So I’d like to go to MIT to pursue the career of a Chemical Engineer, I got a 5 on the AP Chem test, a 800 on the chemistry subject SAT, but a 720 on the math 2 Subject SAT test (Grr… I forgot not to guess). I’m going into 11th grade starting next fall, so I guess I still have time because I finished precalc and A2/trig and am moving on to AP Calc, my question is should I pay and retake the math SAT? Or would a score like that be workable and I should focus more on my actual SAT? I used the Barron’s book to prepare and I retook a practice test just to gauge where I am after taking the test two months ago and I got a 610. And yes I’m completely aware that no matter what I’m still not guaranteed admission, regardless of just test scores. Thanks for the help!
If you are shooting for MIT, retake it. 75% of MIT admits scored 780 or higher.
My son had success with Dr. Chung’s math book to review the material. Since you’re only a junior, if you are targeting MIT, I agree with @nw2this that you should retake. Good luck.
Thank you for the responses! I guess I’ll retake it in October as in August all testing sights within a 75 mile radius of me are packed. Wish me luck!
I recommend you try sparknotes’ study guide. I’ve used them for 3 of my subject tests (including math II) and I got an 800 on every one of them. Plus, it’s free and always available.
This advice is inconsistent with advice that you would get from anyone who attended MIT. A 720 is high enough. If you are rejected from MIT your 720 will definitely not be the reason. MIT wants to see at least a 700 on these exams to ensure that you are up for the rigorous coarse load. After they determine that, they move on to the rest of your application.
However, this may not be the case at other school that you are applying to. Take it again only if you are applying to other schools where test scores are more important.
You have plenty of time to retake it. If you got 720 on a science SAT I would say that it is good enough, but it is not very difficult to score 800 on math SAT for most of MIT students.
As UglyMom noted, if you don’t get in to MIT, your 720 will not be the cause.
Get your regular SAT score in your target range then come back to the subject test.
A 720 on the math 2 is only at the 51%ile this year: https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/sat-percentile-ranks-subject-tests-2016.pdf
@UglyMom while most schools likely look for over 700 on subject tests and move on, this is probably not the case with MIT. Part of this has to do with the skewed scoring on the math 2 subject test relative to other subject tests. And part of this has to do with the fact that this is MIT where you have to be very strong in math in order to succeed.
The MIT website shows that the scores of the middle 25th to 75th percentile range from 770-800 for the incoming class (http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats).
The stats page everyone is linking to is the range for the regular SAT math section, not the subject test.
While true, an older version of the page stated that the middle 50% of students scored between 780 and 800 on the math Subject Tests.
@springboard any score above a 700 is good enough scores for MIT. They are looking for students that can handle the difficult requirements like the two math and physics classes that most students take as freshman. Because MIT is famous for being a top math and engineering school most of the students that apply happen to be the strongest math students. The reason the stats show such high scores is because these students are the ones that apply. However MIT doesn’t require scores that high. I promise you, if a student seems perfect for MIT in every other way a 710 on an SAT math test will not get them rejected.
If you are going into 11th grade, and already have taken the SAT 2 math test, then you took it when you were quite young.
I am thinking that you need to first concentrate on the regular SAT and see how you do. If you get “MIT worthy” scores (something like 780 or better on the math part) then you might consider retaking the math 2 Subject SAT test.
By the way, I don’t think that forgetting whether or not to guess is the issue. There are MIT undergrad students who didn’t have to decide whether to guess on any math SAT question because they knew the answers to all of the questions (on both math aptitude and math 2 Subject SAT test). The issue to me is that you took the test so early in your high school career.
@DadTwoGirls Please, if my daughter had listened to this same advice she never would have applied to MIT. Again anything over a 700 is MIT worthy. My daughter graduated in June from MIT. She was accepted with a 1480 SAT. Her math score was a 710. Her Math 2 score was a 760. She truly believed she would fit in perfectly at MIT. She made sure that her personality came through in all her essays so that the admission office could see it too. My daughter probably could have studied more and scored higher, but she chose to spend her time doing more important things. Again scores are important to show that you can keep up with the rigorous course work. A 700 proves you can. After that every other aspect of the application is much more important!
@UglyMom I do not know why you are so sure … just based on the single data point from your daughter? and why did you say 1480 SAT, I assumed your daughter entered MIT four years ago, wasn’t the score based on 2400 at the time?
@annamom No, it’s not based on 1 data point. It’s based on lots of research from when my daughter was applying and from input from MITChris, and from other students at MIT. MIT is very transparent and their admission office has said the same many times. You are correct about my daughter’s scores; her scores were out of 2400. But MIT didn’t count the writing section so I only included the math and reading scores. Math/710 Reading/770. The writing scores were insignificant to most of the schools she applied to, so i don’t recall what they were.
@UglyMom Can you share the “research”? I am not saying you at wrong…but I can’t find it anywhere (including the common data set) to support that MIT considers “anything over 700 is MIT worthy”… We are not talking about national level athletes, right?
Or anything else hook-worthy, right?
Here MITChris says it himself.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20340959#Comment_20340959
Again, some schools care more about scores than other schools do. I never said not to try to increase your scores. It might help you get into another school on your list. I only want to make it clear that you shouldn’t be afraid to apply to MIT if some of your scores are in the low 700s. I am saying this because if my daughter listened to that she wouldn’t have ever realized her dream of attending MIT. I actually even know someone who was accepted with one of his subject test scores in the high 600s. If you really think that you’re a great fit for MIT, work on your essays. Make sure your personality shows through. Try to make them feel that their class will not be complete without you. It’s a very collaborative environment. What is it about you that will help your class be successful? What can you bring to MIT that is unique? It can be a skill or even a personality trait that will contribute to a great class. The admissions office’s goal is to assemble a great group who will help each other succeed.