<p>I've decided I'm not taking it again. After all, a 2280 is solidly in the range of scores for even the most selective colleges, and the difference between a 2280 and a 2300 is purely nominal. No college is going to be like "O to the M to the G, she REALLY screwed up that SAT. Where are those other 20 pts!" Besides, I feel like for the most part I did my best (I did kinod of spaz out on one math section, but oh well), and I guess my scores are reflective of my skills - I'm definately a humanities person. Ultimately, it's my grades and EC's that are going to distinguish me anyways.</p>
<p>Yale's my first choice, and I was wondering if any of you guys know what the general cutoff is for being seriously considered by admissions officers at Yale or a school with comparable selectivity.</p>
<p>good choice.</p>
<p>guacamolly - three days ago i attended an info session & tour at yale (both were fantastic, its an amazing, amazing place). The admissions officer who gave the info session explained that there's no definitive "cut-off".</p>
<p>He said nobody's app is thrown away just because they didn't make a 2200, etc... that your application is looked at wholistically and those with poorer test scores simply have to make up for it with spectacular ECs, essays, and academics. The avg scores for acceptance are 700-800, making the range <em>technically</em> 2100-2400, but i would shoot for a 2250+ to play it safe... maybe even 2300.</p>
<p>i'd say most top notch schools are the same way. but again, rest easy... nobody's going to toss you out just because you got a 2190 or something :)</p>
<p>thanks tombot!</p>
<p>Is it possible to be accepted into an Ivy League school without making National Merit Semifinalist?</p>
<p>It's TOTALLY possible.</p>
<p>One of my friends is a current freshman at Harvard, and he was National Merit Commended (a rung below semifinalist). He also got into Stanford, Dartmouth, and Brown.</p>
<p>Absolutely, getrealk. You just have to think about the huge difference between the cutoffs to see that while NM is always a nice thing to have, it isn't necessary. The cutoff in my state hovers around 224. People at my school get into Ivies or Ivy equivalents all of the time without reaching the 224 necessary for that NMSF award.</p>
<p>Speaking of National Merit Semifinalists, how do they take into consideration "comparable SAT scores" to your PSATs?</p>
<p>PSAT: M = 80, V = 79, W = 69</p>
<p>Nov SAT: M = 720, V = 760, W = 800</p>
<p>Jan SAT: M = 770, V = 710, W = 740</p>
<p>Now, I am happy with my super score of 2330, but I am worried about the National Merit process. Would they use a superscore for their consideration, or just the time you scored highest in one session? Also, does it look bad to colleges if you scored worse the second time overall on the SAT? Should I retake to try and do better overall in one sitting/for scholarship purposes?</p>
<p>I think for NM, as long as you don't totally BOMB the SAT's you're fine. Your scores look good, so I'm sure you'll be ok. Also, what exactly is this whole "super score" deal?</p>
<p>A "super score" is the score you get when, over several takings of the SAT, you take out the highest you've ever scored on each section and add those together. For example, my super score of 2330 is achieved by taking my V and W from my Nov SAT and adding my M score from my March SAT (760 + 800 + 770), which is higher than I've gotten in a single sitting (2290 and 2220).</p>
<p>Most schools do this when they consider your SAT score. It allows you to get the highest composite SAT score possible, since your scores on individual sections can really vary between tests. (I improved in math but decreased in writing and verbal, kind of to my dismay :-/)</p>
<p>I hope that helps :-). Does anyone else have an opinion/know about my question too? I hate to say it, but I can be really anal about these things; it's so nerve-racking sometimes, as most people on here probably know. :-)</p>
<p>2370 (770 in writing) on first try with no studying :-D</p>
<p>meh, I got a 2220, M 670 CR 780 W 770, I feel stupid... I really need to get my math score up >.< my dad just about bit my head off, he went to MIT with an 800 math score...</p>
<p>My son was out of the country until Saturday night...was in no hurry to check his scores....but now he's on cloud nine. He went up 110 points from December:</p>
<pre><code> December March
</code></pre>
<p>CR 690 740
Math 620 690
Writing 700 690</p>
<p>Our "method" totally worked. He started out the prep course great in CR and weak in Math. The longer he took the prep course, the worse his CR scores got. But the prep course helped in Math. So after Christmas, I told him to keep going back to the prep course for Math, and to forget everything they taught him in CR. It worked!</p>
<p>GuitarRckr
"Now, I am happy with my super score of 2330, but I am worried about the National Merit process. Would they use a superscore for their consideration, or just the time you scored highest in one session?"</p>
<p>i had the same question a few days ago as i am also an aspiring NMF. i was told by a few people that you send your individual score report to National Merit. so no superscore.</p>
<p>i have also been told that in most cases, people who are SF and don't make finalists, dont make it because of turning in their forms late.</p>
<p>a score of 2280 on your nov. sat should be plenty to move you onto finalist staus.</p>
<p>what hack? can you change your sat score?</p>
<p>2340 first time no study</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No. The hack merely allows you to see your scores early online.</p>
<p>Critical Reading: 740
Math: 710
Writing: 760 (Essay: 11)
1450/2210</p>
<p>Sorry I'm posting in this thread (I'm a sophomore and haven't taken the SAT you guys are talking about) but I have a question.</p>
<p>All of you who got 2100+ (which seems to be just about all of you!)...what in the world did you do to prepare??? I've heard so many different things: read big books, study vocab, take online courses...what really works?!</p>
<p>Thanks,
Zenythz</p>
<p>DAmn all u guys did great. Congrats.
Did u use the blue book for practice tests? If so how was the actual compared to the blue books practice tests?</p>
<p>THXs</p>