<p>I took the SAT for the first time in December and got a 2180 (690 CR, 720 M, 770 WR w/ 12 Essay). I know it's relatively good in comparison to national scores, but I'm shooting for top schools and feel like I have no chance... I'm retaking in January but I'm really disappointed and am having a hard time getting over this score even if it's good.</p>
<p>Would I have any chance at top schools with this score? I KNOW I'll get it up. I'll get you yet, SAT!</p>
<p>huh? it's pretty good score....there's nothing to "get over" w/ this score! practice..and u'll have a better score....!</p>
<p>Aim for 2250... But honestly, SAT scores don't really matter for much. Your scores are already at or above the middle 50% at most if not all of the schools you're applying to. Other factors are way, way, WAY more important. Best of luck!</p>
<p>asifkhan, nice number of posts, hehe</p>
<p>Don't just take it again and just hope you'll make fewer mistakes. If you don't prepare extensively, then, maybe you'll score better, but then again, maybe you'll score worse. You sure one month is enough time to improve you score? Then again, you can always retake again, so I guess there's no harm.</p>
<p>just practice, its already a good score.</p>
<p>hey if it makes u feel better i got 150 pts lower lol</p>
<p>That is an awesome score, and contrary to what someone above said the SAT scores do in fact matter a great deal. Read any and most of the books geared towards Ivy league admissions and you will see the system they use to factor in the SAT score and see that it actually carries more weight than the GPA with how they reconfigure your numbers. So what have you got to lose, nothing! Take it again, though you did wonderfully! Hopefully the rest of your application is great, like your GPA, essays, activities, most schools take the holistic approach as to how they look at you and deem worthy for admisssions, its the whole package. Which schools are you applying to? Ivies or comparable? Good luck either way and happy new year!</p>
<p>Thank you, ctmomof3 :)</p>
<p>I'm applying to Ivies and comparable schools.</p>
<p>2180 is kind of low. Try to retake. My friend went from 2140 to 2390 in about two months. So you can probably improve quite a bit if you just have a good day.</p>
<p>2180 is NOT KIND OF LOW!! Compared to what? A room full of perfect scorers? Do you realize 2100 and up puts her in the 3% percentile of all SAT takers! Give her a break, for the ivies, I would venture to say its more of a mainstream score, and not necessarily a "standout" score but its a very respectable score in the ivies, and mind blowing in other calibers of schools, you have everything to gain by taking over, but feel good about what you have achieved!:)</p>
<p>ctmomof3, if only you were my mother ;)</p>
<p>Just kidding, though--I love my family! But your 3 kids must have a great supporting mother behind them!</p>
<p>Ok, not low for say Cornell or Brown but low for Harvard or Princeton. So i guess it depends on which Ivies you're aiming for.</p>
<p>lol
it's not too low for harvard or princeton either
but u can always take it again
and they count the highest</p>
<p>2180 is not low period. It's above the norm. Don't worry about it, there's more beyond SAT scores like some people above have said.</p>
<p>I went from a 2180 to a 2340 by studying intensely for about a month. Try practicing a bit to see if you can move upward. You will want more than 2180 if you're applying to HYPMS etc.</p>
<p>Those of you who keep saying "the score is kind of low for XYZ school", first examine your own reading comprehension skills. Did you read the title of this thread?</p>
<p>If you are currently a Junior, take it again in the fall of your senior year. You should see an increase simply due to the extra 3/4 year of additional study and experience. Your brain will have also grown a little more. Studies show that the frontal lobe of a human brain is not fully mature until their early 20's. Explains some of the stupid decisions I made when I was 18, 19 :)</p>
<p>From Harvard:</p>
<p>What is the average GPA and test scores for students entering Harvard?</p>
<p>The Undergraduate Admissions Office does not make average test scores and GPAs available. The majority of students admitted to Harvard College have scores ranging from 600 to 800 on the SAT I and SAT II Subject Tests. They consider many other factors during the application process, not just test scores and grades. </p>
<p>From Yale:</p>
<p>Yale is above all an academic institution, and thus academic strength is our first consideration in evaluating any candidate. The single most important document in the application is the high school transcript, which tells us a great deal about a student's academic motivation and performance over time. We look for students who have consistently taken a broad range of challenging courses in high school and done well in them. There are no score cutoffs for standardized tests: the median scores for admitted students on the verbal and mathematical portions of the SAT generally fall in the low-to-mid 700s, and the ACT composites in the low 30s, but successful candidates present a wide range of test results. While there is no hard and fast rule, it is safe to say that performance in school is relatively more important than testing. A very strong performance in a demanding college preparatory program may compensate for modest standardized test scores, but it is unlikely that high standardized test scores will persuade the admissions committee to disregard an undistinguished secondary-school record.</p>
<p>The messages from other "top" schools is consistent. They look at the whole candidate, with a special focus on academics, not test scores. In reality, SAT scores are more important at large state universities where the admissions process is much simpler and spends less time on evaluation each individual's whole package and intangibles.</p>
<p>Your current SAT scores will be acceptable for any college.</p>
<p>.....1700 is above the norm. i don't think this guy cares about being above the norm</p>
<p>
i went from a 208 PSAT to a 235 by studying for <a week. SO DONT GivE UP!</p>