<p>To answer a few questions posed on here:</p>
<p>I’m planning on double majoring in music (piano) and political science</p>
<p>I have a few chance threads and a thread labeled “help my with my extracurriculars”, which elaborates on each of my activities (my strong point in the application). That should help give you more perspective. </p>
<p>I didn’t send in my score to any colleges yet. I’m going to take two more in the fall and see how I do. So it’s not like I’m doomed…yet. </p>
<p>undisclosed and highfiver: could you both elaborate on your stats, please? I’d like to know what you did to overcome those scores. Minority status, maybe? awesome extracurriculars, prizes, essays, connections, etc? I do have somewhat of a hook: I’m a talented pianist–qualified for most conservatories (sending cd).</p>
<p>so what did you do to get in? those are clearly not great stats…win big prizes? know the dean? what? whats your secret?</p>
<p>It’s really a shame that even with such an extensive database at our disposal, the posters around here still have such a flawed idea of what admissions are really about. A 2150 is a very, very good score. It may not have the numeric hook of a 2400, and will not wow the professional “chance thread posters”, but it will certainly not keep a student out. Ever. </p>
<p>GPA.SAT.Extracurriculars.Recommendation.Essays. The 5 pillars. If you have them, your chances are great. A student with a 2150, great GPA, extracurriculars, recs, essays and that pesky ‘personality’ that people seem to forget about these days has every chance of getting in.</p>
<p>I don’t get why these threads have become playgrounds to either crush hopeful students or roll our eyes at ‘shoe in stats looking for insurance’ and doesn’t need a “secret”.</p>
<p>I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If admissions was simply a matter of letting in the 1,500 applicants with the highest SAT scores than there wouldn’t be any admissions process. The collegeboard would simply computerize a lost of the top scorers interested in Columbia and send it to the school- saving quite a massive manpower bill.</p>
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<p>This describes me down to a tee. Oh, the pain.
Excellent consolation prize though, which somewhat validates this point.</p>
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<p>True, though high 600s to 800 describes the range of usual scores that come along to colleges like Columbia.</p>
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<p>Let me explain, to keep you jumping down my throat further.</p>
<p>From what I can tell from the original post, the poster is worried about ONE SAT score, in this case, US History. My answer is no, don’t worry about it. Submit the scores that you do well in. Yes, you won’t be in a great position is every single score you get is 650 but I’m assuming that this won’t be the case. </p>
<p>And yes, your point is very astute, there’s nothing to do with quality here. All that business is taken care of in your essay, your recommendations, your extracurriculars and your passion.</p>
<p>However, I disagree with your remark that there is never a cutoff mark for SAT scores. The original poster’s question is about whether an SAT score is bad for Columbia. You’re right in saying that there’s not an official cutoff for SAT scores, but I take “bad” to mean something that isn’t competitive. And Competitive in college admissions to me means that the admissions officers won’t be lingering over an SAT score that is closer towards the 25th percentile mark.</p>
<p>LionHeaded hits the mark in saying that there are more important factors than just GPA and SAT scores. I’m not disagreeing there. However, you should keep in mind that you need to be in the range before they will consider your “personality.” What good is a fantastic essay if it doesn’t even get read? Stay competitive, don’t get your app chucked before they even consider you. There’s not really an excuse to have an extremely low SAT score with all the low cost test prep that’s available these days. The SAT has never been an acceptable measure of intelligence or learning potential. There are things you can do to improve and I suggest that you try them.</p>
<p>Back to the SAT Subject test. Don’t fret if you don’t do too hot on one subject test. Send in your TOP 2 scores and you’ll be fine. 750+ is ideal but I wouldn’t lose sleep over a 700.</p>
<p>thanks lionheaded, for that great post
you’ve just made me realize how stupid i was to let people convince me that a 2260 was not enough (for HYPS). i will focus on my EC’s and essays from now on. thanks a lot.</p>
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<p>Yeah, because not knowing where the Spanish-American war took place means you can’t understand supply and demand, right?</p>
<p>So here’s a question: what about a kid with over 30 ACT, 3.95/4.35 GPA (unweighted/weighted) with great ECs (sports, academics, community service) and a tremendous focus/talent for 10+ years in music, BUT with fairly average 80th percentile SAT IIs? This is a TERRIFIC candidate in every way but the SAT subject tests–is all hope lost?</p>
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<p>This doesn’t sound like a “TERRIFIC candidate” but, rather, your pretty standard applicant with decent grades and ECs. A “TERRIFIC candidate” winning national awards, doing research to find the cure for cancer, etc.</p>
<p>Columbia2002, your hyperbolic definition of a “terrific candidate” describes an exceptional one who would gain admissions to HYPS.</p>
<p>Only a handful of applicants to Columbia out of the 20,000+ are “terrific,” as you define it.</p>
<p>Ok, I guess what I meant by “terrific candidate” was that this is a student who would potentially be a very successful member of the Columbia student body from both academic and arts perspectives. So the question remains, do mediocre SAT IIs kill a candidate?</p>
<p>^Not so much kill you as paralyze you from the waist down.</p>
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<p>Terrific means awesome or astounding. A terrific candidate is an exceptional one.</p>
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<p>That’s probably 75% of the applicant pool. Most of the applicants have the potential to do well at Columbia. This is a common theme on here – everyone thinks he/she is special.</p>