<p>Ok, so of the schools I'm looking at, very few of which match my SAT score with their "Middle 50%". Most, like Vassar, Amherst, Hamilton, and Pomona, have scores b/w 660-720 with all scores. My scores from my first outing are
670 Writing
620 Math
600 C.R.
I have hard time believing these are bad scores. They're still in the top 15% or so of the kids who took them overall, how can that possibly be bad? I know you guys on CC are all the 2100 plus kids, but im not shooting for that. I'd kill for a 2000+.
I have a 3.9 UW at a very small, but one of my state's best, HSs. I'm taking all my schools few AP courses, and I plan to do volunteer work this summer along with my summer job doing yard work. So, should i be worried about getting into these schools even if I get below the Middle 50% of my perferred schools? Does this make them reaches?
I'm also looking at Sarah Lawrence, Bard, and Pitzer, simply because i like the looks of them, and they don't require SAT scores for a student like me.</p>
<p>oh and if one more kid who gets a 2200 says they're gonna retake it cause they "only got a 720" on math i'm seriously considering giving up and working as a carpenter.</p>
<p>In your case I'd retake, just because even though you're right that those are good scores and probably won't get you rejected by themselves, you probably could do better on a personal basis (considering that was your first outing), and when it comes to college admissions, you certainly want to put your best foot forward, don't you?</p>
<p>I'd definitely retake, your CR score is too low to really be viable at the top schools, like Amherst and Pomona. I don't really know about Vassar and Hamilton. Your SAT 2's have to be good as well......one coach in my college search told me that they have to be >700.</p>
<p>Your scores aren't "bad"; as you say, they're in the top 15%. However, you've listed four of the most selective LACs in the country; they all have admissions rates of about 25% or less. They reject many more applicants than they accept. They tend to take the top 7 or 8%. </p>
<p>Your scores aren't bad; they just may not be quite good enough for the schools you've chosen.</p>
<p>However, remember that there is more to the admissions process at those schools than scores. There are 25% of the students at those schools with lower scores.</p>
<p>You need to find some "safeties" where your scores are in the 75% range of SAT scores in order to have some assurance that you will have acceptances in hand come April. To apply to only those colleges you listed would be a big mistake. Any college[ Pomona, Amherst] that admits fewer then 20% of applicants is a reach for anyone, including those with SAT scores much higher than yours.
You also should try to raise your scores, but taking the SAT more than 3 times is probably not worth the effort.</p>
<p>Spend the $15 to access the U.S. News premium college website, where you can find info about what percentage of accepted students at individual colleges have SAT scores in various ranges. Based on your dream schools, I'm guessing that as few as 10% do at those schools, and more than lkey those students have big hooks like being double legacies, recruited athletes or having millionaire donor parents.</p>
<p>Also check out CC's forums for the colleges that interest you and look at the stats of students who were accepted and rejected last year.</p>
<p>If you were applying to most colleges in the country, your scores easily would gain your acceptances and even merit aid. That's not the case, however, at the top colleges in the country because of the flood of very high stat students who apply to those schools.</p>
<p>Also look at the research area on the college board's website, which will show you how many tens of thousands of students have SATs at your level, and at much higher levels. Top 15% of students taking the SAT is a huge number of students.</p>
<p>The data show the following for students accepted into the Class of 2011 (note the cited data are for those accepted, not just those actually enrolled; the latter numbers are also shown in the linked site): </p>
<p>CR 600-649: 9% of the students accepted had a CR score in this range<br>
13.4% of the students who applied with a CR score in this range were accepted </p>
<p>Note that these data are for students who were enrolled in the Class of 2011:</p>
<p>CR 600-640: 8% of the enrolled Class of 2011 had a CR score in this range</p>
<p>M 600-640: 8%</p>
<p>WR: 650-690: 19%</p>
<p>You asked: "So, should i be worried about getting into these schools even if I get below the Middle 50% of my perferred schools? Does this make them reaches?"</p>
<p>The answers to these questions are yes and yes. </p>
<p>Follow the advice given by the other posters.</p>
<p>I agree with all of the above. Unless you have some other aspect to your application (URM, athlete, legacy, etc.), and you feel strongly about attending a very selective school, then you really need to study hard for the SAT and take it again. Your grades are excellent, you're taking the most rigorous course load available to you -- that's all great. But absent some attractive athletic ability or some other element that makes you stand out in the avalanche of applications, you really need to crank up the SAT score... which won't guarantee anything either, but will at least not give them a reason to screen you out early. After that, essays/interviews/great letters of rec are your other tools.</p>
<p>If you are female, it's even more imperative to raise your scores since you're applying to LACs, which are flooded with applications from females and have a hard time attracting males. Probably a disproportionately large share of the students with the bottom 50% scores are males.</p>
<p>well thats good to know because im male. but im sorta considering ordering rescoring, because my overall score is 70 points lower than my PSATs, and i thought i did really well on reading, and i did my worst. its very likely i screwed up the bubble sheet, as i do that all the time on scanned bubble tests because i fill in the bubble too dark and when i erase it it still leaves a mark.</p>
<p>Requesting Score Verification
You can request a multiple-choice hand score verification or essay score verification, or both, up to five months after the test date by calling Customer Service. There is a score verification fee required to cover the costs associated with verifying your scores. If you used a fee waiver to pay SAT registration fees, the score verification fee will be reduced. The reduced fee is available upon request and is provided on the Request for SAT Score Verification form. </p>
<p>We will mail a letter confirming the results of your multiple-choice hand score verification or essay score verification within five weeks after your signed request and payment are received. We will refund your full score verification fee only if the change in scores was due to an irregularity in the scanning and/or scoring process. </p>
<p>IMPORTANT: Multiple-choice hand score verification and/or essay score verification may result in higher or lower scores than the scores first reported. Adjusted scores are FINAL and will be reported to all score recipients.
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<p>I'm in your position. I got:
Math: 590 (beautiful huh?)
Writing: 670
Critical Reading: 650
I want to apply to USC and UCLA. My scores aren't horrible and I am very pleased with my 1910, but I'm still going to retake it. As you said, I'd kill for a 2000+ too. Now you know your weaknesses and you can study up on those and You'll know what's coming. I would suggest a retake and if you do bad in the retake, well you still have pretty good scores to back you up. Good Luck! :)</p>